So, the first laugh of the morning was Iain waking up and announcing very loudly that "For breakfast today, I'm going to have bacon!" I guess the discussion we had about Muslims not eating pork neglected to clarify that bacon doesn't actually come from that mythical beast "The Bacon"
An executive decision was made that the meeting would begin tomorrow, and that I would spend the day with the family exploring. Wow, is really all I can say. What a sense of history to be walking 3000 year old streets. Istanbul is really a beautiful city, and both Tami and I have commented about how safe we feel here (other than crossing the street, which really is a gamble).
We managed a visit to Ayasofia, a Christian church converted to Mosque and then to a Museum. This was truly awe inspiring. It was built in 547 AD, and was simply stunning.
We walked all afternoon, and we accosted continuously by persistent but pleasant street vendors. My shoes have been shined at least once!
This is a photo of "The New Mosque" which was built in the 1500s. All the mosques are of similar appearance with domed roofs and a variable number of minarets from which the call to prayer is sung very loudly 5 times per day (Sunrise, mid-morning, lunch-time, mid-afternoon, and sunset). Tami was awoken by the call from the Blue Mosque, which is a 5-minute walk from our hotel. I didn't hear a thing!
This next photo was taken from the top of the Galata Tower. It is a panoramic view around the city. You can see, from left to right: Topkapi Palace, Ayasofia, and the Blue Mosque. We walked from here back to our hotel, which is just near the Blue Mosque. Not too far, but a warm day indeed (~32 - 34 degrees). In the distance can be seen the Asian half of Istanbul (we are on the European side).
Stay tuned - more to come....
Looks awesome you guys! Looking forward to more pictures.
ReplyDelete