As though Saturday wasn't exhausting enough, we made a day of Sunday too! It began with brunch at my aunt and uncle's house in Istanbul. My aunt really outdid herself and it was quite a delicious meal that kept us going the whole day! Their house also has a great view of the Bosporus and Istanbul so we took some pictures while we were there.
After brunch we headed back to the European side of Istanbul. Today we were off to do some historical sightseeing. Our first stop was the Hagia Sophia. A little bit of background. Hagia Sophia is a former patriarchal basilica, later a mosque, and now a museum. Famous in particular for its massive dome, it is considered the epitome of Byzantine architecture. It was the largest cathedral ever built in the world for nearly a thousand years!
Once we were satisfied we'd seen all there was to see there, we headed over to the Blue Mosque or the Sultan Ahmet Mosque which happens to be right next to the Hagia Sophia. The Sultan Ahmet Mosque is the national mosque of Turkey. The mosque is one of several mosques known as the Blue Mosque for the blue tiles adorning the walls of its interior. It was built between 1609 and 1616, during the rule of Ahmet I. Like many other mosques, it also comprises a tomb of the founder, a madrasah and a hospice. The Sultan Ahmet Mosque has become one of the most popular tourist attractions in Istanbul.
As thought that wasn't enough, we went to The Basilica Cistern. The
Basilica Cistern is the largest of several hundred ancient cisterns that lie beneath the city of Istanbul. The cistern, located South West of the Hagia Sophia on the historical peninsula of Sarayburnu, was built in the 6th century during the reign of Byzantine Emperor Justinian I. They also played some eerie music while we were walking down there so it was pretty cool to just go walk around and see.
The bases of two of the columns reuse earlier blocks carved with the head of a Medusa. They are located in the northwest corner of the cistern. The origin of the two heads is unknown, though it is rumored that the heads were brought to the cistern after being removed from an antique building of the late Roman period. Another mystery is why one of the heads is upside down, while the other is tilted to one side. It is commonly accepted by scientists that they were placed that way deliberately.
After all that sight seeing we developed an appetite for a small snack and walked over to the Four Seasons hotel. My uncle told me that this used to be a jail in Turkey that has since been converted into one of the most luxurious hotels in Istanbul.
After a delicious piece of hot chocolate cake and a few delicious cups of tea we walked back to the docks and went back to the hotel. I have to say that after all that sightseeing, I was EXHAUSTED! So I decided to skip dinner and went back to my room to catch up on some 24. Nothing makes your life seem relaxing like Jack Bauer.
After brunch we headed back to the European side of Istanbul. Today we were off to do some historical sightseeing. Our first stop was the Hagia Sophia. A little bit of background. Hagia Sophia is a former patriarchal basilica, later a mosque, and now a museum. Famous in particular for its massive dome, it is considered the epitome of Byzantine architecture. It was the largest cathedral ever built in the world for nearly a thousand years!
Once we were satisfied we'd seen all there was to see there, we headed over to the Blue Mosque or the Sultan Ahmet Mosque which happens to be right next to the Hagia Sophia. The Sultan Ahmet Mosque is the national mosque of Turkey. The mosque is one of several mosques known as the Blue Mosque for the blue tiles adorning the walls of its interior. It was built between 1609 and 1616, during the rule of Ahmet I. Like many other mosques, it also comprises a tomb of the founder, a madrasah and a hospice. The Sultan Ahmet Mosque has become one of the most popular tourist attractions in Istanbul.
As thought that wasn't enough, we went to The Basilica Cistern. The Basilica Cistern is the largest of several hundred ancient cisterns that lie beneath the city of Istanbul. The cistern, located South West of the Hagia Sophia on the historical peninsula of Sarayburnu, was built in the 6th century during the reign of Byzantine Emperor Justinian I. They also played some eerie music while we were walking down there so it was pretty cool to just go walk around and see.
The bases of two of the columns reuse earlier blocks carved with the head of a Medusa. They are located in the northwest corner of the cistern. The origin of the two heads is unknown, though it is rumored that the heads were brought to the cistern after being removed from an antique building of the late Roman period. Another mystery is why one of the heads is upside down, while the other is tilted to one side. It is commonly accepted by scientists that they were placed that way deliberately.
After all that sight seeing we developed an appetite for a small snack and walked over to the Four Seasons hotel. My uncle told me that this used to be a jail in Turkey that has since been converted into one of the most luxurious hotels in Istanbul. 
After a delicious piece of hot chocolate cake and a few delicious cups of tea we walked back to the docks and went back to the hotel. I have to say that after all that sightseeing, I was EXHAUSTED! So I decided to skip dinner and went back to my room to catch up on some 24. Nothing makes your life seem relaxing like Jack Bauer.
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