No Smoking!!!!!

I REALLY miss America`s no smoke policy, even though it is limited to public places. EVERYONE it seems, smokes here!!!!!!!! Ughhh!! I really can`t take it much longer!!! (I hope I don`t get asthma or lung cancer by just being here) -that`s probably a farfetched possibility :-)

Ayub Sultan

I recently vısıted the masjıd and grave of Ayub Sultan, companion and host of the beloved Prophet Muhammed (SAW). The site was obviously one of great prominence for tourists as well as the Turkish natives. Crowds of people swarmed everywhere, prayers were whispered, children played, newlyweds smiled, while tourists were endlessly snapped photos. The masjid was very unique. There had been an older masjid in its place, but when Mehmed the conqueror found it, it was in ruins. He then built the current one in its place. The masjid has a courtyard with a huge old beautiful tree where Mehmed used to give his inaugaration speech. There is a speacial room that houses the tomb of Ayub. Many people crowd into the small space to say prayers for the famous Sahabah. There are two musallah one for the men and the other for women. The women also, however, have a second musallah upstairs that overlooks people below-like a bridge. Behind the masjid the is graveyard nestled in a steep hillside that leads to the famous Pierre Lotte. The hill is a STEEP climb and many people opt to use a speacial cable car. But walking truly has its rewards. There is great view and the tempeature is just right. The graves around you give the air a sense of tranquility. At the Pierre Lotte cafe you can reward your hard work by eating a deliciously cold ice cream along with thirst quenching water---YUM!!!

Beware of Turkish Drivers!!

One thing I hate about Turkey, is that the drivers will try to kill you!!! lol! But it's really no joke. BE CAREFULL!!!

Turkish Hospitality

Everyone in Turkey is sooooooooooooooooo nice!! I have no problem at all with their hospitality..:-) Everywhere you go, espeacially if you are Muslim, you are sure to get a smile, or salaams. The people here will help you wıth your every need, even when you insist you are fine. Children on the streets will smile at you, and it is very common that some may ask from out windows above, "where are you from?". Everyone will invite you for dinner, and even complete strangers will hand gifts to you.
What should you do in return for all this hospitality? There are several things.

#1. You should always eat everything that is offered to you, it is very rude to leave food on your plate. The women work SO hard to fix huge and delicious meals.

#2. When you are invited to someone`s house, it is common and polite to bring a gift with you for your host. When you are a tourist, this is often overlooked, but it`s still good to do so.

#3. Accept gifts. This is probanly the most easist thing to remember!

#4. Always say thank you.
If you follow these simple rules, you`ll be the perfect guest :-)

HOMESICK

One of the bad things about visiting a foriegn land, is that you get homesick--
:-(
On the bright side, still having a great time!

Turkish bazaars and Fatih

ASA
Yesterday I had the most amazing experience, I went to visit Masjid Fatih. It was soo nice, even though most of the masjid is under restoration. It had this peaceful, and historical vibe and it surrounded me with whispers of hushed prayers. We left the masjid to visit the grave of the leader of who the mosque was named, and the prayers follwed. It seems he was and still is respected by all in Turkey. He was the one who conquered Istanbul, and was quoted to have said " if any one destroys this, may he be cursed by Allah"...he was speaking of the change of the Byzantine church to the Ottoman masjid.
Around the mosque, is a quaint town full of shops. The people are sooo nice, they give salaams everywhere you go. They are very religious people, and strongly believe in sadaqah, so it seems. They have a special place with water and bread just for birds. It is really a place for families, they thrive on children. And if you have problems speaking Turkish (like me) a lot of people there speak a little Arabic and English!:-)
Turkish bazaars are such that you can definitely get lost in the crowd. I had to lock arms with my father because of this. It is loud, stuffy, and exotic. I say exotic because you never know what or who you will find. You may hear music and think that a music store is up ahead, when in fact it is a couple of children's toys making all the comotion. Likewise, the smells are a variety of pungent, sweet, and dense smells. It si common to smell raw fish, and a second later sweet smelling fragrances of frankencince and myrrh.

July 8, 2010

I am having a great time so far in this beautiful city. A ffew weeks ago,I visited the Sultan Ahmed or the Blue Mosque, the Hagia Sophia, and Topkapen Palace. They are splendid, mashallah! The Blue Mosque is still a mosque and has a beautiful spiral shaped chandelier centered on the huge dome ceiling. Arabic caligraphy covers the walls in a gold and blue blanket. There is a section of the mosque that only muslims can enter, so we got to pray in all that beauty.
The Hagia Sophia, once a church, next a mosque, now a mueseum, is huge and ancient. It is soooo grand with its huge domes and doors that once, only emperors could enter. This mueseum is unique because you get to see two religious arts at once. Christian and Muslim. It is not uncommon here to see in calligraphy "lailahailallah" next to the picture of Virgin Mary and her son Jesus (AWS).
Tokapen Palace, was a palace of some of the great sultans during the Ottoman Empire. Here you will see lots of artifacts and the different rooms the sultans and their families resided in. One thing that is great about Topkapen, is there is LOTS of green space. In Istanbul there's not so much of that, unfortunately. Here are also a lot of artifacts espeacially important to Muslims. Many of the different prophets' belongings are enclosed here. They have everything from the sword of the prophet(SAW) to the first handle of the Kabah.

WELCOME TO TURKEY

Turkey is a unique country in that it is located in two continents, Asia and Europe. Turkey has a rich history from the Byzantines to the Ottomans, it is sure to please the adventurer. The capital of this lively country is Ankara, but the largest most populated city is Istanbul. About 12-15 million people live in this one city. Istanbul has the vibe of an older version of New York City. It is very busy and easy to get lost in all the hustle and bustling of the streets. Everywhere you turn there are building and cats. Yes, I said cats. One unique thing about this city besides the fact that it resides in two continents is that, Istanbul might just be the one city in Europe that Muslims are a common sight. Everyday five times a day, you wil no doubt hear the athan, the Muslims' call to prayer.
These three weeks, I, Maryam Faarid will unlock the mysteries to this ancient city. I will share experiences, good and bad, and hopefully in the end you will experience Istanbul, Turkey.