First a church, then a mosque, and now a museum. In 1453 the church was converted into a mosque following the fall of Constantinople. All of the alters and sacrificial vessels were removed and the mosaics depicting Jesus, Mary and others were either removed or plastered over. In 1935 the mosque became a museum and since, many of the mosaics have been uncovered. Restoration is still in progress as you can see the scaffolds in many of these photos.
This is just another of the many sights in Istanbul that makes it, for me, one of the most magical and mystical places I have visited.
9.25.2014
9.23.2014
Scenes From A Restaurant | Nar, Istanbul
One of my favorite restaurants in Istanbul is Nar. They serve over 50 different dishes a day and the meze, once again, was incredible. We also had our first "pide," which is a type of Turkish pizza with a most unusual shape.
Nar Restaurant, Istanbul
Nar Restaurant, Istanbul
9.18.2014
The Blue Mosque | Istanbul
9.14.2014
The Markets | Istanbul
The Spice Market, the fish and vegetable markets in Kadikoy on the Asian side of Istanbul, and the candy stores selling the famous "Turkish Delight," the markets of Istanbul have it all.
9.11.2014
Chora Church | Istanbul
9.05.2014
On the Streets in Istanbul
We stayed in the old city, in Sultanahmet, which was great for visiting the Hippodrome, Blue Mosque, the Hagia Sophia, and the Topaki Palace. From our hotel, the Eresin Crown, we were able to walk to all of these places. Our hotel also had a beautiful view of the Sea of Marmara that you could enjoy on the terrace for both breakfast or cocktails and dinner. And at night, on the terrace, you could see the Blue Mosque lit brightly nearby. I loved that so many restaurants were serving on rooftop terraces like Mostra Seafood and Nostra Cosa, where we had two great meals.
We visited a 300 year old Haman or Turkish bath, named Cogaloglu, which is an experience one will not forget. After changing in your private changing room, you are then led into the hararet or hot room to sweat before your treatment. The room is all marble and quite beautiful. In the center of the room is the marble slab where you will be scrubbed down with a kese and massaged. No pictures posted of that!
I could go on and on about Istanbul but instead let the pictures tell the story which is the point of this blog.
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