Istanbul Day 1: Sultanahmet - Lisa Burke Simon

Blue Mosque

Our first full day in Istanbul, after arriving at our hotel around 2am, involved walking to the Sultanahmet neighborhood. Here, we explored Hagia Sofya and the Blue Mosque. Hagia Sofya, a UNESCO World Heritage Site since 1985, is now a mosque and was once the largest Eastern Roman Church in Istanbul. Constructed three times in the same location, it is the world’s oldest and fastest-completed cathedral. With its breathtaking domes that look like hanging in the air, monolithic marble columns and unparalleled mosaics, it is one of the wonders of world’s architecture history (https://muze.gen.tr/muze-detay/ayasofya). I found Hagia Sofya amazing, beautiful, and breathtaking.

After Hagia Sofya, we wandered over to the Blue Mosque, which I found underwhelming. The Blue Mosque (called Sultanahmet Camii in Turkish) is an historical mosque in Istanbul. The mosque is known as the Blue Mosque because of blue tiles surrounding the walls of interior design. The mosque was built between 1609 and 1616 years, during the rule of Ahmed I. (http://www.bluemosque.co/) The mosque is under construction, so we could only see a small portion of it. I’m sure that once it’s completed, it too will take away one’s breath.

Following naps – I’m napping quite well in Istanbul! – we went to our first Hammam of this trip: Cagaloglu Hammam. The experience was FABULOUS! My attendant, Ibek, took great care of me. First, I rested on a marble slab in a very hot room, similar to a sauna. Next, Ibek moved me to a center room with a giant marble slab. Here, she scrubbed my body to exfoliate all of the dead skin cells. Then, she covered me with foam bubbles – how she makes them, I’m still not sure. After washing me, she massaged my sore muscles. It was a sweet and wonderful experience.