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| I took the ferry back to Kadikoy where there was a nice book shop and I got a guide to Istanbul. I then took bus 8E home for the night, only to return the next day and take the ferry back to Eminonu. Then I walked up the hill to the Blue Mosque. Along the way I observed several smaller roads which were completed blocked by parked cars. I imagine the neighbors corrdinate so that anyone needing to use their car can get someone to move the cars blocing them in. Parking is a nuisance in Istanbul. Here are pictures of the exterior and entry courtyards to the Blue Mosque. |
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| The Blue Mosque was built about five hundred years ago and was intended to be more awe inspiring than the Christian Haga Sophia (later a Mosque and now a museum) which previously dominated the hilltop. Below are chains used to force everyone to dismount off their horses before entering the Mosque courtyard (except the Sultan who was allowed to ride there). The chains are the orginal and have mostly worn through so that sometime in the next five hundred years they will likely need to replaced. As I walked along I was approached by a friendly young student who acted as a guide to me to help improve his English (he said), but actually he was to lead me to his families house where they tried to sell me a carpet. Needless to say I didn't buy one. |
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| Next to the Blue Mosque is the remnants of the Hippodrome, a ancient Roman coliseum. However, the only parts which seem to have survived are the obelisks and columns from their chariot races. In that area there is also a particularly famous fountain with beautiful tiles on its ceiling. |
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This page was last updated on March 13, 2012.
