Sultanahmet Revisited

Sorry for the lack of posts lately.  I've been busy with school work, friends visiting, and exploring Istanbul more.

This weekend Karen Rogers and Scott Finn, two of our Auburn professors who are presently teaching the group in Rome, flew in for the weekend to see Istanbul.  Tarik was busy yesterday, so Cameron, Amanda (who was also visiting for the week), and I took them to Sultanahmet to see Hagia Sophia, Blue Mosque, and Basilica Cistern.  Karen Rogers had taught our Architecture History II class in Auburn in which covers mosque architecture.  It was amazing to visit Hagia Sophia with her and listen to all of her knowledge and observations on the building.  For lunch we ate kebabs at a restaurant with wonderful homemade bread.  After we got back Amanda and I did some shopping on Istiklal.  I got four shirts and a sweater for 45 lira (about 27 dollars), two scarves (5 lira each), and a very cool red bag.

We have our first set of reviews on Thursday, so I'm going to get to studio soon to work for the day.  Tonight we're going to one of our Turkish friends' birthday parties.

Mardin

more to come...

Dinner and A Movie

Mardin was abseloutely amazing.  We got back yesterday afternoon.  I have so many pictures and stories, but I'll wait to write them once I have the pictures loaded to go along with it.

Tonight was a perfect night.  Cameron, Casey and I met our friend Zeynep in Levent to see Slumdog Millionaire (it just came out in Turkey on Friday).  What a wonderful movie!  I am in love with the actors, music, cinematography, and of course the story.  Afterwards we went to a great kebap restaurant that Zeynep's father owns.  For mezes (appetizers), we had this salad with this sort of pomegranate dressing and lahmacun (a tortilla with minced lamb and tomatoes and parsley).  For the main course I had very good lamb kebap with yogurt and garlic and eggplant and Cameron had the most delicious lamb and eggplant kebap.

I am so full and happy now and also ready to get some sleep!