The Bosphorus or Bosporus (Greek: Βόσπορος), also known as the Istanbul Strait (Turkish: İstanbul Boğazı), is a strait that forms part of the boundary between Europe and Asia. It is one of the Turkish Straits, along with the Dardanelles. The world's narrowest strait used for international navigation, it connects the Black Sea with the Sea of Marmara (which is connected by the Dardanelles to the Aegean Sea, and thereby to the Mediterranean Sea). The shores of the strait are heavily populated as the city of Istanbul (with a metropolitan area in excess of 11 million inhabitants) straddles it. Two bridges cross the Bosporus. The first, the Bosphorus Bridge, is 1,074 m (3,524 ft) long and was completed in 1973. The second, Fatih Sultan Mehmet (Bosphorus II) Bridge, is 1,090 m (3,576 ft) long, and was completed in 1988 about 5 km (3 mi) north of the first bridge.
Now about us: We arrived on Monday March 8 and left on Friday March 12, 2010. The reason Istanbul was chosen for the Europe East Area CES conference was that all of the CES senior couples could get there. Last year because of VISA problems, not all the CES couples could attend the conference in Lithuania. Our Turkish Airline, from Moscow to Istanbul, has the best food we have ever eaten on a plane. The plane landed on the Asian side of Istanbul. Our van driver crossed the Bosphorus Bridge to Europe, and then across the Galata Bridge over the Golden Horn to our hotel. Please see map below.
Seminary & Institute Missionary Couples Conference: The conference included the following topics:
- Teach and learn by the Spirit
- Cultivate a learning environment of love, respect, and purpose
- Study the scriptures daily and read the text for the course
- Understand the context and content of the scriptures and the words of the prophets
- Identify, understand, and apply gospel doctrines and principles
- Explain, share, and testify of gospel doctrines and principles
- Master key scripture passages and basis doctrines
Left-to-Right: Henry Kosak (Area Director Europe East, LDS- Seminaries and Institute of Religion - Church Educational System), Sergei Semenov (Seminaries and Institutes of Religion Europe East Area Assistant to the Area Director/Baltic Mission Coordinator), and Wolfgang Paul (First Quorum of Seventy, President Europe East Area)
The Students
We came from Armenia, the Baltic States, Bulgaria, from the Ukraine, and from Russia.
Seated L-t-R: Henry Kosak and wife, Sister and President Paul, Sergei and Wife, and Sister Anna Kovalenko, Secretary to Henry Kosak. We did not remember who every one was so this is the list of the Senior Couples who attended: From Armenia - Elder & Sister Shulz (last couple on right); Baltic States - Elder & Sister Jacques; Ukraine - Elder & Sister Olsen , Elder & Sister Reed & Elder & Sister Lance; Bulgaria - Elder & Sister Forsnes; and from Russia - Elder & Sister Packard (first on left), Elder & Sister Miller (third from left), Elder & Sister Ray (fifth from left - they started in Samara Mission and were transferred to the Vladistock Mission), Elder & Sister Overly, Elder & Sister Moleff (sixth from right), Elder & Sister Clements (third from right), and the Elder & Sister Oscarson (second from right). We were in the MTC with the Millers and the Oscarsons, but they are on 18 month missions.
We had half a day, and some evenings, for site-seeing - a few photos are shown below:
Sultanahmet, Celal Sultan Hotel is located in the old city center and gives the advantage of being in walking distance to many historical attractions such as Blue Mosque, Hagia Sophia, Topkapi Palace, Hippodrome, Underground Cistern, Grand Bazaar, Spice Bazaar. Istanbul Ataturk International Airport is 18 km away from our Hotel. The food was OUTSTANDING and the service EXCELLENT. We really enjoyed Turkish food.
Sister Moleff in front of our hotel.
Lounge area in the hotel. All the furniture in the different seating areas in the hotel was red. Notice the mirrors on the wall, there were mirror arrangements large and small throughout the hotel.
Outside in Istanbul (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Istanbul)
Elder Moleff, this is looking down the street from our hotel.
What part of Istanbul looks like. They have a tremendous traffic problem in Istanbul.
The Blue Mosque: The Sultan Ahmed Mosque (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Sultan_Ahmed_Mosque) (Turkish: Sultanahmet Camii) is a historical mosque in Istanbul, the largest city in Turkey and the capital of the Ottoman Empire (from 1453 to 1923). The mosque is popularly known as the Blue Mosque for the blue tiles adorning the walls of its interior. It was built between 1609 and 1616, during the rule of Ahmed I. Like many other mosques, it also comprises a tomb of the founder, a madrasah and a hospice. While still used as a mosque, the Sultan Ahmed Mosque has also become a popular tourist attraction.
Blue Mosque from the outside. If you are sitting on one of these benches looking at the Blue Mosque and turn around you will be facing the Hagia Sophia.
Inside the Blue Mosque. A large area for people to pray, before prayers it is closed to the public.
Hagia Sophia: Unfortunately nothing remains of the original Hagia Sophia, which was built on this site in the fourth century by Constantine the Great. Constantine was the first Christian emperor and the founder of the city of Constantinople, which he called "the New Rome." The Hagia Sophia was one of several great churches he built in important cities throughout his empire. Following the destruction of Constantine's church, a second was built by his son Constantius and the emperor Theodosius the Great. This second church was burned down during the Nika riots of 532, though fragments of it have been excavated and can be seen today. Hagia Sophia was rebuilt in her present form between 532 and 537 under the personal supervision of Emperor Justinian I. It is one of the greatest surviving examples of Byzantine architecture, rich with mosaics and marble pillars and coverings. After completion, Justinian is said to have exclaimed, Νενίκηκά σε Σολομών ("Solomon, I have outdone thee!"). In the mid 1400's when the Ottoman Empire came to rule, it became a mosque and the minarets were built and then on 24 October 1934 it was declared a national monument and became a museum.
Internet picture of the Hagia Sophia
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Sister Moleff standing in front of the Hagia Sophia, facing the Blue Mosque.
This photograph is of the inside the Hagia Sophia. There are paintings on the ceiling of Mary and the Christ child. There are many other Christian murals.
Topkapi Place: The Topkapi Palace (Turkish: Topkapı Sarayı) or in Ottoman Turkish: طوپقپو سرايى, usually spelled "Topkapi" in English) is a palace in Istanbul, Turkey, which was the official and primary residence in the city of the Ottoman Sultans for 400 years of their 624-year reign, from 1465 to 1856. The palace was a setting for state occasions and royal entertainments and is a major tourist attraction today, containing the most holy relics of the Muslim world such as the prophet Muhammed's cloak and sword. Topkapı Palace is among those monuments belonging to the "Historic Areas of Istanbul", which became a UNESCO World Heritage Site in 1985, and is described in Criterion iv as "the best example[s] of ensembles of palaces of the Ottoman period." We only had a few hours here we could have taken ALL day.
Model of the Topkapi Palace
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This is the Baghdad Pavilion. Other places that we went in, we were not allowed to take pictures. We saw a gold baby cradle covered with diamonds, rubies and emeralds. We also saw the biggest diamond in the world (86 carats with 49 smaller diamonds surrounding it) which is priceless. The Sultans knew how to live well.
Covered Bazaar: The Grand Bazaar (Turkish: Kapalıçarşı, meaning Covered Bazaar) in Istanbul is one of the largest and oldest covered markets in the world, with more than 58 covered streets and over 1,200 shops which attract between 250,000 and 400,000 visitors daily. Opened in 1461, it is well known for its jewelry, pottery, spice, and carpet shops. Many of the stalls in the bazaar are grouped by the type of goods, with special areas for leather coats, gold jewelry and the like. The bazaar contains two bedestens (domed masonry structures built for storage and safe keeping), the first of which was constructed between 1455 and 1461 by the order of Sultan Mehmed the Conqueror. The bazaar was vastly enlarged in the 16th century, during the reign of Sultan Suleiman the Magnificent, and in 1894 underwent a major restoration following an earthquake. The bazaar is where we bought souvenirs for our daughters, daughters-in-law and granddaughters.
Inside one of the many, many shops in the Covered Bazaar. Sister Moleff with Sister Clements (St. Peters burg Mission) and the shop keeper.
A sample of what it looks like in the Covered Bazaar.
Sultahmet Square-The Hippodrome: The Hippodrome of Constantinople (Turkish: Sultanahmet Meydanı, At Meydanı) was a circus that was the sporting and social centre of Constantinople, capital of the Byzantine Empire. Today it is a square named Sultanahmet Meydanı (Sultan Ahmet Square) in the Turkish city of Istanbul, with only a few fragments of the original structure surviving. It is sometimes also called Atmeydanı (Horse Square) in Turkish. The word hippodrome comes from the Greek hippos ('ιππος), horse, and dromos (δρομος), path or way. Horse racing and chariot racing were popular pastimes in the ancient world and hippodromes were common features of Greek cities in the Hellenistic, Roman and Byzantine eras.
This is what the Hippodrome looks like today, anciently horse and chariot races took place here.
1 comment:
fascinating. looked like a wonderful trip!
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