We visited magnificent Dolmabahce ("stuffed garden") Palace on the Bosphorus this morning that Ataturk decreed to be turned into a museum. It is estimated that the amount of gold used in the inner ornamentaion of the palace equals three tons. The glorius Muayede Lounge with its gilded ceiling, five-ton crystal chandelier, and largest one-piece carpet in the world remains as impressive today as it was when it was used to welcome important guests to Turkey.
Lunch was in a fundamentalist area of the city at a restaurant called Kiztasi. For dessert, we enjoyed helva, a new taste experience for most of our group.
A visit to Chora ("countryside") museum followed lunch. Its magnificent mosaics and frescoes date from the 14th century.
For a view of the Golden Horn, we stopped at Pierre Loti Cafe for cay. The views were spectacular, and the breeze invigorating. A family celebrated the impending circumsion of their son, a boy dressed in princely clothing.
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