Istanbul, Turkey – 08/25

(Michelle) We started out Saturday by checking out the Basilica Cistern. This is a giant underground water supply created by the Emperor Justinianus in the 6th century A.D. It is an interesting site for sure… Underground columns with about a foot deep of water, some gold fish and two Medusa heads. Since there is no other real “art” down here other than a few unusual columns and the Medusa heads, there is much speculation, but no actual facts, as to what the Medusa heads here were all about, especially since they both are underneath columns that support the cistern and one is head is upside down and one head is on it’s side. I remember my brother making me watch some old movie on tv when I was little about Medusa and her crazy snake hair. It scared me for a while. Fortunately, I am not so scared of her anymore.
We then headed over to the Topkapi palace museum, which was the home to the Sultans from the mid 1400s to the mid 1800s (when they moved to the Dolmabahce Palace). I figured it to be similar to other castle type tours we have been on, but there was a surprise in here that I was not expecting. As I was going through the exhibits, looking at jewels and weapons and other such fancy palace museum items, I got to an exhibit that looked like a skull and the bones of an arm. What the $%#& is this? I had to read the card like 3 times to make sure I read it right, but right here amongst all the other museum items is an item claiming to be the skull and right arm of John the Baptist. I did not see that coming. I looked it up later and there does appear to be some controversy here, since the Topkapi is not the only place claiming to have the skull and right arm of John the Baptist, and this is one of those things that I don’t think anyone will ever be able to prove. Unfortunately, John was hanging out in one of the rooms at Topeki that they strictly enforced the no photograph rule, so you will just have to imagine what his skull and right arm look like now after a couple thousand years.
Check this photo of one of the reading rooms at the palace. When you were Sultan, sometimes you needed a place to put your Sultan hat when you were chilling out in private. This room comes with fully built into the wall Sultan hat holders.

(TJ) The Basilica Cistern is really amazing due to it size and its age. The lighting doesn’t hurt either, giving it a slightly creepy feeling. You feel like you’re on some movie set or at some ride or exhibit at Disney World but its real. Actually it was a movie set for the James Bond movie from Russia with Love. Topkapi palace had some interesting architecture and some great views of the Bosporus. As Michelle talked about, the best thing at the palace was treasury where they had crowns swords, boxes, and goblets, all of which were highly gilded in precious metals and stones. They also had some interesting curiosity such as John the Baptist skull which is always good for holy wars and such. I thought they would have had more of this palace open, but they were renovating many portions of and they also have a screwy ticketing system that we didn’t really understand.