The group had a busy but fruitful day. We woke up early to catch a ferry to Bursa, Turkey's 4th-largest city and the first capital of the Ottoman Empire. Mr. Celik arranged this special day for us as a surprise, which even included the municipality government of Bursa graciously hosting us by having two of its officials tell us about the city as we toured it. We arrived in Bursa in time for a mid-morning breakfast before visiting the city municipality's historic headquarters, now used mainly in ceremonies, and Ulu Cami, a very historically important mosque in the city center. We then gave everyone some shopping time in the bazaar of Bursa, which featured, in addition to everyday Turkish goods, a plethora of scarves and fabrics. As the end of the Silk Road, Bursa is known for these fabrics. We then saw an old art studio building before having lunch at a kebap restaurant that overlooked the city in its valley, surrounded by mountains.
After a ferry ride back to Istanbul, everyone got just over 2 hours in the Grand Bazaar- their first major, much-awaited shopping excursion. Students and teachers bought everything from scarves to trinkets for themselves and family and friends. As they compared their bounty on the bus, we headed to dinner, where two generous host families made huge, delicious meals for our groups. We are now back at the hotel and gearing up for tomorrow's plans, which will include a visit to Taksim and a boat tour of the Bosphorous. Iyi geceler (good night)!
- Sarabrynn
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