Istanbul But It Looks Like Constantinople!

We arrived in Istanbul late on Friday afternoon and it took over an hour to clear immigration even though every one was processed quickly.  There were just so many people and so many planes coming in.

We had a hotel upgrade next door to the one we stayed at in 2004.  It is right in the old town and very close to the special sights.

Last night we joined the throng of locals and tourists walking the narrow streets and looked at the famous landmarks - the Blue Mosque, Hagar Sofia, The Roman Cistern and many more.

We ate in a small local restaurant not far from our hotel.  We bought baklava and Turkish treats to eat back in our room.  On our room when we checked in, there was a large bowl of Turkish delight to welcome us so we added this to the feast.

This morning we visited Hagar Sofia, one of the most spectacular sights in Istanbul.  It was built as a church in 304 AD but burnt down twice till the present building was completed in the early 500s.  It was a church for 1200 years and a mosque for 500 years before Ataturk converted it to a museum in 1935.

There are Christian mosaics as well as Muslim symbols throughout this huge building.  Roman emperors were crowned here when Constantinople was the centre of the Roman Empire.

We will be back in Istanbul for 2 days in a week's time in the middle of our cruise which we are about to join shortly.

Inside Hagar Sofia viewed from the upper level.

Mosaic of The Virgin Mary with Baby Jesus.  Added at a later date were Emperor Constantine and Queen Irene.

Many a sermon has been preached from here.

Taken on the upper level.