This kid was laughing and having a good time in his little prince outfit- Esra told me he wont be laughing long.. they circumcise around the age of 7 and this is his lucky day.
We went to entrance and didnt have head scarves to wear to cover our hair, so I busted open my freshly bought tourist tees and we wore them proudly inside.
we breaked for a Turkish style lunch, and then..
we went to Hagia Sofia which was a very spiritual experience. It used to be a Byzantine church and then a mosque-. Hagia Sophia has a trail that dates back to 532-537 AD. Its pretty sweet cause it has a base in both Christianity and Islam.
From 360 until 1453, it was the cathedral of Constantinople.The building was a mosque from 29 May 1453 until 1934, when it was secularized. It was opened as a museum in 1935 under Ataturk. So "datey" sounding, but like I said before- I work with the best tour guides on the Bosphorus who drill me on my Turkish history..
If you look close you can see crosses and arabic on top of the other. There are beautiful mosaics with Virgin Mary and the Christ child, next to amazing Allah mosaics.
not really sure what this hole was for but there was a huge line to stick your finger in and make a wish. My guides didnt have much to say about it, other than it was a dirty hole. Therefore they got baby wipes out and cleaned it out before I stuck my thumb in. ha. Turks and their germs. love it.
The biggest thing that hit me is how symbolic Turkey really is to the world. They has so many different types of people and cultures living in one place. Yet nobody is trying to dominate the other- western mini skirts and full length burkas all stand together living what they believe.
