Today, Graham, Tess, Krys, Kiran and I went exploring to see the two most famous mosques. We walked to the Ayasofya Mosque and the Sultanahmet Camii Mosque, otherwise known as the Blue Mosque. They are both huge building and are situated very close to each other with a park in between.
The Sultanahmet Mosque is still an active mosque. We had to remove our shoes and carry them in a plastic bag and women had to cover themselves appropriately. It gets it's name of Blue Mosque because of the predominantly blue tiles inside. It has six minarets, the most of any mosque in Istantbul. It is cavernous and gorgeous. Lit by many suspended lights it is spectacular. The dome high above seems to float on the building.
The Ayasofya Mosque is no longer a place of religious worship, it is a museum. Originally built as a Christian cathedral, it later became a Muslim Mosque. It was the greatest legacy of the Byzantine Empire. It too is enormous inside. For a thousand years it was the largest enclosed space in the world, until other mosques were built in the 16th century to rival its size. The dome towers over your head and the walls are covered in tiles, and painting from both the Christian and Muslim eras. Unfortunately some of the artwork has been defaced and it doesn't seem to have been repaired much since I was here before. There is a ramp that leads up to the second floor and this provides a stunning view of the main floor as well as access to the Christian mosaics. There are pictures of Jesus, the Virgin Mary and others, beautifully done in little pieces of tile. Unfortunately, some of them have also been damaged, particularly the Virgin Mary. Apparently it is against the Muslim religion to show the human form, especially the face in Mosques, which is why they have been defaced here and in the churches of Cappadocia and other places around the Middle East where Muslims took over Christian places of worship.
After that we went back to the cafe for another bowl of beans, and the walked around exploring streets and shops.
In the evening Krys' husband Brian joined us, and Tess, Graham, Kiran, myself and Krys and her husband, Brian, went to a small theatre to experience the Whirling Dervish dancers. There were four musicians playing local instruments similar to a guitar, flute, drum and a box with strings (sorry I don't know the names). They played for about twenty minutes before four men came out dressed in white clothes consisting of a jacket and a long 'skirt'. They stood quietly for a few minutes before beginning to twirl around while standing in one spot, with their eyes closed. They appeared to be in a trance and just spun. They did this for three of four 'songs' before they began to move clockwise around the room doing the same thing. This is some sort of religious celebration. I have no idea how anyone could spin for so long, not get dizzy, then stop quickly and not fall over. However, they do it. Practice I guess. It was interesting but not really exciting.
Then we went for dinner at a little restaurant and enjoyed a good meal. Back to the hotel for bed.
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