Thursday, July 5, 2018

Old Town Istanbul - Overview

Our first morning in Istanbul we set out to visit the "Old Town" which is home to some of the city's most famous landmarks.  We had slept about 3.5 hours the night before, and really none the 'night' of flying before that so we weren't running on our best level of functionality.  Our first destination was the Hagia Sophia.  (Blog Post to follow)


After the Hagia Sophia, we visited the Blue Mosque.  It was a bit more of a fashion adventure since modesty is highly valued by the Islamic faith.  Luckily, we planned ahead, dressed appropriately and bring a scarf to finalize the compliance.  For anyone interested in visiting but who doesn't want to wear pants, modest skirt, or a headscarf all day - the Mosque does have ones you can borrow for free in order to tour.  


Our selfie attempt included a bit of a photo-bomb ... "Hi Man-in-sunglasses".  

To be honest, the Blue Mosque was a bit anticlimactic.  We've had the opportunity to see various houses or worship around the world from varying religious traditions.  If, however, you're already in the area of old town, we encourage you to stop by and check this destination out.  (Blog Post to follow)


The last destination we wanted to see in the Old Town was the underground cistern.  This underground water supply was lost for many years and rediscovered in the 1500's.  It is an architectural wonder ... but is closed for renovations :(  SAD!  

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