I'm a Saint!

Visited: Hagia Sophia, Blue Mosque, Basilica Cistern

Today we hit the tourist highlights of Istanbul.  Met with the mob of international tourist, we also found that this was a mecca of sorts for many muslims who traveled far and wide to visit.

Far from our first impressions of our trip, the hustle and bustle of what seem to be the Russian Hooker shopping capitol of the world.  We finally saw the sights and sounds that put Istanbul on the map.  The more than thousand year old monuments of the ancient past and the contrast of modern Istanbul was a sight to see.  Almost unbelievable that we were here.  I could only imagine what it must have been like when Constantinople was the center of world.  You could almost hear the footsteps of soldiers and the trot of horses back in the era of the Crusades.

First Stop: Hagia Sophia (AyaSofya)

With its lush surrounding gardens and impressive exterior, we were highly anticipating our entry to the Blue Mosque.  Unfortunately, our timing had the better of us and it was mometarily closed during prayer time.  We head over to Hagia Sophia for better luck.  Good thing it was right across the street.  Hagia Sophia was a beautiful old church that was turned into a Mosque, built by Constantine the great in 326, is pretty impressive.  The size and structure of the now turned museum (20 Lira entrance) only magnified when you imagined what it must have looked like pre-modernization.  Being the non-tour types, we appreciated the relative bareness of antiquities and let our imaginations run wild.  My favorite was standing in spot where the queen listened to mass.

Second Stop: Blue Mosque

After waiting after prayer time, we followed the tourist entrance around the side.  I purposely wore my caprıs and t-shirt to observe the demur dress code but apparently my sleeves were still too short and I was asked to use one of the free/public shawls.  It was gross thinking of the hundreds of sweaty bodies who also borrowed said cloth to cover up.  We were asked to take off our shoes before we entered to see the mosque still in use.  The women were separated from the men in the back.  The tourist were sectioned away from the men.  It was difficult to take in the view of the beautifully tiled walls and ceilings due to the gut renching stench of sweaty bodies and worse...sweaty feet.  I could not get over the grossness of the smell and the borrowed cloth, so we exited with in 5 minutes.  My suggestion to nasal sensitive future travelers, go early in the morning or during a cooler time of year and make sure your shoulders and knees are well covered.

Third Stop:  Basicila Cistern

This was a cool Mummy looking underground aqueduct.  Did I say it was cool?  It was cool...very dark, dim mood setting lights, moist air, a couple Medusa Heads, walkways above cold water, and extremely large "koi" fish.  A bit of an escape from the chaos of sun and people just above us.

Later, Jerry ended up watching a man feed the fish, and ended up spending 800 euros an hour later.  Yes, this was probably the most expensive fish feeding we have ever experienced.