Settling into, and still discovering, Istanbul

I assigned the Arabic students (now forlorn Arabic students, as they can't keep practicing here!) a "Treasure Hunt" for Monday. Today (Tuesday) was the start of formal lectures at Dogus University, on the Asian side of Istanbul. Tomorrow, a great tour - up the Bosporus plus a walk through the Dolmabache Palace.

If you want to do your own "virtual tour" of our Treasure Hunt, see if you can track these sites on google maps:

A Treasure Hunt in Suleymaniye area:

• find Istanbul's Grand Bazaar (Kapali Carsi) – go through this to the

• Beyazit Meydani (Beyazit Square, or Hurriyet Sq.), into (and through)

• Istanbul University (check out the Moorish portal [1886] to the University). Through the University to

• Suleymaniye Mosque (Sultan Suleyman the Magnificent’s mosque, built 1550-57)

• From Suleymaniye mosque, head toward the Golden Horn to

• Kucuk Pazar (“popular district” of cafes, informal economy workers – i.e., unlicensed vendors, wooden houses), then head back (with the Golden Horn on your left side) toward the

• Egyptian spice Bazaar (Eminonu area)

This is all walking, primarily (except the last two parts, Kucuk Pazar and Egyptian spice Bazaar … you decide if you need a taxi between them or from Spice bazaar back to hotel)

Take pictures; blog about it; and let us know what you discover.