More Mosques and Beyazit Tower 10th Oct

Woke at 9:30 (doing some good sleeping these days) and got up just before 10am. Brian finally surfaces about 11:30 complaining about cat disturbing his sleep. After breakfast we head for Istanbul taking my camera to find out how much they might give me for it. Catch the inevitable minibus which takes us all the way to the bazaar (almost). Best offer for camera 750TL (£25). I wanted 1200 and was prepared to settle for 1000. Go off for lunch to reflect on the situation. Decided that 750 is acceptable, though try to bargain for more; but his offer comes mysteriously down to 700, so he can stuff it.

Instead we go to the Suleymaniye Mosque which overlooks the Golden Horn. The University is in the way so through we go, or do we? There isn't an exit at the other side but a good photo of Golden Horn. While returning we find that we can ascend the Beyazit Tower - their version of the GPO tower (rather older than ours). After some deliberation we take some photos through the windows at the top of the tower. Descending Brian says the spiral staircase (which is somewhat rickety) doesn't do his constitution any good. It is a strange sensation galloping down, and when I get to the bottom I have to wait some minutes for Brian to appear. On to the Mosque where a service is in progress.

We decide to go to museum of Turkish and Islamic Works in the meantime. Entrance is 1.50 but contents are not inspiring. Some beautiful Korans, but otherwise only old prayer mats and bits of pottery. Return to Mosque and photo dome and east wall (from the praying position). Heads must be covered and lying on the floor is discouraged. The inside of this mosque is exceptionally attractive being basically a red ochre, and not being tiled. But there are lights hanging everywhere. As Brian says get some wire cutters and light by flood.

Time to go "home", but we must see the Valens Aqueduct. When we find it we are not very impressed, but pictures of it now look pretty good. We buy melon for 1.50 on the way to Aksaray Square to get the minibus. I get off at the local village shops while Brian goes back to camp. Bought rice, bread, wine, aubergine, lemon and meat (lamb from the leg). Back at camp Brian has curry cooking. It's excellent if a little tough, and we follow it with some wine. After which Brian makes poly bags for spice while I arrange lighting for boot and do a bit of repacking.

There is considerable poverty in Istanbul and quite a few beggars (though not as many as one would imagine). The westerner, unless he is a great humanist, tends to shut his mind to this problem, so perhaps it appears smaller to him than it really is. Apparently there is a form of national health, so there must be some degree of state welfare. Ataturk banned turbans and fez (religious significance) and yashmaks, nevertheless women are badly downtrodden. Never have we seen a Turkish woman in a restaurant, and they have their own separate area in the mosque.

The government here is a middle of the road (slightly left) Democrat Party. There is a general election on Sunday, but there's surprisingly little evidence of it. In 1960 the Democrat Prime Minister Adnan Menderes was hanged after a military coup. However, after one term of Republican government the Democrats were reinstated. Ataturk died in 1938 at the age of 57. Another Ataturk would be very good for the country. The economy is based on agriculture, mainly tobacco and cotton, though the tobacco they manufacture here is pretty grim (in cigarettes).