Istanbul and Gallipoli

Blue Mosque

Formerly called Constantinople, Istanbul was the capital of the Roman Empire and Europe's wealthiest metropolis, and is now the largest city in Turkey. So I decided to spend a weekend visiting some of its most fascinating sites.

On this occasion I stayed in backpacker’s accommodation right opposite the Hagia Sophia, and at 4 o'clock in the morning I woke to the call to prayer that began at the Blue Mosque and, being picked up by all the other mosques, echoed all around the city. Taking advantage of the early awakening, I began to organize myself for a day of touring. My first stop was at the Blue Mosque, one of the most famous monuments in both the Turkish and Islamic worlds. The Mosque, known formerly as the Sultan Ahmet Mosque, is a superb creation in the classical Ottoman style. The mosque has six towering minarets and 260 windows illuminating its vast main chamber, which is decorated with more than 20,000 Iznik tiles - absolutely stunning to see. Next was the Hagia Sophia, also known as the Aya Sophia. Now a museum, it was built in the 6th century by the Emperor Justinian, and was one of the largest basilicas in the Christian world. After the Ottoman conquest, it was converted to a mosque and is today one of the most magnificent museums in the world. Then, after a spot of lunch I headed up to the Topkapi Palace, the largest and oldest palace in the world. With its treasury and exotic buildings overlooking the Golden Horn, it was a truly fascinating experience. The views over Istanbul from here are almost as amazing as the palace itself.

After an early night to make up for the early wake-up call my next day was spent exploring the streets and hidden shopping arcades of the city. The sights and smells of all those wonderful spices were amazing. I also made sure to include the well known Grand Bazaar, one of the world's largest covered markets, with 58 streets and over 4,000 shops, specially known for its jewellery, leather, pottery, spices and carpets. I could have spent a fortune here!!

Having had enough of the city, I took the ferry, then a long bus journey to Canakkale. It was out of season, so the town was a very quiet affair, but finally, after finding some accommodation on the back of the advise of a friendly restaurant owner, I settled down to relax. A day on the beach proved interesting. Watch out for the jellyfish! After a day or two of just chilling out, it was time to go visit what I came to see - Anzac Cove and memorials and trenches of Gallipoli. To this day you can still find ammunition shells and shrapnel on the beach of Anzac Cove, and you can explore the remains of the trenches before walking among the graves of those who fell in this great tragedy. Its a very moving and emotional place to visit and will leave a lasting imprint on my memory of all that happened there during World War One.