On Monday the 4th, I began my journey to the Caucasus. On the 5th I landed in Istanbul and went to a Turkish Airways desk to ask about their free tours. All Turkish Airways passengers who have a long layover in Istanbul can take one. Unfortunately it was the late afternoon tour which starts at 4pm, so no time at the Haghia Sofia which closed at 4pm. There was time for the Blue Mosque and the Gramd Bazaar. Despite the name, there is little blue on the inside and none on the outside of the Blue Mosque. However, despite my expectations, I enjoyed the mosque’s artwork and architecture.
After the mosque, we headed over to what was once a Byzantine horsetrack, now a large courtyard. Shops and stalls dot its perimeter, and in the middle are three columns of different origins. One looks plain. Another is formed by two snakes wrapping around each other. The final one was taken from Egypt by the Byzantines.
Our last destination was the grand bazaar: a massive complex filled with streets and shops lining them. Unfortunately I did not get enough Turkish Lira to buy anything interesting. For there were many things I was interested in: clothes, rugs, and various Turkish/Silk Road knickknacks. Afterwards, the tour guides brought us to a restaurant where we were treated to a free meal.
