The Mezquita was the largest mosque in the Western world, measuring almost 24,000 square meters. It was built in stages between 785 and 987 and would be considered the most important sanctuary of Western Islam.
I will always remember Toledo as the city where churches, synagogues and mosques have such similar architecture that you might not realize which house of faith you are in without a guidebook.
Toledo is rugged, but compact, and in spite of its hills it is a fairly easy walk
This Ayasofya is among the oldest religious sites in the world, dating to 537 AD. It is also among the most important examples of Byzantine architecture still standing.
As Chief Architect, Mimar Sinan designed and restored 477 buildings and public works. The Suleyman Camii is regarded as one of his greatest achievements.
The Topkapi Palace, built between 1460-78, is a walled complex covering 700,000 square meters, comprised of three courtyards, several gardens and all the buildings required for a royal administrative city.
The weather is overcast, like my mood. I'm mentally fatigued. I cannot get onto the WIFI. Maybe Istanbul is too challenging for me. Maybe I need to return home...
The Grand Bazaar is as large and noisy as you would expect a 5,000 store shopping mall to be. Rick Steves says to spend about 2 hours here, which is about as much time as a human has before their retinas start to melt.
In the early AM. another hotel guest plays Spanish guitar just outside my door. There are worse ways to wake up on a Sunday morning...
It's one of my favorite Renaissance works for its subject mater and intricate detail, and I never dreamed to see it outside of an art book. And yet, here I am...
