Being our last day here we decided to slow it down a bit but not stop. The major stop of the day was The Süleymaniye Mosque, an Ottoman Imperial Mosque over 450 years old. Sultan Süleyman (Süleyman the Magnificent) ordered the mosque to be built and it was completed in only seven years which is remarkably fast if you consider many similar size religious structures in other parts of Europe took hundreds to complete. The mosque is undergoing renovation and the interior was completed a year ago and is quite beautiful to see. Not everyone agrees with me, like when the Sistine Chapel was cleaned years ago, some critics here thought cleaning went too far and lost something. I disagree.
The final stop was at my request, I was looking for a viewpoint that would show me the whole city so we could get the classic view. Our guide Aşkin (who is a Istanbul resident) took us to Galata Tower, a former lighthouse that has a commanding view of the entire city. A good way to wrap the short tour day and the trip in general.
We returned to the hotel for an afternoon of swimming and relaxing plus a massage for Kim and a Turkish Bath for me. I do not think I have been this clean and shiny (yes, shiny) in a long, long time.
Finished the evening with some Champagne and Iranian Caviar.
The Süleymaniye Mosque
Inside the Süleymaniye Mosque
Inside the Süleymaniye Mosque
A general view of Istanbul from Galata Tower.
The Blue Mosque, distinguished by its six minarets. Note the ships in the water beyond the mosque queueing up to enter the Bosphorus.
A closer view of Istanbul with the Golden Horn at the bottom.
The Spice Market is the 'L' shaped building near the end of the bridge.