A Walk Around Sultanahmet

Here's the route for our afternoon excursions throughout the Old City.  This morning, we listened to some remarks about Greek influence, Roman control, and the Byzantine transition of the city that has once been called Byzantion, Constantinople, and now, Istanbul.  After lunch, we visited the vast Basilica Cisterns (a vital source of water within the ancient walls of the city), the Hippodrome (home of an Egyptian obelisk and Greek statue commemorating victory over the Persians at Platea), and a small mosque that was originally built as a church during the reign of Justinian prior to his greatest project---The Hagia Sophia.  Tomorrow, we will enter the doors of this amazing structure built 1500 years ago!

 

Finally, here's a picture of the moon rising behind the Blue Mosque.  The moon is currently about a large in the sky as it will be for entire year, so it was quite impressive as it emerged from Asian side of the Bosphorus!