Good morning Turkey!

After a nice breakfast that looked more like brunch we decided today we would get a taste of the Muslim religion by visiting the Blue Mosque and the Hagia Sophia.  As our hotel is very close to both facilities it did not

The girls in the courtyard of the Blue Mosque.

take us long to get there.  Upon arrival at the Blue Mosque site we a nice man told us that the Mosque would be closed for another hour as it was prayer time but that we could come back after that to take a look.  He started telling us about the history of the area which was interesting and then asked us if we wanted to see his carpet shop.  With a friendly no thank you and confirming we did not need a carpet he wished us well and off we went.  We decided to kill a little time by wandering around the area to see what else there was.  One thing that surprised me the most while we were walking around especially after having been in London, Paris and Rome was how clean the streets were.  They had lots of workers cleaning up the garbage and racking up leaves etc from the gardens.

To enter the Blue Mosque women need to have their hair and knees covered as well as their shoulders.  I thought I was okay but apparently my top’s sleeves weren’t quite long enough so I had to wear one of their cotton scarves around my shoulders.  Jenna could not understand how the women here could

The inside of the Blue Mosque.  The cables hanging down hold lights.

wear so many clothes when it is so hot out i.e. Long jacket or gown and headscarf not to mention what they wore under the jacket.  I know she couldn't wait to take her scarf off.  Once we were dressed appropriately we could head into the visitor’s entrance but not before taking off our shoes.  Once inside we could see why it is called the Blue Mosque.  There are blue tiles or tiles with blue in them all over the upper walls and ceiling which is quite beautiful.  Besides the tiles I have to say I was a little underwhelmed.  I am not sure what I was expecting but it did not have the awe factor of some of the Cathedrals we have seen.  There was carpet throughout and the men had 80% or more of the space to worship while the women had the rest at the back of the building.  Definitely a unique experience.

After finding our way out of the mosque we decided to keep the girls happy and find some lunch.  I have to say the food here is really quite good with a pretty good variety, especially for those of us who do not care for fish or seafood.  Not to mention they have so many restaurants that you can’t help but find something you like. 

The Hagia Sophia in daylight.

The Hagia Sophia was actually quite interesting and for me had more appeal than the Blue Mosque.  It was in the midst of having some restoration work done so part of the inside was covered up.   When you entered you felt as though you were taking a step back in time.  It started off as a Christian basilica and was the largest cathedral in the world for almost a 1000 years until Constantinople was conquered by the Ottoman Turks who then converted it into a mosque.  In 1935 it was secularized and opened as a museum.   Even though it was converted into a mosque it kept some aspects of Christianity such as  some beautiful tile art that grace parts of the upper walls.   It was interesting to see that when they converted it to a mosque they sanded out the engraved crosses from the walls.  Most of the walls were covered in various types of stone that were placed in a well thought out pattern.  Some of the walls just had stone facades with brick foundations while other aspects were solid rock.  Perhaps the most amazing fact about this building is that it was constructed within only 5 years.  It is hard to believe they could accomplish such a feat during a time without cranes, loaders, and various other types of machinery.

Alyssa's photographic eye.

Tile work inside the Hagia Sophia.

All the crosses were scratched out around the whole building.

The front of the Hagia Sophia with stained glass and huge chandeliers.

After a short rest and watching the sun set at our hotel Kevin and the girls headed out for dinner as I wasn’t hungry.  It is crazy how our schedule has changed as most nights we have been eating dinner well after 8 pm and sometimes 9 pm while at home we usually were finished by 6:30 pm.  It was a great first day and we look forward to a few more.

The Blue Mosque from afar.