Istanbul hospitality and rooftop views

Not knowing the actual ferry schedule, I meandered and stopped in this square to take photos.  As often happens in Istanbul when you stop, a man came up to me to describe the history of the monuments and statues.

 And as also often happens, it was someone who invited me to visit his family’s rug store.

“It’s just right there,” he said, pointing to a small, colorful side street that looked interesting all by itself.  Of course, I said yes, while still thinking “well, this wasn’t part of my plan for today, I want to take the ferry up the Bosphorus.”

But once again, that diversion was fun, interesting and educational.  As we entered the shop, I was informed that the rug that a family member was creating would take two years to complete.  That gives a different appreciation to a rug!

Inside, while I was being served tea, his uncle gave me a lesson on Turkey rug-making, how to discern the quality of rugs and their construction.  Such a discussion can’t help but include Turkish history and geography and personal stories of the family, which has been in the rug business for hundreds of years.  In fact, several rugs in the store were antiques, hundreds of years old and very valuable.

An additional treat was being taken to the roof, and having these wonderful views, a bonus for having visited them.