Saturday Day 11 - Bosphorus Tour

We quickly load and shove off to the sights along the European Continent side of the Biosphous to return down the Asia Continent side. Smooth sailing as we pass under not one but two San Francisco Bay type suspension bridges high overhead. Castles, luxury homes, businesses, apartments, restaurants, and historical buildings line the shore as we head towards the Black Sea. With our return we viewed the Asian Continental side with fewer houses, some government buildings, businesses, but obviously a different view with some Japanese style gardens and buildings.

Ottoman Turk's Fortess

Ottoman Turk's Fortress built in 4 months (1452) around the City of Istanbul

Bridge across the Bosphorus connecting the European/Asian side(s)

City Government Building - European Side of the Bosphorus

European Side 

Asian Side of Bosphorus

Day 10 - Tour of the City of Istanbul

  How many times can we say fantastic, unbelievable, beyond belief?  With 15 million people on two continents, the City of Istanbul (Ist and bul) has so many sights (historical and fabulous) you can only see the highlights in three days.  With 3045 prominent Mosques, 148 churches and 18 synagogues we toured (with guides/buses) the out and inside of three prominent Mosques. 

Two were active Mosques – the famous Blue Mosque and Baby Hagia Sophia so we had to remove our shoes to enter (Jan/Trish had to cover their heads).  Men are definitely privileged in the Mosque and also in Islam.  The third Mosque, (Hagia Sophia) the oldest and my favorite is now a museum because it was built as a church.  The famous Blue Mosque, along with approximately 8000 other visitors was next on our tour.  The beauty is spectacular with the mosaics, colored windows, carpets and furnishings.  The palace of the Sultans (Topkapı) was large and lavish, that fed 5000 workers and members of the ruling class.  One fantastic fact about my favorite building – the original Hagia Sophia was built as a church (Church of Holy Wisdom) and is one of the world’s greatest architectural achievements and with 10,000 workers was built in six years.  Many churches of similar or lesser size have taken as long as 100+ years to build.

 

Trish and Jan had to cover their head in both Mosques

3,000 Yr Old Egyptian Obelisk

Inside the Hagia Sohpia

Small Hagia Sohpia

The Grand Bazaar with their 4000 shops!

Foot washing before entering the Blue Mosque for prayer

Inside the beautiful Blue Mosque

Beautiful carpet in the Blue Mosque

Entrance into the Topkapi Palace

Palace Grounds

Sultan's Throne Bed

Circumcision Palilion

View from the Palace grounds