Istanbul - WOW!

Istanbul… all I can say is WOW! What a city and we’ve only seen a tiny little bit. Every time we turn down a street we find another little neighborhood with shops, hotels, mosques, apartments, restaurants.

We took the tram (public transportation here is fantastic) to the Sultanhamet district which is where all the really famous sites are. We met Feta near the Hippodrome when he offered to take this picture for us, but then wanted to be our new best friends and come to have tea in his shop and buy one of his rugs.

We saw the Blue Mosque and the Aya Sofia - probably the most famous landmarks - but we didn't tour them today so more about them later.

The most interesting thing we saw today was the Basilica Cistern built in the 6th century during Byzantine Emperor Justinian's reign. It's about the size of 2 football fields and the roof is held up by 336 columns, which were recycled from older Roman and Greek ruins, so the capitals of the columns vary. I also read it was in the James Bond flick From Russia with Love - I'll have to rent that movie when we return.

Our hotel is near a mosque (but here in Istanbul what hotel is not) so we hear the call to prayers 5 times a day starting at daybreak. But then we have been awakened in other countries with church bells ringing or roosters crowing outside the window. It’s all part of the experience.