Wednesday November 6
Cycled: None
Today we played the typical tourist game, we even bought a museum pass! If that doesn't say first-time in Istanbul, I don't know what does. On today's hit list: Topkapi Palace, primarily because it was so incredibly close to our hostel. PLUS: How many palaces can claim to house the staff of Moses, three hairs from the prophet Muhammed, and an 86 carat diamond ? One. TOP-Kap-eeeeee! Based on proximity, our next stop was the impressively confused (religiously) Hagia Sophia. An paradoxical church-mosque-museum concoction.
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| Madalene in the Harem, guiding by the Istanbul Lonely Planet, wearing a Pacific Spirit Triathlon shirt, still looking very tired. But, thankfully colour coordinated for the occasion. |
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| Years of walking have smoothed you, dear little harem pebbles. Who has walked on you, I wonder? |
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| Ornate walls featuring: patterns! No animals or people here, noooo sirrree. |
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| Patterns galore! |
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| Is it an eye? Is it a painting? Is it the ceiling? Is it a sign? Beholder ? |
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| Madalene poised on one of the many balconies in Topkapi Palace. |
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Like that scene in Labyrinth ? Minus David Bowie. |
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| You didn't think we'd make it through Topkapi Palace without at least one of these did you? |
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| Leaving Topkapi Palace en route for Hagia Sophia, fueling up on chestnuts is a tourist thing to do. So we do! |
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Hagia Sophia in the setting sun.
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| Hagia Sophia inside: Is it a church or a mosque? Conflicting signs. |
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| In case you're wondering, Mecca is THAT way! |
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Floating lights in Hagia Sophia. What are the chances that Rowling visited here?
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| But, we still had time to enjoy the spectacular views of the Bosphorus. |
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| Istanbul: Is it old or new? Hard to tell. |
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| A street market beckons on the way back to Agora Hostel. |
