Okie on to the other remaining sights that we visited in Istanbul.
Facing the Blue Mosque, the Hagia Sophia (meaning “Divine Wisdom” in ancient Greek) is a remarkable structure and an important monument for the Byzantine and Ottoman Empires. I learned that it was once a church and then it became a mosque and now a museum which houses a collection of Christian and Islamic art, Byzantine mosaics, holy relics, and extraordinary examples of iconography.
Here are some facts about the building, with its immense dome that soars to a height of 56 meters. Interestingly, the dome was built in only five years by about 10,000 workers and 100 master craftsmen. I thought it was rather impressive to see different religious symbols co-existing together.
One of the most impressive aspects of Hagia Sophia is the plethora of mosaics with their glittering gold surfaces. Restorations are still ongoing; in 2009, a painting of a six-winged seraph, thought to date to the 14th century, was rediscovered. Another remarkable feature is the “weeping column”, which by popular superstition is believed to cure people with eye infections and boost fertility. Hmm, I only found out about the “weeping column” while doing research for this post. No wonder there was a long queue of people waiting to touch a column.
Now that I’ve been trying to get my fitness levels up, the Man decided to venture off a little further from the Bazaar district by taking a nice walk to check out the Süleymaniye Mosque. The Süleymaniye crowns one of the seven hills and dominates the Golden Horn, providing a landmark for the entire city.
Though it’s not the largest of the Ottoman mosques, it still is one of the grandest. Inside the mosque’s setting and plan are particularly pleasing in its simplicity. Again, you’re required to remove footwear and ladies are required to put on a headscarf before entering the mosque.
Outside, it was interesting to wander around and get lost in the breath-taking landscape on day with clear blue skies. We’re thankful that the weather cleared up and the sun came out on the third day that we were in Istanbul. The weather forecast for our stay didn’t bode well so we were pleasantly surprise by the change in weather.
Well, this concludes some of the sights that we did in Istanbul. We missed out Hippodrome completely because we didn’t have enough time. If you’ve been there, perhaps you could share with me what we’ve missed?
I’ve still got more to share on Istanbul.. the Bazaar and some of the traditional Turkish things we did during our trip. So check on in soon. 
Great photos… We’re waiting for more!