Located on the northern peninsula of Turkey, Istanbul serves as the country’s cultural and economic center as well as Europe’s third largest city. The city lies on the coast of Marmara in the Bosphorus Strait and is one of the world’s megacities, housing more than 15 million residents. This metropolitan center that was once the capital of many empires, including the Roman and Ottoman, is now Turkey’s hub for industry and tourism.
On a tour we saw the Whirling Dervishes.
After playing some music and some speaking, three of the group went into the
whirling that put them in a trance. They stayed in the trance for about 30
minutes. They did not lose their balance nor did they move off the space they
were in. They came out of the trance as soon as the leader spoke some words.
They are Muslims and are a small sect. They are doing this as a love gift to
god. They do not do this in a Mosque.
On
another tour we went to the St Sophia Mosque, The Blue Mosque, the Topkapi
Palace, the Grand Bazaar, and to a Turkish rug factory.
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Whirling Dervishes
Making a silk Turkish rug
Sandy and Hagia Sophia Mosque
Entrance to the Grand Bazaar-65 covered streets-since 1461
Topkapi Palace Gate
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