TURKEY - CRADLE OF ANCIENT CIVILISATIONS & EMPIRES & MELTING POT OF GREAT RELIGIONS

Arguably the most beautiful mosque in the World, the Blue Mosque of Istanbul (also Constantinople when Turkey was Asia Minor), is in Sultanahmet. It has 6 minarets and 16 platforms and was built in the 17th Century (1609 - 1616) by an architect named Mehmet. I spent 11 days in Turkey covering a journey of about 2,500 km taking me from Istanbul to Canakkale, the ancient city of Troy, Kusadasi, Ephesus, Pamukkale, Antalya, Cappadocia, Ankara and back. Come and journey with me in the land that is the crossroads of Europe and Asia and of great religions, empires and ancient civilisations.

Side of mosque with platforms. You can catch me writing about this trip in "Turkey's Diverse Ties" in the Jan 09 edition of "Food & Travel - Kitchen Culture" published by Key Editions Pte Ltd.

Mosque courtyard.

Side view of the mosque from a street below. Majestic, indeed!

For ablutions in the mosque itself; maybe, it's reserved for VIPs' use.

This text adorns one of the walls in the mosque.

The Mihrab towards which all the faithful face when they pray. It in turn is oriented towards Mecca.

One of four columns of the mosque

An inscription over the entrance, probably inspired by the Koran.

The main dome is 29 m across!

Beautiful tiles with Selcuk or Ottoman designs adorn the walls.

3 of the 6 Blue Mosque minarets as viewed from the Hippodrome on a rainy morning.

A bazaar below the Blue Mosque.

When I first heard about a hippodrome in Istanbul where chariot races were held, I envisioned a big place like a stadium. This needle-like relic or obelisk with Roman inscriptions named the Column of Constantine is one of the significant items left over. Around the Hippodrome are found the Blue Mosque, the Great Byzantine Church, the Topkapi Palace and the Basilica Cistern.

This is Jeremiah's Fountain, another significant monument left over from the Hippodrome days.

The Bosphorus from the Topkapi Palace. This river divides Turkey into its European and Asian sides and flows into the Black Sea.

The Bosphorus from the first bridge that spans it.

One can't help but be awed by the Great Byzantine Church as it was then known. It was also named the St Sophia Church. It was built in the 6th Century and used by the Greeks and then the Romans. In Ottoman times, it was converted into a mosque and today it is a museum.

Side view of the St Sophia Museum.

Christianity and Islam side by side. Koranic verses are placed alongside the dome which is Christian in appearance.