Category Archives: ByLanderSea Abroad

Diggin’ the Archeological Museum in Istanbul

Adventures, ByLanderSea Abroad, Land Adventures, Travel Journal/Blog, , , , ,

Istanbul’s Archeology Museum ranks as one of the best in the world. On our last day in Istanbul, Turkiy, travel buddy Judy and I intended to spend a few hours there but ended up browsing around most of the day.

Sign at Archeology Museum Entrance in Istanbul, Turkiye.
Sign at Archeology Museum Entrance, Istanbul, Turkiye.
Exterior of the Museum
Exterior of the Museum

The museum rests down the hill from the Topkapi Palacehttps://muze.gen.tr/muze-detay/topkapi. The complex has three main parts: the Archaeology Museum, the Museum of the Ancient Orient and the Tiled Pavilion. In addition, we found lovely statue gardens where you could sip a cup of coffee and have lunch with a multitudes of cats. There is a glassed-in pavilion in case the cats or cold weather intervene.

Continue reading Diggin’ the Archeological Museum in Istanbul →

See the Sultan’s Riches at DolmabahçePalace

ByLanderSea Abroad, Land Adventures, Travel Journal/Blog, , , , ,

The Dolmabahce Palace, along the shores of the Bosphorus River in Istanbul, was built between 1843 and 1856 for Sultan Abdülmecidu. He decided the 72-acre Topkapi Palace no longer met the needs of the royal household. Six sultans went on to use the Dolmabahce as their home before the Ottoman Empire fell.

Dolmabahce Palace as seen from my cruise on the Bosphorus in Istanbul.
Dolmabahçe Palace as seen from my cruise on the Bosphorus in Istanbul.

The massive 161,500 square feet building consists of three parts: the State Apartments, Ceremonial Hall and the Imperial Harem as well as other small buildings. High walls and iron fencing with gate openings to the shoreline surround the palace. The grounds and blooming gardens feature spectacular ponds, statuary and scenic pathways.

Statuary by the side gate.
Statuary by the side gate.
Continue reading See the Sultan’s Riches at DolmabahçePalace →

Touring an Orthodox Church and Islamic Mosque in Istanbul

ByLanderSea Abroad, Land Adventures, Travel Journal/Blog, , ,

Scaffolding covers the exterior of the Chora Church, and the interior nave is closed, but the mosaics and frescoes whisper stories to those who visit. We took a taxi to reach the out of the way location, but the trip was worth the effort.

Dome surrounds visitors in the Chora Church
Dome surrounds visitors in the Chora Church.

Constantine I built the monastery church outside the city walls in the 4th century. It was damaged by a strong earthquake in 558 AD and afterward restored by Emperor Justinian. By the 10th century, the church was near ruin. Maria Dukania, a devout Christian, financed the present building, a dome on four pillars (which we couldn’t see). Later several other buildings were added. The church remained safely in the hands of Orthodox monks during the Crusades. Theodores Methochides devoted his entire fortune to a needed restoration in 1305-1320. The exquisite mosaics and frescoes, including those in the funeral chapel, date from that period.

Domed Ceiling
Domed Ceiling

Continue reading Touring an Orthodox Church and Islamic Mosque in Istanbul →