Playing Tourist:Blue Mosque/Hagia Sophia

Better weather today, so it was a full day of sightseeing. Bear with the next few footprints as I'll split them up to allow for more photos per location.

1st up, The Blue Mosque. Very popular among visitors but I was a bit underwhelmed, perhaps due to all the mosques I've seen on this trip. Part of it was under renovation as well so I think we didn't quite the full effect. It is beautifully decorate

Like the other mosques, we had to cover our hair, though a hoodie will do. If you have absolutely nothing, there are loaner scarves. Shoes-wise, you have to put them in a plastic bag and carry them around since the exit was on the opposite side. A bit of shame with all that plastic =( There must be a better system.

The Blue Mosque is open 24/7, closed during prayers, so there is definite flexibiilty. It's also free to visit.

Opposite the Blue Mosque is the Hagia Sophia, it's pinkish exterior the opposite the blue. You may want to get an get audio guide, though I wandered around a lot. The current building is actually the 3rd Hagia Sophia on the site. The first was a wooden church, the second was destroyed by an earthquake and this current one was a church, then converted in a mosque and is now a museum.

The main part of the building is almost jaw dropping beautiful even with part of it covered by scaffolding for renovations/restorations. Go through the lower and upper galleries. Upstairs, you'll find some mosaics of Jesus and Mary. These mosaics were covered up during the Byzantine area and you can still see some of the Byzantine art on the ceilings and some walls.Read more