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<\/a>Haghia Sophia<\/p>\nThis was our morning to visit the magnificent Haghia Sophia. \u00a0Chris had suggested revisiting the “church of holy wisdom” at different times of the day to catch the natural light coming in through different windows. \u00a0He was correct! \u00a0The light casts different hues and illuminates different parts of the building depending on the time of day. \u00a0Seeing the building with different lighting is a completely new experience!<\/p>\n
View of the East Side of the Nave<\/p>\n In the morning, the end of the building where the alter would have been glows with a warm golden light. \u00a0The sunlight streams in through huge arched windows making the vast interior look bigger and brighter.<\/p>\n I can’t say enough superlatives about Haghia Sophia. \u00a0It is magnificent! \u00a0The building is almost 1,500 years old and is incredibly impressive. One of the guide books said, “Haghia Sophia is among the world’s greatest architectural achievements.” \u00a0The high central dome reaches to a height of 184 feet and makes the visitor feel very small. \u00a0It was designed to be a celestial experience.<\/p>\n Not all of the antique chandeliers are electrified. \u00a0Many of them still have small clear glass cups which must have originally burned oil or candle wax. \u00a0I tried to imagine the interior of Haghia Sophia illuminated only with burning candles.<\/p>\n Reconstruction and removal of plaster continues throughout Haghia Sophia. \u00a0It had been converted to a mosque in 1453 and all the images were covered or removed at that time. \u00a0Today it is a museum and both the Byzantine and Muslim art are being restored.<\/p>\n We spent a couple of hours in Haghia Sophia, looking and exploring and taking many photographs. \u00a0This was my fourth time visiting the magnificent building and it was an amazing experience again. \u00a0I don’t think I would ever get tired of seeing and experiencing the impressive building.<\/p>\n In the inner courtyard near the exit from Haghia Sophia is the Ablutions Fountain. \u00a0It was built in 1740 and, according to a guidebook, is an “exquisite example of Turkish Rococo style.” \u00a0The projecting roof is painted with floral reliefs. \u00a0We passed through the turn styles at the exit and looked across the park to the Blue Mosque.<\/p>\n We were back out in the brilliant Istanbul sunshine! \u00a0The park between Haghia Sophia and the Blue Mosque is lovely. \u00a0Many people: tourists, families, locals walk through the park or sit and enjoy the scenery. \u00a0There are lovely palm trees and flowers and bushes everywhere. I especially enjoyed the crepe myrtle bushes which were blooming in shades of bright pink.<\/p>\n We walked across the park to the Blue Mosque. \u00a0Jeff had not seen the interior and he was a little curious. \u00a0I, of course, love the beautiful Iznik tiles. \u00a0The mosque is one of the most famous religious buildings in the world. \u00a0It was commissioned by the Sultan Ahmet I and built between 1609 and 1616 by Mehmet Aga, the imperial architect of the time. Mehmet Aga had been a pupil of Turkey’s celebrated chief royal architect, Mimar Sinan, who was Armenian.<\/p>\n The Blue Mosque gets its name from the predominantly blue and white Iznik tiles which adorn the walls and ceiling of the interior. \u00a0Iznik pottery was named after the town in western Anatolia where it was made. \u00a0The pottery manufacturing in Iznik reached its height during the late sixteenth century. \u00a0The Ottoman sultan, Suleyman the Magnificent (1520-66) is credited with the increased demand for Iznik pottery and tiles.<\/p>\n We put our shoes back on and left the Blue Mosque and went to the tram station on Divanyolu Cadessi. \u00a0We rode the tram to the last stop and walked a few blocks to Dolmabahce Palace. \u00a0Chris had visited the Palace one day on his own and he said that it was worth seeing.<\/p>\n Dolmabahce Palace was built in 1856 by Sultan Abdul Mecit because he thought Topkapi Palace was too small and old fashioned. \u00a0The architect was Karabet Balyan and his son, Nigogayos, who were members of a family of great Armenian architects who built many opulent palaces along the Bosphorus for wealthy Turkish businessmen and their families. \u00a0The palace has 285 rooms and 46 halls. \u00a0The building has an area of 11.2 acres. \u00a0Photography was not allowed inside the palace, so I only have photos of the beautiful grounds.<\/p>\n The Clock Tower is located just outside the palace walls. \u00a0It was constructed by the famous Armenian architect, Sarkis Balyan between 1890 and 1895. \u00a0Like the palace, the Clock Tower is situated along the Bosphorus with beautiful panoramic views of the European and Asian sides of the city of Istanbul.<\/p>\n Dolmabahce Palace was home to six sultans from 1856 to 1924 when the system of government of sultans (Caliphate) was abolished in Turkey. \u00a0A law transferred the ownership of the palace to the new Turkish Republic in 1924. Mustafa Kemal Ataturk,<\/span> the founder and first President of the Republic of Turkey, used the palace as a presidential residence during the summers and enacted some of his most important works here. Atat\u00fcrk spent the last days of his life in the palace, where he died on November 10, 1938. \u00a0The Turkish people we talked to call it “Ataturk’s house”.<\/p>\n<\/a><\/p>\n<\/a>Arches and Balconies<\/p>\n<\/a>Chandeliers<\/p>\n<\/a>Byzantine Art Under Plaster<\/p>\n<\/a>Glowing Chandelier and Roundel<\/p>\n<\/a>Ablutions Fountain<\/p>\n<\/a>The Blue Mosque<\/p>\n<\/a>Interior of the Blue Mosque<\/p>\n<\/a>Ceiling and Column<\/p>\n<\/a>Main Entrance to Dolmabahce Palace<\/p>\n<\/a>The Clock Tower<\/p>\n<\/a>Entrance to the Palace<\/p>\n