Day #44 - Istanbul, Turkey

Hagia Sophia

Blue Mosque

Blue Mosque regulations

Looking out over Bosphorus

Bosphorus at sunset

Tuesday, April 27th

Istanbul is a really interesting and diverse place. It's a city, but it feels like a sprawling town. Endless restaurants and shops, everywhere you look. I've been working up the courage to venture out a little more. People are incredibly friendly, with nearly 100% English-spoken. Outside Ireland, this is the friendliest city I've visited to date. The food here is pretty good. And service is outstanding. There is so much competition that the retaurants do everything they can to set themselves apart.

I started the day off across the street from my hotel at the Blue Mosque. It's an elegant building, with perfect symmetry. It has six minarets (steeples) that define it's place as one of the most visited tourists spots in all of Istanbul. I went in to tour the facility. They had some regulations posted for anyone going into the mosque (see picture). The women had to have scarfs on with a full length gown. Men had to have long trousers. Everyone was given a bag to place their shoes - as barefoot/socks-only inside the facility. It was impressive. We could only walk in a certain area - but I was able to capture some neat pictures.

I then crossed the street to tour the Hagia Sophia. This is the place. The take-away. The Hagia Sophia (Church of Holy Wisdom) is quoted as being the most impressive silhouette on Asia's skyline. The Byzantine capital of Constantinople (now current day Istanbul) was fast approaching its zenith as religious, commercial, and artisitic center of the Roman Empire in the 6th century, when construction of the Hagia Sophia began. With time, it rose to become the greatest church in all of ancient Byzantine. Sadly, much of the church's original gold and marble were plundered during the Crusades of 1204. In 1453, Constantinople fell to the Ottoman Turks - and the church was converted to a mosque. In 1934, it was stripped of all religious significance and function, but it will always be a spiritual oasis, remaining as the single finest structure to have survived the earlier period.

Even though I don't always understand the age or signficance of structures, it's obvious to see this was a special place based on the number of people here and the time spent viewing. There were pictures where many of the US presidents, the pope, and various world leaders had been to the facility. I took some photos - but it's a place to see firsthand - that's for sure. 6th century - is that even comprehendable?

I walked down to the Bosphorus (the body of water between the European and Asian continents) just at sunset. See pictures attached.

Tomorrow I need to take a little trip. More later. Until next time - keep the faith!