Wow, we have a new Prime Minister!
We docked in Istanbul around 8 this morning, with our tour to leave at 9. First stop was the Blue Mosque, blue because of the blue mosaic interior. It is closed on Mondays, but was opened especially for cruise ship guests. The place was still packed and took some time to enter. Everyone must have their shoulders and knees covered (we were all forewarned so were dressed appropriately), and women must wear a veil over their heads. There are free pieces of attire for those that don't comply, although we had a woman in our group who refused to don it. The mosque was built in the 17th century and is truly impressive.
Next stop was Hagia Sophia, one of the greatest surviving examples of Byzantine architecture. It was formerly a Christian cathedral but is now a museum. It is equally as impressive, but part of the interior structure had scaffolding up for repair work. There are so many buildings that have scaffolding up for repair work not surprisingly, the buildings are centuries old. Back on our tour bus we are dropped off at a carpet shop. The traffic in Istanbul is crazy and Scott makes a mental note never to hire a car in Istanbul! We are ushered to the 4th floor where we are shown a carpet making demonstration. Next come out the display of carpets. A 7 x 10 ft carpet is US$2,800, but there is no obligation to buy. They try their best but we politely decline.
We are dropped off at our final stop, the Grand Bazaar. It consists of 4,000 shops and the scale is mind boggling. It was very easy to get lost in there. We wandered around for an hour or so, find traders all offering similar products, and the place is packed. We are regularly approached to make a purchase or go inside the shop to view more products, which we soon tired of, and decide to head for the sanctuary of our ship. Scott seems to be coming down with something, Col doesn't feel well and we are both happy for the respite.
After dinner Col went up to the upper deck with Jeannette and Greg to the open air movie, Woman in Gold.
