Out and About in Istanbul

There is no better way to spend a sunny Sunday morning in Istanbul than at the Sultanahmet district, undoubtably the most 'touristy' place in Istanbul. Kevin started off with a stroll around the Hippodrome...

The obelisk of Theodosius, erected in 390 AD

The outer courts of the Sultanahmet Mosque (or more popularly known as the Blue Mosque)

Hagia Sophia can be seen from across the gates of the mosque...

Kevin's first time inside a mosque!

Then it was time to visit the Hagia Sophia (Church of  the Holy Wisdom), once crown of the Byzantine Empire, then converted into a mosque after the Ottoman conquest, before being turned into a museum in the last century. Having read so much about it in books on the history of Christianity, Kevin had been looking forward to visiting this place. He got himself a self-guided audio tour kit, costing 10 Turkish Lira.

Once inside the Hagia Sophia, one can understand why it has such a reputation for inspiring awe in vistors past and present, from near and far. It's domes were designed to evoke a sense of Heaven on Earth in the hearts of worshippers. Apparently the statue of liberty can easily fit under the domes.

Both Christian and Islamic elements can be seen...

There is much debate about whether the ancient Islamic artwork on the dome should be removed to unveil the mosaic of Christ Pantokrator underneath (assuming it can be recovered)

The mosaics (or what remained of them) were absolutely beautiful...  much work has gone into restoring these mosaics which had been painted over when the church was converted into a mosque. It's just too bad that most of them have deteriorated...

Graffiti carved into the marble by Viking invaders...

Next stop, Topkapi palace, seat of the Ottoman Empire...

The entrance to the relic room, where various sacred relics are on display, including locks from the Kaaba, David's sword, Moses' staff, John the Baptist's skull and arm, Prophet Mohammad's sword, beard and footprint, swords of the first four caliphs, the first copy of the Quran etc. Unfortunately, no photography is allowed. The authenticity of some of these relics is doubtful, especially Moses' staff, but they definitely date back to at least the Middle ages, when they were highly sought after by the Christian and Muslim pious...

Lunch break at the Konyali restaurant within the palace grounds... nice view!

Hagia Irene (Church of Holy Peace), the only church that was not converted into a mosque under Ottoman rule. Unfortunately, it's only open for official functions like concerts...

some colourful shops and cafes...

All in all, it was a great day out. It would have been better if Kevin had not been scammed twice. Once by a peddler selling books and postcards, and then by the taxi driver on the way back to the dormitories. Yes, Istanbul is full of scammers trying to take advantage of the hordes of tourists! And Kevin managed to avoid most of them after reading about their sleazy ways online, with the exception of these two unfortunate incidents...