Istanbul. Constatinople. The center of the world. Kongo, the traveling monkey, is back on the road. The simian and Mrs. Kongo just finished a two-week trip across Western Turkey where we were bolted on to a curious troop of senior scholars from California Statue University Channel Islands. Kongo is an instructor there in the Osher Life Long Learning Institute where he frequently gives lectures about Ancient Rome and Greece. Throughout the Turkey trip the monkey gave a number of talks about the ancient sites we visited.

Our trip began with several days in Istanbul where we toured some of most memorable sites of this iconic city on the Bosporus Strait between Asia and Europe. One highlight was the incredible Hagia Sophia (Divine Wisdom). It was built as a cathedral by the Roman Emperor Justinian in the 6th century in only six years. After the fall of Constantinople to the Ottoman Turks in 1453 it was converted into a mosque. In modern times it was made a museum but is now again used as mosque. The soaring architecture, colossal dome that seems to float above the structure, and the fabulous mosaics and interior art are breathtaking.

Adjacent to the Hagia Sophia is the famous Blue Mosque, officially known as the Sultan Ahmed Mosque (Sultan Ahmet Camii). It is a historic Ottoman imperial mosque constructed between 1609 and 1616 under the rule of Sultan Ahmed I, who commissioned it to surpass the grandeur of the nearby Hagia Sophia. Interestingly, the Ottomans copied the architectural style of the Hagia Sophia for most of their imperial mosques so when you see a mosque today with their iconic domes, they are throwbacks to the Roman era.

During our time in Istanbul we visited Topkapı Palace, a vast Ottoman-era palace complex.. Built between 1460 and 1478 by Sultan Mehmed II shortly after his conquest of Constantinople. The complex possesses stunning architecture, sweeping views of the Bosporus, lavish living quarters, harems, meeting chambers, mosques, and exotic baths.

Our two-week journey around turkey was arranged by Spiekermann Travel. Mostly we travelled between destinations in a luxury bus. Throughout our trip, our dedicated guide, Emre Poyraz, a doctoral student in ancient languages. He was fantastic and Kongo hopes to collaborate with Emre on some future educational projects.

Our tour group was bound together through a love of travel, curiosity, exploration, and experiencing new adventures. Be sure to stay tuned for details about the rest of this trip as we continue to explore Istanbul, visit Bursa, the original capital of the Ottoman Empire, vast the beaches and cemeteries of the Gallipoli Peninsula, Troy, Ephesus, Anatolia, and Cappadocia.

Everywhere we went we were met by friendly people, curious children wanting to try out their English skills, and locals who were generous with their time and knowledge.

Join us as we sample Turkish wine, eat ice cream, tour mosques, climb mountains, swelter in magnificent ruins, and see real-life whirling Dervishes. You don’t want to miss it.

Travel safe. Have fun!