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Aya Sophia

My last night in Istanbul (we only spent 4 nights out of 6 there), I took some time to shoot Aya(Hagia) Sophia and Sultanahmet Mosque (Blue Mosque). Luckily, they are both exquisitely lighted by night, so all that needs to be done is find a good solid base to rest the camera upon to prevent a blurry image.

Interestingly, Aya Sophia and Sultan Ahmet Mosque are no more than 200 yards across from each other. Sultan Ahmet was built directly across and facing Aya Sophia to, in the words of Turkish man I met, “Intimidate [Aya Sophia].” Today, a beautiful park lies between the two landmarks, with a fountain in the middle which serves as a reflecting pond at night. It also seems to be a preferred place for Turks, both straight and gay, to make out at night; it is certainly a romantic enough spot, particularly since to the south is the Marmarra Sea and the part of Istanbul which lies across the Bosphorous in Asia. I was unable to get a good shot of the coast at night, despite my hotel’s amazing location and rooftop terrace; at the bottom I’ve provided a shot of the coast by day from the Hotel’s roof.
Sultan Ahamet Mosque

IMG_0786 Curiously enough though, when the Ottomans took Constantinople in 1453, Sultan Faith Mehmed, their leader, ran ahead of his troops to bar them from entering and looting Aya Sophia. Despite this, the interior of Aya Sophia is in some disrepair, as will be seen in my next post, focusing on the interior of Aya Sophia.Finally, just as a little bonus, here’s a shot I took of the near end of the Hippordrome which lies to the north of Sultan Ahmet Mosque.

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This is the view from the hotel we stayed in at Istanbul. Hotel Angel’s home was a beautiful place with a commanding view of the surrounding area and many very nice touches as far as accomodations go. Fortunatley, at the time of year we went, it was also very cheap. Only $45 a night.