Sultanahmet was weird blend of both past and present.  The historic center of Istanbul once stood as the capitol of the Byzantine Empire and later the Ottoman’s made it their capitol.  Hagia Sophia and the Blue Mosque stand opposing each other in the large courtyard.  In between these massive temples you can find a number of street vendors trying to sell their knick-knacks to tourists.  Bread stands selling freshly made simits (a bread ring with sesame seeds) covered the area as well. 

Touring the grand cathedral of the Byzantine Empire was remarkable experience.  Beautiful marble floors and decorated archways were everywhere.  Chandlers seemed to levitate over the main floor.  The artwork on the ceilings and walls were also quite remarkable.  There were also countless stained glass windows that let in a beautiful array of colors in the building. 

We next tried to tour the Blue Mosque but our timing was poor because as soon as we

 arrived prayer began and they wouldn’t let tourists in during that time.  We could have waited but there was still so much to see and we figured we could always return.

The next stop was the Ottoman Topkapi Palace.  The palace had multiple courtyards and gardens.  Inside the buildings they had converted rooms into museums to showcase the treasures and power of the Ottoman Empire.  Clothes and artworks of Ottoman Sultans were on display as well as a number of religious items from Islam, Christianity, and Judaism

Location: Alemdar Mh., 34122 Istanbul/Istanbul Province, Turkey