November 2nd, 2013 Part Two

After the Basilica we headed back up to the surface only to find that all the tourists waiting in line for Hagia Sophia had disappeared meaning it was our time to act.  Hagia Sophia was amazing, it used to be a Cathedral but was later converted into a mosque.  This was the first ever mosque of any kind I had ever been in to and it would be hard to beat.  Although there was construction happening in the building (perks of going in the off season) it was still breathtaking.

"Hagia Sophia is a former Greek Orthodox patriarchal basilica (church), later an imperial mosque, and now a museum in Istanbul, Turkey. From the date of its construction in 537 until 1453, it served as an Eastern Orthodox cathedral and seat of the Patriarchate of Constantinople, except between 1204 and 1261, when it was converted to a Roman Catholic cathedral under the Latin Empire. The building was a mosque from 29 May 1453 until 1931. It was then secularized and opened as a museum on 1 February 1935."

(Hagia Sophia)

(Hagia Sophia)

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After seeing Hagia Sophia we moved onto the next must see sight in Istanbul, the Blue Mosque. Although Hagia Sophia was the first mosque I had ever been into, it was nearly the same experience as going into the Blue Mosque.  The Blue Mosque is still used for prayer so when entering you have to respect the traditions.  All the visitors were led in through another entrance than those who actually wanted to pray there.  We had to cover our head and were prepared with scarves.  Sadly, none of us knew how to properly wear a headscarf so we all looked like fools.  Also when entering a mosque you cannot wear shoes.  So off went our shoes and on went our socks.  Once inside, the mosque was stunning.  The visitors were confined to an area near the back while the front was still open for prayer. Even though we were obviously allowed to be in the mosque it still felt very strange being in there while it was operating and people were praying.  After taking a few pictures and taking in all that we could we headed out.

"The Sultan Ahmed Mosque is a historic mosque in Istanbul. The mosque is popularly known as the Blue Mosque for the blue tiles adorning the walls of its interior. It was built from 1609 to 1616, during the rule of Ahmed I. Its Külliye contains a tomb of the founder, a madrasah and a hospice. The Sultan Ahmed Mosque is still popularly used as a mosque."

(Blue Mosque)

(Blue Mosque)

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After all of our touring we ended the day with a solid dinner which of course made me sick.  Only the turks would think to grind up tiny pieces of beef and sprinkle it over bread.  Thanks for that.  After dinner we went and got some lovely apple tea, drank some hot chocolate and then went out to a cute little jazz bar.  Overall it was a very successful and tiring day in Istanbul.  Oh, and we found this awesome lookout point with a view of the Blue Mosque.  Can not complain about that view.