Pictures from the Blue Mosque and Surrounding Area

This is me (Alyssa) near the Blue Mosque in front of an interesting looking rock pit of some sort. This area of town is SO historic! It is right near the Hippodrome which was a Roman horse track. The circular area you see behind me could very well be over a thousand years old! You can see one of the six minarets of the Blue Mosque in the background. The Blue Mosque is the only one in the world with six minarets. There is a story behind it, but I will save that for another day.

This is the inside of the Blue Mosque, named for the beautiful blue tile you can see that covers the entire interior of the mosque. We girls were given coverings to wear over our hair and cover our arms as we went in. While this is a working mosque, it was interesting to see some people going through the prayer rituals while tourist tours were going on at the exact same time. The inside of the mosque is almost overwhelming, with it's grandeur and opulence. An array of stained glass windows let in a colorful glow of sunlight.



This is the oldest piece of history in all of Turkey. It is the top third of an obelisk that is ... I forgot exactly how old. But it's really old. Like probably 2,000 years old or something impressive like that. I'm not sure what all the hieroglyphics mean, but the top says something about Thutmose the Conqueror being great...that was all Dr. Bennett could read. He is a very smart man. :) This obelisk is in the middle of the Hippodrome, on a pedestal that stands in the old Roman road. It is right in front of the Blue Mosque. From the standpoint of the viewer, the Blue Mosque is to the left, across the street.