Admiring Istanbul

We had an early start today....Well I guess 8:45 am isn't too bad. the good thing about today was the fact that we stayed in one area of Istanbul, Sultanahmet. Here is where the famous Haghia Sophia, the Blue Mosque, and the Topkapi Sarayi are located. The Topkapi Sayari was our first stop of the day. It was the official and primary residence of the Sultan. this grand palace was captivating to explore, being able to wander around the beautiful structures here and there. There was also this exhibition in the palace museum that had interesting relics. I saw a case and skeleton of Prophet John's arm, the sword of Prophet David, the footprint of Prophet Muhammad, and the rod of Prophet Moses among other things. (Picture: Courtyard in Harem, section for the concubines)

Afterwards, we went to the Basilica Cistern, which wasn't far from the Sultan's Palace. This is a underground water system that the Romans had constructed in Istanbul. I felt like I was on the set of Phantom of the Opera. There were these amazing pillars that were lit by orange and red lights, creating a romantic yet gothic ambience. In the water I saw fish swimming around. I believe that they were catfish but I couldn't easily tell. We walked through and came to two Medusa heads, carved into stone pillars. What? I didn't expect that...The origin of the two heads are unknown...creepy. No, but it was really fascinating. We spent a good amount of time below Istanbul, and then the clock stroked "Lunch Time."  (Picture: Cistern)

Let me tell you something, Turkish people are very friendly. We met this man named Tolga (I hope I got it right) who was interested in knowing what we were doing in Turkey and whether or not we were enjoying it here. After chatting a bit withe the Mallerys, he invited us to his shop where we gave us complimentary apple tea. It was delicious. We sat around in the back of the store, which was a carpet shop. We got a great "lecture" about carpets. I learned a lot about carpets and realized that every carpet has a story to tell through the patterns and colors. I didn't get a carpet but I may return so I can haggle...(Picture: Carpet "Lecture" and below that is Tolga)

Eventually, we had lunch and it was great Turkish cuisine. 

The Haghia Sophia was the last stop and it was really a sight for the eyes. This building is worth admiring because of its architecture. The dome on the top looks weightless and look as if it is floating but it is heavy and (shockingly enough) is not actually being help up by the main pillars. It is hard to explain but it is worth the trip to Istanbul to come and see it for yourself. It is amazing because this building was way beyond its time in term of its stucture...It would be many, many years before any city and civilization could come close to building anything like the Hagia Sophia. It was a basilica, then a mosque, and now it a museum. It was interesting to see Islamic calligraphy and pictures of Saints next to each other. (Picture: Interior of the Haghia Sophia)

We had free time to ram around and so a few of us went to the Blue Mosque once the sun set, to get pictures of the grand edifice while it lit up the dark sky. It was a blast. I ahuld mention that Ramadan started today so there was feasting and socializing that we could observe. Overall, it was a great day. (Picture: Blue Mosque)