Constantinople Dream - Part 2

It was the last day of 2010, woke up and had that 'wet burger' for breakfast, (wow, 'healthy' giler la kan) and head to town to meet the boys. It was already towards the end of our trip but haven't finished covering the 'wajib' historical places in Istanbul. 

First stop for that day was Hagia Sophia, the major cathedral when the city was still 'Constatinople' before it turned into a mosque under the Ottoman Empire. I learnt about this when I was 17, that a church was turned into a mosque after the conquest of Constantinople. The carpets of the mosque were removed and the white plaster covering the mosaics of the cathedral were also taken out. This is to show to tourists the events that had happened in Hagia Sophia/Aya Sofya especially about the conversion. And yeah, I did noticed the differences between the mosque and the church, but since the conversion of the mosque was before the museum, the structure looked more a mosque than a church. That's just my point of view. I was inside Aya Sofya for more than an hour checking out old paintings and snapping away pictures. 

The prodigious structure of Aya Sofya

It was Friday and noon, so that means Friday prayers. We went to the Blue Mosque. The boys and Dalia went for Friday Prayers, as for myself (Aunty Flow) waited for them outside the Blue Mosque and just listening to the serene sounds of the Surah that were recited in the prayer. Such peaceful serene feelings. 

 The Blue Mosque

Were given a bowl of free sweet porridge at the Blue Mosque. Delicious. Of course, at that time we were hungry.

Ekmek by the roadside 

And had bigger lunch nearby; at the district of Sultan Ahmet.

And the last location we visited was the palace of Topkapi which was the primary resident of the Ottoman Sultans approximately for 400 years. It is now converted into a major tourist attractions in the world(under UNESCO) and it contains important legacies; amongst are the Prophet Muhammad's sword and cloak. 

We end our Istanbul vacay with watching New Year fireworks at the Ortakoy and eating... Midye Dolmasi, the famous Turkish delicacy!

Happy 2011! (At that time la)

 Yum!


I will definitely come again for more Turkish adventure!