Turkey-Iran, Day Sixteen: Kashan

We headed out on the tourist trail relatively early, already slightly regretting the ambitious itinerary we had set ourselves. On the way to our first proper site we visited a shrine that wasn't really on our list but was a decent bonus with which to start the day.

Mosque #32: Imamzadeh-ye Sultan Mir Ahmad

The bulk of the sights were visiting "historical" houses. This seems to be a bit of a thing here in Kashan, with home owners investing heavily in restoring their ancestral homes for visitors.

Although at first glance they were all a bit samey, looking more closely did reveal unique flavours and characters. In total we visited three houses:

• Tabatabaee Historical House
• Abassian Historical House
• Borujerdiha Historical House

We also paid a visit to the Sultan Amir Ahmad Bathhouse, which sounded more fun than it actually turned out to be. The roof was the best part to see though.

Mosque #33: Agha Bozorg Mosque
Mosque #34: Khaje Taj od-Din

Midday prayers were offered at the Agha Bozorg Mosque, an impressive enough place of worship.

Next door however there was the Khaje Taj od-Din shrine, which was worth a visit just to see a rare pictorial depiction of The Prophet (you should probably close your eyes now if you feel this an inappropriate image to see).

After lunch we spent some time visiting the final sight in Kashan, The Fin Garden. This was pretty impressive from an engineering point of view, with natural water pressure feeding the separate pools and fountains without any pumps.

It was then on to Isfahan. Although we're spending quite a bit of time in a car for this trip, this leg was an example of why road trips can be so awesome. We had some amazing mountain views on the way, all impossible to capture on camera, while for music both The Eagles and George Michael made an appearance. Good times.

Our evening was spent exploring the area local to our hotel by night, checking out trendy eating places and coffee shops. So far Isfahan, and Iran, have really not been what I imagined them to be when it comes to amenities like these.

Turkey-Iran, Day Fifteen: The Forbidden Land

Of course the subtitle above is meant to be satirical, but I was still surprised at how many raised eyebrows I received when telling others of my plan to travel to Iran. For me it was a no brainer - it has enough historical, cultural and political relevance to top whichever criteria a travel list might use. On the other hand, it does have a reputation of inaccessibility (probably caused both by internal and external forces) and Muslims of the Sunni persuasion seemed to have an even more averse reaction to the Shia majority country. But it was the rapidly changing state of the world (see: Iraq, Syria) and a developing Iranian tourist cottage industry that convinced me to check out the place sooner rather than later. That and a real sense of ignorance about the place - of course it goes without saying that its not the evil place western (and some religious) media tells us it is, but it would have been equally naive to assume it was the complete opposite. I was going in with a blank slate and was prepared to learn a lot.

Once I had decided to go, everything appeared to fall into place relatively quickly. I asked a (Shia) friend who had previously been about visa advice, at which point he decided join me on the trip. I was then introduced to a budding tour operator from Isfahan who arranged almost everything I would need on the the trip, from drivers and local guides to food and most importantly money - there are no international credit cards in use in Iran, and the official government exchange rate forces a visitor to use the black market if they want any kind of value from their foreign currency. Speaking of which, as the rate was so much in our favour the whole trip promised to be great value so that was a bonus.

The only real downside to the trip was its length. The eight days in total that we had was limiting, and as I always plan "as if it's my last trip" the itinerary we ended up with seemed pretty ambitious on paper. My friend had as much energy and drive as I did so it had a real chance of working out.

The first surprise of the trip was at the airport. We were past immigration and with our luggage within 15 minutes of landing, which was pretty efficient for a xenophobic and watchful regime. Although we had landed in Tehran, the plan was to head south from the airport (as it was itself south of the city) and hit the road. And so our first stop in Iran was actually Qom.

Qom is significant in being the global centre of Shia academic study but for passer-bys the main attraction is the Haram in the centre. Here we found the Holy Shrine of Fatemeh Maasoume as well as the Imam Hasan Askari Mosque, our first glimpse at Persian-Shia religious architectural styles.

I've opted to include shrines in my rolling list of sites as in Iran they appear to serve as much as a place of worship as mosques do.

Mosque #29: Fatemeh Maasoume Shrine
Mosque #30: Imam Hasan Askari Mosque

After a quick walk through the Qom historical bazaar and drive by the Gonbad Sabz Garden (which was closed) we headed south to the Jamkaran Mosque. This is said to be the place Imam Mahdi anonymously visits every Tuesday evening, bringing huge crowds with him. Although today was Tuesday our schedule didn't permit us to stay too long, but although we didn't get to experience that particular audience the mosque itself was impressive enough for the visit.

Mosque #31: Jamkaran Mosque

We then made a beeline to our next city, Kashan, where we were to spend the night. Before heading for dinner and then bed, we visited the historical bazaar here too - it was the same as Qom's but different, a feeling we were to see elsewhere in city planning and character. Although we were a fair few leagues off I was beginning to channel Aladdin, Prince of Persia and the like.

The second surprise of the day was the thunder and lightning we witnessed that evening.

Turkey-Iran, Day Fourteen: Day Tripping

A common way to spend a day in Baku is to join an excursion to the few out of town sights that the region has to offer. We kept today (which was pretty much our last day here) for this purpose and joined TesTour on such a tour.

We started with the Mud Volcanoes which was definitely novel but definitely not as thrilling as the marketing suggested. Caused by escaping gas, there is potential for things to get hairy so we may have just arrived on an uneventful day. Still, the landscape was pretty alien and it was fun to literally mess around in mud for half an hour.

The next stop was at the Gobustan National Park, where the main sights were cave paintings and dwellings dating back 5,000-20,000 years. Apart from these the park also offered a decent view of some of the oil towns and infrastructure of Azerbaijan.

The next stop was Ateshgah, a Zoroastrian fire temple that until relatively recently had a naturally burning altar that was continuously lit. Although the flame is still present, it's now supplied via pipeline, which is a bit of a shame. The educational rooms were interesting enough and gave a good background on how and when the temple was built, as well as some its the wider social implications, not always religious.

The final stop was at Yanardag, a burning mountain which unlike Ateshgah was still burning a natural source. That said it was probably the least interesting sight on the itinerary today - it turns out that just because something is on fire doesn't make it exciting.

After returning to Baku, we spent the remainder of the day mopping up the various mosques and shrines that we missed out on yesterday.

Mosque #25: Heydar Mosque

Architecturally the most impressive was the Heydar Mosque, which holds both congregational and governmental religious roles. Unfortunately although the basement was naturally open for prayer, the main building proper was closed at the time we visited so we only managed to check it from the outside.

Mosque #26: Sultanbey Mosque
Mosque #27: Teze Pir
Mosque #28: Bibiheybet

The remaining three places of worship were all very different in ages and architecture, but all three were worth a visit - Teze Pir was the only one that was closed completely which was unfortunate as it appeared to be the most grand.

It was quite late by this point, so the remainder of the night was spent walking along the promenade and streets of Baku, trying to soak up more of the vibe we had enjoyed since arriving.

Turkey-Iran, Day Thirteen: Baku

Once again today was all about efficiency. The plan was to spend the whole day exploring the city and all it had to offer. Most of it was to be done on foot, which made the location we were staying in a godsend - most things were within walking distance of the apartment.

The first stop was Freedom Square where we happened upon some kind of car racing filming (exciting!). Otherwise the square was pretty dead - except for the Caspian Sea, the volatility of which was fascinating to watch. We then went on to spend some quality time in the H.Z. Taghiyev History Museum. Taghiyev was a millionaire magnate who apparently did a lot for his country; it was a common sight in Azerbaijan to have these kind of celebrations of an individual's accomplishments (see Heydar Aliyev, later). Still, the museum was better than expected and should definitely be on any list of things to do in Baku.

By now we started getting our bearings in Baku, and not just geographically. It really is an unusual city - its claims of being European pan out but its also clearly of a Islamic culture, despite there not being much evidence of regular widespread practice (this is changing apparently). It's certainly the only place I've visited where a woman in a knee high server's uniform would greet you with a salaam. Add to that that its not an Arab place and it just becomes another wonderful example of how diverse Islam actually is once you leave the status quo.

We then jumped on a metro to the Heydar Aliyev Centre. Again a decent place to check out, in spite of its out of the way location.

Our entrance ticket allowed us to multiple sub-museums and exhibitions, some of which were quite random. Heydar Aliyev himself had a permanent station dedicated to his life, but surprisingly most curious for me was the an Art Doll exhibition which had a fair range of weird and wonderful dolls on display.

After a MacDonald's lunch (for shame) we headed back west to spend the remainder of the daylight in Icharishahar, or Old City. You could actually spend a whole day just here, checking out sights such as the Maiden Tower, Mosque Cuma and even a Museum of Miniature Books.

Mosque #22: Baylar Mosque
Mosque #23: Mosque Cuma

But the real gem was the Palace of the Shirvanshahs, a complex which kind of distilled the whole of the Old City into a single attraction.

It was now closing time for most attractions, which wasn't a big deal since the remainder of our itinerary was set outdoors, specifically in Upland Park. Offering great views and a couple of sights (including a mosque), it was well worth the trek up (the funicular appeared to have been out of commission for a while).

Mosque #24: Memorial Mosque

And that was pretty much the end of the day. After checking out some closer views of the Flame Towers (as well as trying, unsuccessfully, to get to the top of one) we headed to Sumakh for a fancy dinner, where our plan to try some caviar was scuppered once we saw the price of it.

Turkey-Iran, Day Twelve: In Transit

Considering its distance from Istanbul, getting to Sabiha Gochen was quite easy. Unlike Ataturk, Sabiha is only served via bus, but once you know which to get the service is efficient (and cheap!) enough to be a pleasant experience.

A short flight later and I was in Baku, Azerbaijan.

It was meeting an Azeri friend in my last workplace which convinced me to try a country I had otherwise never really had an interest in seeing. It also made a convenient enough place for my travelling companion for the next week or so and I to meet and ease into the Iran leg proper, while also acting as a bonus place to check out while in the area.

Unfortunately for whatever reason it was quite the hassle getting into our accommodation situated on Nizami Street - that killed a fair few daylight hours which was annoying. Still, we managed to salvage the evening as we spent it walking around Fountain Square and the along the Promenade - constantly reminding ourselves that we were looking at the Caspian Sea and not the open ocean. It's a fascinating sight to experience.

So far our impressions were very positive and I'm looking very much forward to the next couple of days here.

Turkey-Iran, Day Eleven: A Final Day Of Dossing

As can often be the case on the day of Jummah, today was mainly anchored around the Friday Prayer. After visiting the offices of TRT (where most of the locals that we know work) we headed to the Suleymaniye for the congregation.

Post prayer lunch was the simple bean dish Kuru Fasulye after which we dossed around the Grand Bazaar area until regrouping with the others for a final hang out and dessert.

Compared to my previous days here it was a simple and straightforward and stress free day - which was pretty perfect as it was also my last.

Turkey-Iran, Day Ten: Exploring Asia

Today was all about culture and company.

A lazy start had us setting out for an early lunch at Nusr-et, a restaurant named after an apparent globally phenomenal chef (saltbae is supposed to mean something here). If you hadn't noticed, my cynicism was clear and I was preparing myself to pay a lot of money for style over substance, all in the name of socialising. I'm glad to say that for once my grumpiness was misplaced and we all had a great time feasting on various meats - my mouth is watering just thinking back to it. It's possibly arguable that it was expensive (relative to the locals), but I was able to freely admit that it was all well worth it.

In our collective excitement we had booked tickets in advance for a Europa League match at Fenerbache, apparently an experience that was worth doing even for those of us who weren't football fans. Today was match day, and so we all headed to the Asian side of Istanbul to hang out in anticipation of kick off. Lacking in any real sights, Kadikoy was nevertheless the perfect place to chill out with coffees and food on a lazy day.

Mosque #21: T.C Kadıköy Müftülüğü Moda Camii

Unfortunately for me, a ticket mishap meant that I had to miss the match. In hindsight this was no big deal as I realised I didn't really want to anyway. Instead, I joined another friend in visiting the Ali Pasha Hammam back across the water in Karakoy. This was as much an eyeopener as any other experience I've had on this trip as I finally learned exactly why people go to spas and the like. As wussy as it sounds it was nice to be professionally pampered - the only down side was that it made me realise exactly how much of a waste of time and money our previous hammam trips were. For sure, a visit to Ali Pasha will always be required during any future trips to Istanbul (and that's if I wasn't going just for it in the first place).

Turkey-Iran, Day Nine: Bursa

Since we enjoyed just being in Izmir, the unspoken consensus was to have a lazy brunch before heading to our next destination, Bursa. This was still a good five or so hours away and so was pretty much the only thing on our list for today.

Mosque #16: Susurluk Garaj Cami

I was considering whether or not to add this mosque to the list, but since we offered a few prayers there and it was a uniquely pretty mosque (for a random one) its significance was clear.

Bursa was a neat little town densely filled with enough sights to pass the three or so hours we were there. Mainly Ottoman in architecture, we visited town halls, shrines, and of course, mosques.

Mosque #17: Green Mosque
Mosque #18: Orhan Gazi
Mosque #19: Koza Han Mescidi
Mosque #20: Ulu Cami

We offered sunset prayer at the last one, a sprawling, well kept and well attended mosque, and spent some time resting there after.

After an iskender dinner we tried a local hammam, famous for being situated on a natural hot spring. Unfortunately this was a bust as it was closing. So instead we made a beeline to Istanbul for night snacks in Uskadar - by this point the inefficiency of a road trip of this nature was beginning to become apparent, and so we focused on increasing the quality of our stay instead of packing as much in as possible. Personally, now that I had returned to Istanbul (which as far as I was concerned I was done with tourist-wise), I was looking forward to spending my remaining time in Turkey simply dossing.

Turkey-Iran, Day Eight: Hitting The Road

Road trips always have the potential to be fun, which is why the idea of driving back up to Istanbul gained traction. On paper it would always be a rushed trip, with more time spent on the road than off, but we were all confident that the pros would outweigh the cons. Having said that, we were flying quite blind, and didn't, for example, even know where we were going to sleep this night.

Despite our best efforts we left Kas pretty late in the morning as we bid our farewells to other members of the group. Once that was done we finally hit the road, the aim being to reach Ephesus before it got dark.

On the way we made some quick stops in Plaj, Xanthos and Yatagan, but these were very quick as we realised exactly how much time was against us. Being stopped at a police checkpoint didn't help in matters, but once our status as tourists (as opposed to, I dunno, illegal immigrants) was confirmed we were put on our way.

We managed to get a good 90 mins of decent light at Ephesus, which to be frank was just about enough. The ruins were pretty decent and well maintained, and gave a good idea of what the ancient city once looked like. It was quite the sight, and I'm glad we managed to get there to see it.

After some debate we all settled on Izmir as a place to stay overnight. Despite warnings about the place from others, Izmir turned out to be actually very cool and offered a decent enough vibe at the time of day we happened to arrive. And of course since we didn't have a plan per se we went for a local midnight hammam followed by 1am snacks and a walk along the seafront. It was one of those carefree moments where plans and organisation didn't matter, and was exactly what I wanted from this road trip of ours.

Turkey-Iran, Day Seven: Kas

The bulk of today was taken up by a couple of scuba dives. Although my interest in diving has since waned, I went with the majority anyway. This turned out to be a great decision as the both of the dives turned out to be pretty neat in their own way: on the first we saw a few ruins and pots (which were actually more exciting than they sound) whereas the second dive offered me my first wreck which was pretty cool. The excitement didn't quite end once we left the water either as we witnessed a localised storm literally brewing between the two dives.

Thankfully the weather cleared by the time we made shore and some glorious weather accompanied us as we checked out the few sights Kas had to offer. Most of these were more ruins (temples, theatres and cisterns) and mosques, but there were also a fair few tombs too, including embedded in the rockside, dating from Lycian times.

Mosque #15: Merkez Süleyman Cami

The day was concluded playing backgammon over dessert, shooting more breeze - tomorrow the group was to disband and head in separate directions so it was to be our last real doss together.

Turkey-Iran, Day Six: Sailing, Driving, Flying

Although we were scheduled to disembark the boat at around noon, we docked much earlier. This wasn't necessarily a bad idea, as it allowed us to head for Kas in good time, stopping at a few beaches on the road there.

After checking and settling in at our hotel, half of the group set off for a spot of paragliding. It was my first time doing it and although there was no doubt how exhilarating it was, it was quite a pricey 20 minutes or so. It's one to file under "splurge" I suppose and I don't regret trying it out.

After a well deserved seafood lunch, the rest of the day was spent loitering in Kas, having coffees and visiting a hamam (the start of yet another habit on this trip).

Turkey-Iran, Day Five: On The Mediterranean Sea

Although I've been lucky enough to sail more than a few times, I'm still not bored of the whole thing. From on boarding, to getting used to a cramped toilet to the obligatory jumping off into the sea... the whole experience never gets old.

That said our boat, The Blue Pearl, never really left the coast and although staying overnight will be novel I can't help but feel we would have been better served with a full day's trip instead. A few of us crossed to land to chill at a beach resort, but other than that the time was spent just enjoying each other's company, shooting breeze and playing board games.

Turkey-Iran, Day Four: And Then There Were Ten

For Friday prayers we headed to Ortakoy. This was a little village-type area long subsumed into Istanbul proper, but which served as a lovely little distraction while waiting for our evening flight out of Istanbul.

Mosque #14: Ortakoy Mosque

Again, the mosque here was familiar but distinct enough to have its own vibe and character. It was very pink and even had a late British Georgian style going on. I didn't understand much of the khutba, but it was a nice place to congregate all the same.

After a rushed lunch we high tailed it to the airport to catch our flight to Dalaman, and then taxi onward to Fethiye. This was the start of the more social leg of the journey as various parties from across country and even the world came to join us in this small corner of Turkey.

Dinner was at a fish market followed by coffees on the sea front, and it was a grand start to the festivities to come.

Turkey-Iran, Day Three: Mopping Up

Since yesterday was so successful, we (since I had company today) decided to have a bit of a lazy start as we headed to Eyup for the alleged tomb of a Companion of the Prophet. We took the scenic route, that is by taking the bus and boat - I'm still surprised by just how cheap public transport is here in Istanbul.

Mosque #8: Eyup Sultan

Although some (if not all) of the mosques yesterday had accompanying tombs and shrines, that of Eyup was by far the most significant so far, and more of a taste of the gnostic flavour of Islam enjoyed in these parts. It was actually the start of yet another theme of the trip.

Taking the cable car up to Pierre Loti was worth it, if only for the stroll back down through the graveyard. Since we were on such a roll with public transport, we then took a bus in the direction of our next stop, the Chora Museum.

Mosque #9: Mihrimah Sultan

On the way we stumbled across the Mihrimah Sultan Mosque. By this point I was familiar enough with Turkish mosques to begin noticing the subtle differences between them all, otherwise lost in the deceptive ubiquity of the typical "block and dome" design they all seem to have. The Mihrimah for instance seems very square and butch - neat and concise even - with the inside being fresh and sterile. Apparently built for a princess, I dare say that it did have a feminine vibe.

If you're a fan of mosaics, the Chora Museum is the one place to go. I'm pretty sure someone who actively researched the pictographs and murals would have been able to spend a few hours in there, but for me it was a matter of seeing the pretty pictures and moving on.

After lunch we walked along the Theodosian Walls, sucking up the significance of what used to be the impenetrable border of Constantinople. We then headed East to explore Fatih.

Mosque #10: Yavuz Sultan

Although usually left out on most Mosque Crawls, the Yavuz Sultan is well worth a quick visit. It's one of the larger places of worship in the city, and in fact features quite heavily in the Istanbul skyline. Its higher than average station allows for some great northerly views too, but the main draw for me was the serenity of the place. It had a peace that the more prominent mosques seem to have lost in their popularity.

We passed through the Jewish Quarter on the way to the riverbank as we headed to the Church of St Stephen of the Bulgars. Again, this was more a place of curiosity than popular interest but I'm glad I got to see the gothic Iron made church. The inside was also well worth the quick visit.

Mosque #11: Fatih Mosque

Fatih was easily one of my most favourite mosques I had seen so far. Perhaps it was its relative isolation from the tourist trail, or maybe its "medium large" size gave it more stature than it had. A friend commented that the locality was relatively practising which meant that Fatih was well frequented and served (more so than even the Blue Mosque). Whatever it was, I was glad we got to offer the afternoon prayer there in congregation to get a real feel of what the place was about - particularly as we were also honored to offer two funeral prayers afterwards.

Mosque #12: Prince Mosque

We ducked into the Prince Mosque on the way to the Grand Bazaar. Another medium mosque this seemed a little less frequented than its central location suggested, and it felt well kept and even neat as a result.

Passing through Beyazit Square, we tried (unsuccessfully) to sneak into Istanbul University. Apparently long gone are the days where places of education had open doors, and our lack of ID meant resulted in denied entry. So instead we visited the Grand Bazaar, which was a bit of a disappointment in comparison to the Spice Bazaar from yesterday.

Mosque #13: Suleymaniye Mosque

Sunset brought us to The Suleymaniye, the second, if not the most, recognisable mosque in Istanbul. In fact it felt like more of a complex than a mosque and I can imagine much more than congregational prayer happening there. It was a great way to end my final day of touring.

And that was it - I has seen all the points of interest that I wanted to visit as a tourist. My feelings of being underwhelmed after my first day weren't totally shaken off, but I did come to realise that Istanbul really is more than a bunch of sights. The company I had today as well as a more "domestic" list of sights and longer city walks made today a lot more enjoyable. That said, I do feel a little liberated now that I can enjoy Istanbul socially rather than just as a tourist.

My dinner for instance was a fabulous steak and burger with a mixture of old and new, local and global friends. In many ways the trip had actually just begun.

Turkey-Iran, Day Two: Blitzing Istanbul

Coming from Etiler my early start was foiled by traffic on my way to catch the T1 into Sultanahmet, the place with the highest density of sights. This proved to be a blessing in disguise as it led to a change in plan which brought me instead to the Galata Tower. Not only did this mean not having to return to Galata, but the view from the top of the tower enabled me to get a real sense of the physical geography of the area. I now had a mental map (along with that provided by Google) of how the Bosphoros carved its way through the city as well as the relative directions and distances to the next stops on my list.

Since I was already in the area, my next stop was the Mevlevi House to the north of the tower. I'll be honest with you - this was only of interest since it was included in the Istanbul Museum Card I was planning on getting, except I was disappointed to discover that they weren't actually issued at that site (meaning I would have to pay an extra entrance fee). That said, it was a pretty decent visit and a useful introduction to the the more Sufi aspects of Islamic practise in the region. The hall (where the dervishes would whirl) was especially mystical.

Taking the novel Tunel to Kadakoy, I then begun the real walking of the day. Crossing the Galata Bridge the main destination was The Topkapi Palace but I took the opportunity to visit a few smaller sights on the way. The Spice Bazaar was novel enough - between the smells and the aesthetics you could easily have been taken back a few centuries if so desired. The remaining couple of sights were the start of what would pretty much become the theme of not only my time in Istanbul but that of my whole holiday.

Mosque #1: New Mosque
Mosque #2: Rustem Pasha

The New Mosque was under heavy refurbishment (unfortunately another theme for the trip) so I was only able to view it from outside. The Rustem Pasha was novel in that it was situated on top of a series of markets and catacombs - trying to find my way up was a mini magical adventure all on its own as I passed through secret passages and doorways to the stairs that took me up to the prayer hall proper.

After a quick passing by the Sirkeci or Orient Express Station, I had finally reached Topkapi Palace. This proved to be quite the time sink, with a total of 2.5 hours having been spent there. It wasn't the perfect experience either with the Harem (charged separately) being grossly overrated and long lines to see the collection of Prophetic relics acquired during the Ottoman era.

Now armed with my Museum Pass, I headed to the complex of Archaeological Museums. I spent an hour taking in all three of the sub-museums there - the collection of sarcophagi in the main Archaeology Museum was the clear attraction but the Ancient Oriental Artifact and Tiled Kiosk museums were also worth the look, particularly for the Egyptian Hittite peace treaty in the former.

On the way out of the museums I happened across an art exhibition called "Land of Dreams - Troy". This was a quick and unanticipated win and had some genuinely interesting pieces of modern art themed around Troy.

I then backtracked a bit back to the History of Science Museum, a half hour visit of what could have been bordering on Islamic propaganda if it wasn't so nerdy. Although most of the installations were replicas the museum was genuinely educational and provided a decent amount of insight into the advancement of science caused during the various Islamic empires.

Mosque #3: Aya Irene

Cutting back to Topkapi I visited the Aya Irene, situated on the palace grounds. This was until recently closed to visitors, but any excitement I held was quickly put to rest after discovering how derelict the place was. Although it was clearly a place of Christian worship I'm not sure if it was ever a mosque, but I've listed it anyway just in case.

Aside from the Topkapi, the real headlining tourist attraction is of course the Aya Sofia. Since it was closing a bit later on, I decided to hit the Basilica Cistern first, something I had heard about a lot before coming here. Somewhat interesting, if a bit dark, I don't think anyone would really need to spend more than the 20 minutes I did there unless they really had an imagination to feed.

Mosque #4: Aya Sofia

And so I finally arrived at the Aya Sofia, the single place that everyone would rave about after their return from Istanbul. And I have to admit, of all the places I have seen today the Aya Sofia disappointed the least. Magnificent, intimidating and cavernous its presence was clearly due to more than its size.

It was now late in the day, so I quickly blitzed the nearby Mosaic and Turkish and Islamic Arts Museums before they each closed. I wouldn't describe either as unmissable but the latter at least had some interesting things to see. The next item on my list wasn't far - in fact it was just across the Hippodrome.

Mosque #5: The Blue Mosque

Having arrived a fair amount of time before sunset, I took the opportunity to offer my day prayers and then chill out waiting for Maghrib. It was pretty much the only real down time I had today and was much appreciated. Praying in congregation was also an experience in itself, a feeling that was borne out of the history of the place as well as the people and even my own unfamiliarity with the land.

Mosque #6: Sokollu Mehmet Pasha Mosque
Mosque #7: Little Hagia Mosque

After dark I visited two more mosques, both of which were a little off the beaten path. The Little Hagia Sophia in particular was a charming little place of worship, especially on the inside. Near to both of these was the last on my list for today: The Bukoleon Palace, a ruin of sorts which yet demonstrated its previous stature.

As I headed to Taksim for dinner, I managed to make a friend who accompanied me to dinner around the busy and neon district of Istiklal. The square itself was also a quick win, as I recalled all the times it would have been mentioned in the news for the protests it hosted.

As a measure of today's success (or failure perhaps) I came away with around 500 photos during my time out and about. I've been a tourist long enough to know how to optimise and be efficient when doing the sights of a city, and all those lessons paid off in my bid to consume all that Istanbul had to offer in the two days that I had. Of course being alone also helped, in terms of maintaining both focus and walking speed.

Overall it was a great day in terms of achievement but I can't quite shake the feeling of being underwhelmed with Istanbul so far. It could of course have been by approach - it's certainly a town that rewards a more casual approach - but I also sense the feeling that it can easily be oversold by those who might have a bias for Islamic tourism. It's probably a mixture of both, but I'll probably have a better idea of how I feel when I conclude my tour of the city tomorrow.

Turkey-Iran, Day One: The Trip Eleven Years In The Making

This trip was always going to be slightly more special than others I have taken: less so for the actual destinations themselves but more due the context in which it lives... a context that started 11 years ago.

A friend and I wanted to go away on a bit of an epic adventure. Since we were both relatively well travelled (him more than me), we picked a selection of countries neither of us had had much experience with. The rough outline was to start in Istanbul, drive in a south-westerly direction (possibly cutting into Syria which was peaceful at the time), cross over into Iran and then journey South from there, possibly sailing over the Persian Gulf into Dubai from where we would catch a flight home. The whole thing would have taken 3-4 weeks, and as I said before, would have been epic.

To cut a long story short around 30 days before we were due to leave, my friend announced that he was getting married. In six weeks time. "We can still go on this trip," he explained, "but it would really be helpful if we could postpone it". Of course by "postpone" he meant "cancel", but I was happy for him and took my consolation prize of three weeks in Australia (where he was getting married) instead - a trip that still remains one of my favorites. But still in the intervening 11 years a trip to just Istanbul or even the wider Turkey just didn't feel like it would be worth it - not without the same epic context this previously planned trip had. I found myself avoiding the whole place.

So it is with an equal feeling of destiny and closure that I'm now starting a journey that will take me through Istanbul and wider Turkey and then to Iran with the special bonus of passing through Baku in Azerbaijan. The transits are mainly by plane, and I'll also be travelling with different people during different legs so it's not quite the same, but I'll take it given my age and decreasing interest in travelling altogether.

The Turkey leg is an excuse for a 10+ group of international friends based in the UK and South Africa to hang out, but since I was the only member of the group to have never been Istanbul I decided to fly in a few days earlier than the rest, in order to blitz the city that seems to have so much to offer a tourist. My flight in was via Sabiha Gokcen, the budget of the two airports serving Istanbul. It's further and more difficult to use, as I experiences first had as I exited the terminal to investigate buses, only to realise that there was no ATMs out there and no cards taken for bus fare. Oops. I was canny enough to already have a transit card (given to me by a cousin), but the lone 5tl note I loaded on it still had me 0.50tl short and the bus driver was not in a charitable mood at all.

Luckily a fellow Brit from my flight was generous enough to pay the bus fare for me, something which I took as a sign of things to come. Istanbul already seems to be the kind of place where things just seem to work out.

Film: Searching

I actually really enjoyed 2014's Unfriended. During a time of too much teen-slashing-for-the-sake-of-it it effectively used self placed restrictions collectively called "screenlife" - the telling of a story from the 2.5th (?) person view of a videocap of a computer - to bring a new sense of dread, lack of control and scary times.

So it made sense that I'd be interested in Searching, the latest take on the technique. This time we have a thriller, something that I thought would make its job a bit more difficult. Just how novel can someone's browsing habits be if you no longer have access to a creative use of screen corruption and ghost keypresses?

Well it turns out it can actually be quite novel indeed. Searching was really good and a success, both as a thriller and in terms of storytelling. This is something I'm struggling with because if the same plot was typically presented it wouldn't have been that great (some of it was actually quite cheap). Similarly the screenlife cheated a bit at times too - when you have access to breaking news live streams and every passer by's candid footage you're pretty much able to frame anything you want.

The genius is mainly in the breadth and depth of the world building - something presented as naturally and organic to anyone who has their own computer desktop. For example a shot with an email we're supposed to read will also have plenty of material in the background telling us about the world in which a character is living. This tool is taken to great heights in the movie; I expect future viewings to reveal plenty more moments of head slapping realisation and easter eggs.

Everything put together left such a compelling whole that the problems seen when dissecting it all but disappear. Totally recommended.

Film: The Predator

In many ways The Predator is a complete success. It's violent enough, vulgar enough and even manages to trace its humour back to the '87 classic. For many of us who hold the original in such high esteem the job has been done.

This fanservice seems to have come at a cost though - there are also enough plot holes, continuity errors and leaps of faith requested of the audience to make this, standing alone, a bad film. It's almost as if the budget had run out somewhere in the last third of the movie. It's a shame because it didn't have to be this way, but on the other hand promising in that it shows the magic of the 80's can be recreated 30 years later, and it's not no longer given that the franchises of the past are doomed to fail in this millennial world.

Overall though I enjoyed The Predator and recommend it.

The Glory Days

It's an indictment on Internet society that of the 118 blogs I follow via RSS, only three of them provide regular updates. It's a sign of just how far we've come (fallen?) from the days when content was king, and things like SEO and reach and even readership were afterthoughts to the actual writing process. I'm hardly the model net citizen, but from the start all those 14 years ago I knew I'd never allow ads on this site, nor track who does (or doesn't) read these pages. Instead we now create quicker bites (usually images) and these primarily to be seen, which sounds innocent enough but can also be seen as the root of most of the uglier sides of social media today.

This cynicism and grumpiness comes with age, of course. 14 years is a big chunk of both my life and that of the Internet, and I like to think some kind of prestige comes with that. Of course the real irony is that with this transformation of how the Internet is used, the content that was so easy to create has now become difficult to even start... so any denial that feedback doesn't matter is probably a bit cheeky.

On the other hand, a fair few of those dynamics and relationships have transformed into bigger and better things - so much so that I almost forget where they all started. And so we end with what is probably the most vacuous of life's lessons: things change, sometimes for the worse but often for the better, and so the real value in the world is in the essence of these things and not what they look like.

And if that means it's the blogosphere that gets put on the altar... well maybe that's not that big a price to pay after all.

Film: The Meg

A film about a giant shark? How bad could it be? In what is a great example of "you really should have known better": very bad.

But one might be forgiven considering this was also the year of the more enjoyable Rampage and Skyscraper (and I'm pretty sure I'm missing another Dwayne film). But it clearly takes a certain talent to present the preposterous, and The Meg just happens to lack it. Basics like the acting, or the dialogue (oh man, the dialogue) and some really poor direction get in the way of what was a pretty decent plot (in the context of plots about big fish)... so really it's not the giant shark that should be blamed here but, as usual in matters of nature, the men behind it.

One to avoid.

Film: Ant-Man and the Wasp

Ant-Man fulfilled its expectation of being amongst the weakest of the MCU films; apart from an excellent cameo in Civil War there really wasn't ever much potential for the plucky hero to contribute much to the greater mythos (well perhaps not yet anyway). That puts Ant-Man and the Wasp in a strange place, especially as the final film in Phase 3, right after the brilliance that was Infinity War. So it's not actually all that fair really.

Like the first installment, Ant-Man and the Wasp was a decent enough entry in the series, doing its own thing and almost championing the right to stand alone. The problem is that the MCU relies on the cross pollination, the sum being more than its parts - most MCU films would have failed if not for it. But even if we wash past that, the final third act of Wasp was pretty weak in its own right.

So not a terrible film, just one that is perhaps a little... unnecessary. And that's the biggest disappointment really, that it's now become impossible to make a standalone Marvel film that's actually wonderful.

Book: The Three-Body Problem, Cixin Liu, Ken Liu

Despite having heard loads about The Three-Body Problem, this book was not what I was expecting. Firstly, it was a more raw brand of science fiction that relies more on human interaction than technology (even though it does have lots of that, particularly toward the end). Secondly, as a translated book it brought with it a vibe from the original Chinese language, a more to the point and staccato way of presenting plot and story development. In fact my immediate thought was how the book paralleled the Chinese movies I've seen.

That said, after getting past the disorientation caused by the mismatching of expectations I did find The Three-Body Problem to be quite the engaging read. The premise was gripping, the science just about plausible and by the end the plot was poised to pay off handsomely during the next two books. And since both have been translated, they are exactly what I'll be reading next.

Film: Mission: Impossible - Fallout

In the run up to the release of the sixth installment in the Mission Impossible film series a few of us spent the last few weeks catching up on the five previous films. This was useful for three reasons: firstly, it got us all on board the hype train; secondly, it allowed me to appreciate the development of the series over the 20+ years (yikes!) it's been around (as well as recounting just how bad the second film was); and thirdly, seeing as how Fallout is a direct continuation to Rogue Nation, it helped us to figure out exactly what was going on here.

Fallout itself was great. All two and a half hours were packed with action, a decent enough plot and brilliant set pieces which flowed into each other so well that that it was difficult to tell when each began. The supporting cast was second only to good ol' Tom doing his thing, and although its easy to criticise the film as being obvious it did it all so well that it didn't matter.

So yes, definitely one to watch... just make sure you have a look at Rogue Nation (heck you could even pick up 1, 3 and 4 too) before you go.

Spun

Almost fifteen years after the London bombing, the questions surrounding London Muslim identity and loyalty and accountability have become almost as cliched as the answers given in response to them. On paper then, Spun seems to be stuck in the past, discussing things that most people would have been over by now. Surely it wouldn't be able to generate more than an eye roll or two? And yet, it has not been since Shades that have I enjoyed such a tight and expressive brown Muslim play.

For sure, there wasn't much new ground covered and little novelty here. The characters were plucked from the standard identikit starting selection, with their respective development following the tried and tested exclusively dual paths of spiritual identity and secular integration. As I mentioned above, a lot of this had been seen before and so those coming to Spun for novelty or a final twist would have left sorely disappointed.

But where Spun really shone was the performances themselves. Aasiya Shah's Aisha in particular was able to hold me firmly in her grasp throughout (which, considering she was probably five when the bombing happened is impressive in itself), with Humaira Iqbal portraying a solid Safa next to her. Good actors always shine in plays with a sparse number of props and sets, and the two here were bright throughout.

The third talent, in the form of the writer of the play Rabiah Hussain, was also something worth talking about. Some things jarred a little, others fell flat and in its conclusion the discussion wasn't as deep as I would have hoped fifteen years of contemplation would bring... but ultimately all those were minor flaws in a solid and clean script that didn't confuse its delivery with a need to be too clever. It was funny when it needed to be and touching when it mattered. It didn't need bells and whistles to make its point, and was better for that.

Overall then Spun was 80 minutes of straightforward, if not challenging, joy and if anything serves as a poignant recounting of what many London Muslims went through over a decade ago (and perhaps still face today). Although it doesn't really ask new questions or give new answers, it didn't need to. As a historical account of something a lot of us went through, sometimes its just as effective to tell good stories well.

Food: Mahdi

These days travelling any further than a 4 mile radius for food feels like a massive risk to take. That's saying less about the quality of the options and more about the number of them - we certainly are spoilt here in London, particularly in the east. So it was with trepidation that we set out to grab dinner at Mahdi, all the way in exotic Hammersmith... especially as the website almost deliberately painted it as just another Persian.

Well in this case the distance was worth it. Mahdi topped the marks both in quality of the food but also novelty - there was plenty I hadn't seen before. The staple Kubide and Juju were generous and as good as they get, while the more adventurous pilau dishes (one served with neck) was more than enough to keep us interested.

On the downside the place was busy and service suffered as a result. But at £15 per head (plus petrol costs) Mahdis easily surpassed expectations and has cemented itself as the place to go if I ever fancy eating in Hammersmith in the future.

Film: Skyscraper

There comes a point when things really do become silly. This film far passes that point, taking us to a place that's so silly and laugh out loud fun you can't bring yourself to admit that it's actually quite a bad film. How can it be? I'm still chuckling to myself just thinking about it.

Of course we came to see Johnson do his thing and on that level there was just about enough to fulfill. But the junk that came with it... hoo boy. What little integrity I have forbids me to recommend this film, but please do feel free to make it your secret shame once it's released for home viewing.

Food: Icco

Ah, Icco. If you ever went to university in London you'll know this place well - I can't actually ever remember it not being there in some shape or form.

The premise is simple: cheap pizza of an expected quality. And while it's easy to admit that an Icco pizza isn't the best, having a bill of under £8 per head for a pizza each is a win in itself.

Things may have changed decades after Icco first started, and options are even more numerous now. But you know what you get with Icco, and more importantly what you'll have to give to get it, and that kind of reliable relationship has value in itself. Oh and that it has a mosque next door just adds to the proposition.

Food: Red Camel

Although I didn't have much to eat tonight what I did (and in what is possibly the biggest crime in restaurant reviewing, I can't actually remember what it was called) was wonderful enough for me to write about it. From what my companions ordered Red Camel seems to promise good solid home food in a comfortable, albeit small, seating area. It's the kind of place to while away a lazy summer's evening... which is exactly what we did.

There's no website or marketing here, so a web search might be lacking in results. Red Camel is situated at 552 High Road Leytonstone, and is well worth a visit under the right requirements.

If I do get to go back I'll be sure to update this review.

Film: Hereditary

I went into Hereditary blind, pretty much the best way to watch any creepy scary movie. That might have been why I enjoyed it as much as I did - not knowing the premise allowed the unfolding mystery to accentuate the horror. That said, the film did seem to suffer from a bit of confusion as it struggled to make up its mind as to what it wanted it to be: was this a psychological thriller? A straight up monster flick? OR something perhaps a little more supernatural and spooky? Hereditary manages to be all three, but not always to its benefit.

There's no double that the movie was more effective on the big screen, and yet I can't quite bring myself to recommend it past a DVD release. Perhaps its one to watch if you want a good scare and have nothing else to see.

Film: Jurassic World: Fallen Kingdom

I think the biggest flaw in what would otherwise have been a great film was the setting. Although the trailers show a large part of the film as being situated on an island, the main meat happens on American Soil in a mansion.

It may sound like a minor thing but it was enough to dramatically change the game - the plot, set pieces and threats all have to pivot on being inside rather than outside, and in my view the whole premise suffered for it.

That said Jurassic World: Fallen Kingdom is still the place to go for dinosaurs, so there is that.