Delicious fall weather

When I checked the weather report before we left Sulaimaniya, it said it was going to be drizzly for a couple of days and then the sun would come out. To a person who had only experienced 90 seconds of rain in Duhok, that sounded like heaven. The next morning we all had a bit of a lie in and ate some delicious Turkish yogurt with muesli and fruit and then headed down the hill to get the train into Sultanahmet. We hopped on the train and took it to the touristy area. It was a chilly, grey, overcast day and it felt so good. We went first to the Hagia (pronounced eye-uh) Sophia, which was dedicated in the year 360. It is a beautiful church, that was initially used as such, but in the 1450's it was converted into a mosque. It is quite an amazing architectural feat because the columns are hidden and it is has a beautiful soaring open space.

We then went to Topkapi Palace. We stopped for a hot drink called salep (pronounced sal-hep) that was really tasty, especially when you are chilly. We then went through the harem, which was a mix of function and beauty. The Iznik tiles are stunning and the colorful designs are busy, but the overall effect is harmonious and peaceful. After touring the palace and seeing all of the jewels, we were a bit cold and decided to go to Cemberlitas (pronounced Chem-bur-lee-tash) baths. Being laid out and scrubbed down on a hot piece of marble is one of the best ways I know to spend a frigid and rainy afternoon.

We had dinner plans to meet someone (another mix of business and pleasure) and we went to a place called 360 right on Istiklal. It was a modern restaurant at the top of an apartment building with a 360 degree view of the city. We went to wait at the bar for our table and I looked down and almost fell over. I was sitting on a large piece of plexiglas that gave me a view of the eight story staircase. I felt like I was in an MC Escher drawing. As we finished dinner it turned into a night club and if I was not so tired I would have definitely stayed to dance. That is on the list of things to do next time.