Old stuff that will knock your socks off

Time is winding down in Istanbul, so we needed to make sure to get to a handful of "must-see" sites. A whirlwind approach one morning gave us just the chance.

First up was the basilica cistern. It is amazing to see what was done in the past to get fresh water. It was built in the 6th century by Emperor Justinianus. This cistern basically defines the word enormous. It is 70m by 140m, covering an area of 9800 square meters. It contains within 336 columns that support the ceiling. The columns were mostly reused from other places, so the design is different on some of them and there are peculiarities like the two that rest on Medusa heads in one of the corners.

Magnificent. And damp.

Next was the Hagia Sophia (or Ayasofia, depending on who you ask). First a magnificent cathedral, then converted into a splendid mosque, it is now a museum. It largely impressed based on its size - the dome inside was one of the biggest I've ever seen.

Also neat was to see how the conversion was done. One of the biggest changes to make it into a mosque was the hanging of very large circular medallions that had variations of the name Mohammed in Arabic. A very conspicuous addition.

Finally, some of the tile work contained within was excellent. More of the blue and white motif present throughout Ottoman structures.

Finally, we headed for the Blue Mosque. Alas, we only got as far as the front gate. Our timing coincided with that of a prayer session, so we weren't able to go inside. It did look impressive from the exterior, however.