We arrived in Istanbul midday and spent the afternoon touring the Hagia Sophia (aka Aya Sophia). The Aya Sophia is the first Christian Church built in 360 and until 1453, it served as the cathedral of Constantinople. The building was a mosque from 29 May 1453 until 1931. It was opened as a museum in 1935. It contains much of the marble taken from the Temple of Artemis in Ephesus, considered to be one of the Seven Wonders of the Ancient World.
We also toured the famous Blue Mosque built in 1609. Inside, the high ceiling is lined with the 20,000 blue tiles that give the mosque its popular name.
The beautiful tiled ceiling
The mosque is essentially a huge empty space as the Muslims kneel on the floor to pray. This red is a massive hand-woven Turkish rug. Everything is so beautiful!
