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Middle East » Turkey » Marmara » Istanbul » Sultanahmet
June 19th 2014

Published: June 19th 2014

Today was a day for new experiences. After getting up on Wednesday at 4:15, 3 flights, the last being 10 hours long, we arrived in Istanbul tired and jet lagged. While it was 9 AM here, it really felt like 1 AM back home. We found ourselves on a crowded TRAM full of frowny people, made it to our hotel, cleaned up and resisted the urge to sleep. We ventured out without much of a clue as to where we... Read Full Entry

Photos are below

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These columns had also been pilfered from pagan places. They had been broken in an earthquake and reassembled.

Greek God Tritan in a church? YES!

Hajia Sofia was designed to impress and convert. This panel depicted images and symbols of Tritan, the sea god of Greece to win over non-believers.

Marbled Art

The builders took huge slabs of marble, sliced them and reassembled them so that the patterns would become art. These are all over Hahia Sofia.

Detail from Hajia Sofia

Huge urn from Greece

This urn made of marble keeps liquids cool. Originally held wine and was at the Oracle of Delphi in Greece. The Ottomans brought it to Sofia and used it to hold "sweet water" or RoseWater to break the fasts of practicing worshippers.

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Bronze Door

Tomb

The tomb of 5 Ottoman Sultans

Climbing a ramp

The ramp lead to the second floor balcony area of Sofia.

View from the second floor

Blue Mosque

Some guy blocking the view

Flower detail

Chuck takes really pretty detail pictures.

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Interesting building.

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19th June 2014

D MJ Binkley
Dave and Merry Jo Binkley

New experiences
Turkey is a place we hope to go to soon. Glad you are blogging your impressions. We will travel along on your journey.

19th June 2014

Carolyn
non-member comment

Good first day
The first day sounds glorious--can't wait for the next post!

20th June 2014

John Howser
non-member comment

GREAT and GREEN!!!!
How great it is to see these photos, read about these fabulous places, and know that you are seeing all of these places just the way I would be seeing them, which only makes me turn an even more vivid shade of green!!! Keep writing, keep taking photos, and keep have these new adventures!!!! Each one of these adventures that you will remember through this blog will only make you soooo hungry to do this kind of trip again.....and again.....and again!!!! Remember: Life is too short to stay in one place!!!!

20th June 2014