Hagia Sophia!!

We arrived in Istanbul today at around 5am our time (9amish their time). Given the choice to stay in the airport and rest in one of their hotel rooms or go into the town and see the sights.... we chose the sites.

We got to visit the Hagia Sophia and the Blue Mosque. Not only did I drag around two unfortunate PCV's and bore them (with Rachel but she is used to it) with arcane historical nonsense, but we got to hear the call to prayer that was "sang" through speakers connected to the many minarets that are spread out around the structure. It was quite an experience.

The mosiacs in the Hagia Sophia were breathtaking:
To think that these things were made over 1000 years ago. We walked in the same places and through tunnels that patriarchs and all their elders would travel while participating in synods and rituals and such. Not to mention all the clerics that would have done the same thing when it functioned as a mosque.

It was unreal.

We are going to leave soon for Bishkek (in about an hour) at which point we will sleep the whole way.

We are safe and having a great time.

Here are more pictures. Bye.

Hagia Sophia (below) Blue Mosque (below)










P.S.
Today Rachel woke up from her sleeping on our 10 hour flight and in her mildly lucid moment, she leans over to me and sings "Pokemon!! Gotta catch 'em all!!!" Good story.