Friday night, Istanbul

10pm Friday,
         Seems we covered a whole lot of ground over the last few days and have the blisters to prove it.
   A morning walk through Gullhane ( umlaut above the u!) was an easy way to walk off a mundane Turkish breakfast [9 kinds of olives, 8 kinds of mystery meat, stewed eggplant and various breads] The Turkish have clearly mastered the art of hard boiling eggs to the point that they will probably bounce if dropped on a hard surface= fried eggs? well let's say it seems to be a work in progress!
   The park takes a route north through the section known as Seraglio Point and borders the western side of Topkapi Palace, the fortifications of which loomed high above us.
  After leaving the park the route south continued uphill to an area known as Sultan Ahmet Square, an open courtyard with central fountain. To its north, the Hagia Sophia and to its south the Blue Mosque. An early attempt to enter the latter was postponed on seeing the mob ( several hundred)_ tourists waiting to enter. Instead we made a trip to the Basilica Cistern an underground reservoir dating back to 550AD that supplied water to the people of the Great Palace and surrounding city. Supported by at least 300 columns, walkways allow people to pass through the area while staying above the level of the water.
  A trip through the Bazzar District to the Suleymaniye Mosque was an uphill struggle through fairly dense crowds of locals. A stop for lunch in what appeared to be a garment district was tasty and much cheaper than similar fare in the tourist areas. Turkey is interesting in that many types of retail are regionalized i.e. similar materials all within the same 2 or 3 blocks. For example musical instruments all sold in one area, curtains and blinds- ditto, bolts of fabric for clothing, etc.
   Built in the 1550's the Suleymaniye Mosque is a massive dome with a large courtyard, 4 minarets, a graveyard and a tomb to the sultan. Outside of the highwalled outer courtyard are several buildings which were formerly hospitals, libraries and a caravanserai ( travellers resting place- what we would now consider a motel!) Several of the buildings have now been converted to  restaurants.
   Like almost all mosques the building is illuminated during the day by light streaming in through windows placed high in the walls and also in the various domes comprising the roof of the building. Ornate tiles and caligraphy adorn the walls. The entire floor is carpeted .

Returning towards the waterside of the Golden Horn, we once again found ourselves virtually carried along by the crowd. Arriving at the Sprice Bazzar we struggled to break out of the crush as we headed west for several 100 meters before arriving at the Rustem Pasa Mosque. Much smaller than the Suleymaiye, but built by the same architect (Sinan) it's interior is almost totally covered in various styles of Iznik tiles. Of very fine quality and largely of blue colour these tiles serve to make this mosque one of the most elaborately decorated in the city.
  We finished off the day with a visit to the Blue Mosque at around 5:30pm, While I did manage a few photos the light was starting to deteriorate, thus an additional visit will be neccessary before the trip home.
   Friday morning started with a visit to Hagia Sophia, where, sadly, scafolding continues to block access to some areas. Luckily the front of the building was completely open, allowing for pictures that had not been possible the last visit.
  A visit to the Archeology Museum later in the day pointed out to me that the building has been in a relatively continuous state of repair since the 1600's
 The original church building was inaugurated in 537 AD. The Ottomans converted it into a mosque in the 15th century, adding minarets and fountains.  The current buiding is actually the third constructed on the site- earthquakes and fires having destroyed the first two.
Sandwiched between the Hagia Sophia and a late afternoon visit to the Archeology museum was a visit to the Dolmabahce Palace. Located on the western bank of the Bospherus a couple of km from Taksim Square it was built in 1856 as a home for the Sultan.  Consisting of hundreds of rooms and various reception halls as well as a harem, this was clearly a staggering piece of architecture, designed along the lines of French Renaissance palaces. With seemingly no expense spared, the palace is at once a display of magnificent art and architecture, but at the same time is shows, perhaps, the reason the people of the country were eager for political change.
  Sadly the tour was by group only with no photography allowed. We were thrown into a rather large group making it difficult to hear the guides commentary. I eventually settled for just wandering through the various  rooms with the plan to read up on the history on my own at some point.
  With one full day left, Saturday, I dont imagine we will be sitting around. Nothing like trying to wear out 3 pairs of shoes and an aching body at the same time, And somehow I still tell myself this is a vacation. I'm seriously going to need a week to recover after it is over!!!!!!!!!!