3 Benua, 10 Hari

Masih mengekalkan harga yang sama seperti Aya Sofya, pengunjung akan dikenakan caj sebanyak 20 Lira untuk masuk ke dalam kompleks Topkapi Palace ini.

Seperti sebelum-sebelumnya, kenalah bergambar dulu di lokasi kejadian.

Rasa macam ada kat overseas pulak....hiks!

Di pintu masuk Topkapi itu, diletakkan pelan kawasan istana. Memang strategik, luas, dan betul betul dio atas bukit, di tepi laut!

Sebahagian besar istana ini dah ditukarkan menjadi muzium.

The Topkapı Palace Museum is under the administration of the Ministry of Culture and Tourism. The palace complex has hundreds of rooms and chambers, but only the most important are accessible to the public today. The complex is guarded by officials of the ministry as well as armed guards of the Turkish military. The palace is full of examples of Ottoman architecture and also contains large collections of porcelain, robes, weapons, shields, armor, Ottoman miniatures, Islamic calligraphic manuscripts and murals, as well as a display of Ottoman treasure and jewelry.

Ada jugak la dipamerkan Pedang Rasulullah S.A.W dan sahabat-sahabat Baginda. Bekas tapak kaki Baginda, serta spesimen yang dikatakan janggut Baginda. Tapi gambarnya tak boleh diambil ya murid-murid. Sekadar melihat saja.

Suasananya memang damai......

Dengan kedudukan di tepi laut, ditambah dengan angin yang sepoi sepoi bahasa, tempat ini cukup indah untuk menyaksikan pemandangan kedua-dua benua yang dipisahkan oleh selat Bosphorus!

Kompleks ini dibahagikan kepada beberapa bahagian. Ada mess tentera, ada penginapan, ada perpustakaan, ada bilik berkhatan, ruang untuk sida-sida, balai mesyuarat, balai tetamu, harem, dan pelbagai lagi elemen yang dikumpulkan di satu tempat. Tapi sekarang ni tak semua tempat boleh dimasuki. Hanya sedikit saja yang dibuka untuk pelancong.

Setelah selesai menjelajah Topkapi, Fendiosman beralih pula ke Galata Tower yang terletak nun di atas bukit berhampiran tempat makan tengahari pada hari sebelumnya.

The Galata Tower (Galata Kulesi in Turkish) — called Christea Turris (the Tower of Christ in Latin) by the Genoese — is a medieval stone tower in the Galata district of Istanbul, Turkey, just to the north of the Golden Horn. One of the city's most striking landmarks, it is a high, cone-capped cylinder that dominates the skyline and affords a panoramic vista of Old Istanbul and its environs. The nine-story tower is 66.90 meters tall (62.59 m without the ornament on top, 51.65 m at the observation deck), and was the city's tallest structure when it was built. The elevation at ground level is 35 meters above sea-level. The tower has an external diameter of 16.45 meters at the base, an 8.95 meters diameter inside, and walls that are 3.75 meters thick. There is a restaurant and café on its upper floors which commands a magnificent view of Istanbul and the Bosphorus. Also located on the upper floors is a nightclub which hosts a Turkish show. There are two operating elevators that carry visitors from the lower level to the upper levels. Entrance to the tower costs 10 TL (Turkish Lira).

Nak sampai ke kaki menara tu......alahai, memang menyemputkan! Tapi Fendiosman kagum dengan makcik-makcik bertongkat yang masih kuat kudratnya memanjat tangga ini. Fendiosman? Semput hokehhh.....

Sebab nak naik tu kena 10 Lira, tidaklah Fendiosman gigih menjelajah naik ke atas. Cukuplah posing di perkarangan menara saja.

Posing penuh perasaan.....

Dah juga posing ala2 Malaysia Airlines yang sopan menutup mulut......(tak caya tengok website diorang...memang tutup mulut camtu....)

Puas berehat mengumpul kembali tenaga, waktu pun dah mencecah jam 12 tengahari. Masa untuk makan semestinya!

Sekali lagi ke warung di dalam pasar ikan.....(oh ya...kakak pegang makanan tu pun Warganegara Malaysia, beliau sangat berani mengikuti kami walaupun baru beberapa minit kami kenali pada hari sebelumnya. Dan pada hari kedua kami mengembara, beliau masih setia mengikut kami....)

Demi mendapatkan ikan segar yang dibakar. Tapi kali ni Fendiosman taktau tajuk ikan yang Fendiosman makan itu! Macam ikan sebelah pun ada jugak....

Perut kenyang hati riang.....

Rasanya macam dah selesai semua tempat dikarau. Nak masuk ke Hammam, mahal sangat. Harga di Istanbul adalah berlipat-lipat kali ganda kalau nak dibandingkan di Ankara. Jadinya, abaikan......

Hammam tu apa ya? Yaaaa....sejenis tempat mandi untuk aktiviti Turkish Bath.

A Turkish bath (Turkish: Hamam) is the Turkish variant of a steam bath, sauna or Russian Bath, distinguished by a focus on water, as opposed to ambient steam. In Western Europe, the Turkish bath as a method of cleansing the body and relaxation was particularly popular during the Victorian era. The process involved in taking a Turkish bath is similar to that of a sauna, but is more closely related to ancient Greek and ancient Roman bathing practices. A person taking a Turkish bath first relaxes in a room (known as the warm room) that is heated by a continuous flow of hot, dry air allowing the bather to perspire freely. Bathers may then move to an even hotter room (known as the hot room) before splashing themselves with cold water. After performing a full body wash and receiving a massage, bathers finally retire to the cooling-room for a period of relaxation.

Takpalah....untuk siri lawatan seterusnya ke mana-mana destinasi, nanti Fendiosman akan cuba masuk ke tempat-tempat macam ni. Rasanya dalam masa terdekat ni ada kot? Tapi ke mana pulak tatau?

to be continued.....