As we woke up in the morning we felt invigorated and determined to squeeze the zest out of the day. We ate breakfast at the hotel and got to try some delicious Turkish french toast. Soon after we meet up to head to Istanbul Technical University, once role call was done we quickly maneuvered the winding streets to make our way to the subway, which we finally are starting to get a hang of. As we arrived on campus we were met by the warm faces of Dr. Oz and his lovely wife.
They took us on a tour of the University explaining the importance and significance of the University existing, as in Turkey schools are created on a completely need basis and that the school was created in 1773. They also showed us around the geology department which had dinosaur skeletons that we took a ton of silly photos with.
After our tour of campus we went to Professor Oz’s presentation on the geology of Turkey and the work he is doing with his graduate students. We were amazed with the amount of seismic activity that occurs in Turkey, and how fascinating the movement of the tectonic plates is. He explained the geological wonders of Turkey, including the North Anatolian Fault, the Volcanics of Assos, the gold mine, the Menderes detachment and extension. Then the group headed out for some Kofte and vegetables.
After lunch we went to Hagia Sophia in the heart of the old city part old Istanbul. The church is almost 1,500 years old and once was central to the Byzantine faith, and then it was reborn during the ottoman empire as a mosque. Every part of the building told us a story, The circular pattern on the floor marks Omphalos, which is where they crowned Emperors. There is a massive wood door that was reserved for the Emperor and his family called the Imperial Gate, which is said to of been made of wood from Noah’s Ark. However, these do not hold a flame to the breathtaking mosaics, one of the favorites was the Deesis Mosaic that was in the upper gallery, it was of Mary and John the Baptist begging Christ to forgive humanity.
As soon as we walked out of the Hagia Sophia we could already see the outline of the Blue Mosque in the distance and knew what was coming was going to be breath taking. The Blue Mosque is the most distinctive character in Istanbul’s skyline, and as you grow closer it just becomes even more enchanting with it’s six minarets shining like Galena. We soon learned from Zoe and Sophia’s presentation that the fact that it had six minarets had caused some upset as it implied that the Blue Mosque was challenging Mecca for the position of holiest Mosque. Inside we were stunned by the 20,000 hand painted tiles that covered the ceiling, the grandeur of the entire mosque and the beautiful consistent hum of prayer. Finally Sophia and Zoe told us a little bit about the man who had commissioned this mosque as a demonstration of his power, Ahmed I. He, in fact, was not particularly imperial and was often criticized for using the trust of Turkey to pay for the Mosque rather then the spoils of war.
While some were waiting outside of the Blue Mosque they were approached by a man looking for a wife for his son. As he looked around the group he began bidding, offering camels for the girls, Professor Henderson began bartering with him. After a fierce debate and detailed analysis they landed on 20 camels for Sophia. We then walked over to the Hippodrome to see the mosaic of ancient culture that has began created there. First we looked at a Egyptian obelisk that stood on an Roman inscription dedicated to Theodisious, the three snake column from Greece and another obelisk from Greece. Finally full of culture and a nice long day of wandering we began to head back to the hotel to get ready for dinner with the graduate students from Istanbul Teknik Üniversitesi. We walked across the bridge while watching the sunset and silhouettes fishing against the gorgeous Mediterranean sky.
Shortly after we get back, we went out for dinner on a stunning rooftop restaurant, where we all enjoyed conversations with all the graduate students and learning about all the possible careers that we could pursue. After dinner we explored the city with the graduate students, who showed us the city and all of their favorite spots. Afterwards we walked back to the hotel, feeling more at home and less like tourists
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