Jesse (my brother) and I are in the middle of our 24-hour stay in Istanbul, Turkey on our way to Nairobi, Kenya. All I can say so far is that Istanbul is both historic and tasty. Yesterday after arriving we visited the Blue Mosque which very grand with multiple domes gilded in beautiful Islamic calligraphy, 6 minarets, and an Egyptian obelisk just outside the gate.
Next we went to the Grand Bazaar which is one of the oldest enclosed shopping centers in the world that is still in use being built in 1400’s. There we hundreds of stalls selling gold, carpets, clothing, and touristy stuff. What was really amazing was to think how many people had walked through that huge market over the years.
What was really amazing though was the baklava we had on the way home. We stopped at the Gaziantepli Bayzade Baklava store which has been making and selling baklava since 1929. We got a a sampling of different flavors including some Turkish delight and all of them were astounding. In fact, after walking up at 3 am because of jet-lag we finished off the rest of our box. As soon as it is light we are headed back to get a few boxes to share.