The mausoleums

 When the Haghia Sophia was turned into a mosque, the Ottoman rulers started building beautiful mausoleums in the courtyard next to it.Here were buried some of the Ottoman rulers. The tile work is so incredibly beautiful. No fault can be found of them.

Next trip

As this trip winds down, another is in the works. I hope I'll get my visa for China approved the next few days. I'm returning to China to another Tibetan area to participate in their annual horse racing festival. I've been looking forward to this trip a whole year. August 1st is finally and almost here.

Haghia Sophia 3

 The passage way around the nave, as sumptuous as the rest.

 Details of a door.

The pathway to the viewing deck upstairs. This is truly a magnificent building that has withstood the test of time.

Haghia Sophia 2

The mosaics in the church is too high up for us to be able to take good pictures, so there is a display of photos taken by professionals. These mosaics were covered with numerous layers of plaster when this place was used as a mosque. With very careful techniques, the plaster had been removed to reveal the still stunning mosaics.

Haghia Sophia

 The grandest of them all, the Haghia Sophia, a legacy of Emperor Justinian. "Who is Sophia?' The question was posed to us by 2 Swedish visitors we shared a room with at the hostel in Instanbul. Sophia means Wisdom in Greek and Haghia Sophia simply means Holy or Sacred wisdom. Its not consecrated to any saint by the name of Sophia.

 These days it is one of the most visited sites in the world. The ticket lines are a mile long throughout the day. I went at 8.15 am to buy our tickets, waited till 9am when they opened and by 9am the line for tickets was already impossible.

 The mosaics at the entrance, still as beautiful as the day they were put up, a few hundred years ago or maybe over 1000 years ago.

 Remnants of when it was converted to a mosque still remain.

This was my second visit here and I still get excited about seeing it again.

Yeni camii

Istanbul is a city of beautiful mosques, Yeni mosque is one of the many. Its situated near the Grand Bazaar.

The spice market

Spice markets are always fun and the smell is so incredible. Here is the spice market in Istanbul which is a part of the Grand Bazaar. Its huge and crowded with locals and visitors.

Fish, fish and more fish

 The nearby water ways teems with fish, mostly mackerel.

 Here the seagulls are patiently waiting for the odd fish to be thrown their way.

 Numerous stalls grill the freshly caught mackerel for making into fish sandwiches. It makes for a tasting and healthy meals and cheap too.

This is one of the many fun things about Istanbul.