Fener and Beyond

Apologies for being away a bit, but I have been exploring, eating food, drinking wine and organizing my daughters birthday….and that is a whole production on its own. Walking the streets of Istanbul is still my favorite thing to do. That's what I do when I feel a bit down, that's what I do when I'm happy. It brings a smile to my face and sooths my soul. I went for a Photowalk in the Fener and Balat area of the old Istanbul. It is a lovely place to wander the narrow, cobbled streets. On the shores of the Golden Horn I again found unique people and learned about the traditions of the locals.

     

One of the first places we visited was the Cathedral Church of St George. What the Vatican is to Catholics, this church is to the Greek Orthodox.

Since 1586 this humble building in the Fener neighbourhood of Istanbul, houses the headquarters of the Greek Orthodox Church. Inside it has all the opulence and beauty of an Orthodox Church. The patriarchal throne is believed to be dated from the 5th century. Other artifacts inside are three rare mosaic icons and The Column of Christ's Flagellation. This is a portion of the column where Christ was bound and whipped by Roman soldiers before his crucifixion.

Pilgrims from all over the world visit this special place and when I was there a very charming young priest was showing a group around.

Fener means Lighthouse in Turkish

  And then there is the children of Istanbul….always smiling! This beautiful girl walked down the street with her handbag and book and was keen to be photographed, speaking to me in perfect English. As my Turkish is still not that good, it was lovely to have a conversation with her. She was delightful to chat to.

Church of St. Mary of the Mongols is not open to the public, so it was a honor to be able to go into this complex that lies behind a high wall in the Fener hills. The church is near the building of the big Phanar Greek Orthodox College, overlooking the Golden Horn.

Inside the church there is a framed letter on the wall that is from a Sultan who granted ownership of the church to the Greek community. It is in recognition of the services of the Greek architect, Christodoulos, who helped built the Fatih mosque.

Under the church is this passage and they say you can reach the Hagia Sophia through this tunnel.

  Our trip to Eyüp was very exciting, catching a lift on a little boat to go up the Goldern Horn. After getting off, we walked to the Eyüp Sultan Camii. The Eyüp Sultan Mosque is one of the most important for Muslims. It is also a pilgrimage place for people and many of them bring their kids with.  

At the mosque I saw alot of young boys dressed up in beautiful outfits. They look like little kings. This is for their sünnet. It is the Turkish word for circumcision.

A sünnet is the Muslim circumcision ritual and is generally performed when boys are between the ages of 7 and 10. A big part part of the sünnet ceremony is the preparation of the outfit for the honored boy. Then there is a big sünnet party to celebrate the boys rite of passage from boyhood to manhood. At least he is rewarded with lots of gifts from everybody after his big ordeal.

Did you know there is a cable car in Istanbul? After visiting the mosque, you just follow the signs to go to Pierre Loti, a very nice restaurant at the top of the hill where the cable car takes you. From there you can admire the view of the Golden Horn.

Istanbul surprises me everyday with its secret spots and I am more than happy exploring them.

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