This is an unusual site, and although it doesn’t take long to tour, it is definitely worth a look.

Built during the reign of Emperor Justinian in the 6th century, it covers an area about the size of two football fields, and held 27 million gallons of water.

Unassuming Entrance

336 columns hold up the roof, most recycled from Roman ruins in and around the city.

Brick Ceiling

Look at the fish!

One of two Medusa heads used as a column base.

Stairs to Exit

I read in the Rick Steves guidebook that until the wooden walkway was built a number of years ago, the water was 6 feet deep and visitors rented a boat and rowed around to tour the cistern. Maybe you remember the boat scene in the movie From Russia with Love?

One of the sights I was most looking forward to was Haghia Sophia, and it did not disappoint. As with the mosques, the sheer scale of the building is hard to convey in words and pictures. Even with scaffolding blocking half the central area, the scale is extraordinary.

The Church of Holy Wisdom was inaugurated by Emperor Justinian in 537. Just let that sink in for a moment. FIVE HUNDRED THIRTY-SEVEN.

(Note – we purchased a Museum Pass for 85 TL each. This pass allows access to a number of sights within a 72 hour window and allows pass holders to bypass entrance lines. Read more about it here:  http://www.muze.gov.tr/museum_pass)

Entrance Through the Imperial Gate

Centuries of footsteps have worn down the marble threshold.

Coronation Square – Where Emperors were Crowned

Marble Ramp Leading to Upper Galleries

This scaffolding has been in place for years – note the layers of dust.

Again with the guidebook!

Look carefully and see the dips and cracks in the marble flooring.

If Haghia Sophia had been the only site we saw in Istanbul, the whole trip would have still been worthwhile. Magnificent and depressing all at the same time. The sheer amount of repairs needed, obvious even to our untrained eyes, are enormous.

After we returned to our hotel, I found an article from the Dec. 2008 Smithsonian about the preservation efforts. One person quoted in the article echoed my thought that a big earthquake will bring the whole building down. (I would link to the article, but I’m unsure of copyright issues).

Many problems must be overcome regarding repairs – the intertwining of Christian and Islam faiths in this single building one of the largest. Sadly, I’m not sure how much longer it will stand. So go see it, sooner rather than later.

You know what this frigid, windy evening needs? Pictures of warm and sunny Turkey!

We took a local ferry to the small town of Anadolu Kavagi, the last town on the Bosphorus before reaching the Black Sea. The Bosphorus is a 19-mile long strait connecting the Black Sea and the Sea of Marmara. It is one of the busiest waterways in the world.

We visited two mosques in Istanbul – the Blue Mosque and Suleyman the Magnificent. It is hard to convey the immense scale of these buildings. And I realized when I was going through the photos that we didn’t get any good, close up pictures of the fabulous tilework.

Blue Mosque, built 1609-1616, and named for the mostly blue Iznik tilework.

Ablutions Fountain

Muezzin Mahfili. Faint lines in the carpet indicate direction to Mecca.

Wow. Nothing shouts “tourist” more than walking around with a guidebook!

We visited Suleyman the Magnificent Mosque one afternoon after touring Topkapi Palace that morning. We walked all the way, over 1 hour including a detour to stop at a pharmacy, check pricing of a Turkish bath and walk through the Grand Bazaar to find a replacement for my torn daypack. It was a long, long walk up and down hills on a hot and humid day. So I blame being hot, sweaty and worn out for not having very many pictures 🙂 And it really is too bad, because I enjoyed Suleyman much more than the Blue Mosque. Maybe it was because there were very few people there, or maybe it was the serene grounds, or possibly the large sense of space inside. The cemetery was closed for repairs and I was disappointed as I had looked forward to seeing the tombs of Suleyman and his wife, Roxelana. In fact, we had bad timing with museums – The Museum of Turkish and Islamic Arts, part of the Archeological Museum, and the Ephesus Museum were all closed for renovation. But good excuse to go back some day!

Suleyman the Magnificent Mosque, constructed 1550-1557 –

View of the Bosphorus from the Grounds

(Originally Published 10/23/2013)