So much to learn about Istanbul

Blue Mosque

I think I can be forgiven for having mislabeled the picture from my previous post as being inside the Blue Mosque; it was inside Hagia Sophia. And I studied pictures carefully to make sure that I have labeled the above picture correctly. Both structures face one another across the Istanbul Hippodrome, which is now a park. I love the feeling of this picture, soft colors against a dark sky. But I saw and photographed so much in just a few hours that I am now spending time on the Internet learning about each amazing place.

The weather in Istanbul was pretty awful for the two days we toured the sights: somewhere around 2 to 4 degrees C (35-40 F) with wind and rain. I got pretty good with Celsius temperatures while traveling, but it took longer for me to be able to convert Turkish lira to dollars, which meant I often had little idea at the time how much I was paying for something. I bought two Turkish bath towels, handmade and very lovely, for 35 lira each. When I was able finally to figure it out, I realized they each cost me a little more that $14. They are worth it, but I wouldn't usually pay that much for a towel!

Inside the mosque

We had to take off our shoes and women had to cover their heads to enter the mosque, and they provided scarves for women to use if they didn't have one of their own. I learned that the reason it's called Blue Mosque is because of the blue tiles on the walls, and I guess the blue stained glass windows. It was built in only six years, from 1609 to 1616 during the Ottoman Empire, in what was then called Constantinople, renamed Istanbul in 1923.

Catalina, Elsa, and Karen with our guide Hasan

I took this picture inside the mosque while we were touring it. Catalina works with the United Nations and is originally from Colombia (I think); Elsa is from Peru, and Karen is the wife of Mickey, my ex-boss and the person who arranged for me to go to the meeting.

There is a large area for Muslims to pray, and we were separated from it by barriers. Most had already left the area by the time we arrived, as we were not allowed to enter until awhile after the Call for Prayer. Muslims pray five or six times a day, and the minarets have loudspeakers that call or remind them. I could hear them easily from my hotel room and found it a soothing sound from a distance, but when I was near the loudspeakers, it was painful to hear. I made a video that I'll post on YouTube one of these days. For now, I'm absorbing all I saw and learned while in Istanbul. More on Saturday. Tomorrow I'm going hiking with my Trailblazer friends and can hardly wait!
:-)