Istanbul Tours 6/9 - dj

Today was a full day of tours. We met our guide in the old Hippodrome area of Istanbul, which is now called Sultanahmet Square. This is the same area that we visited yesterday to tour Topkapi Palace. Our guide described the former use of this area, especially for chariot races. He also talked about the history of the columns in the square, including the Obelisk of Theodosius.

We then walked to the Blue Mosque. It was built in the 1600’s and is a UNESCO world heritage site. The mosque is as beautiful as it is huge. Unfortunately, there was no easy way to enter for the tour, so we had to lift Mom up a few steep steps to gain entry. Thankfully, there was a ramp exiting. As lovely as the building was, there was a definite “stinky feet” odor. Fabreze, anyone? Ha.

The next place that we visited was Hagia Sophia. This is a much older mosque/museum, having been completed in 537 AD, and is also a UNESCO world heritage site. It was massive, with some beautiful “hidden” mosaics. It is definitely in need of some TLC, but it is OLD.

We walked around the area before grabbing an Uber. We had booked a boat trip on the Bosphorus - the narrow strait that separates the European side of Istanbul from the Asian side of Istanbul. Istanbul is the only city in the world that is located on two different continents. We enjoyed our relaxing boat trip before heading back to the hotel.Read more