The Giles' Journey: Half of Day 3

Day 3 started off similarly to Day 2 with the exact same breakfast minus the Turkish coffee for Michelle and I. With two days down, we had a very clear mission and had our routes mapped out. First, we went to the underground cisterns known as Yerebatan Sarayi (Cistern Basilica) where the Turks hid water from their enemies during the 6th century. They were very worried about their enemies poisoning the water so thousands of gallons of water were stored right underneath the street. It features fine brick vaulting supported by 336 various type of columns brought here from different parts of the Empire. It was an awesome site to see and truly makes one marvel at the ingenuity of the Turks, even hundreds of years ago without modern technology.

In the eerie cistern

Upside down Medusa head so she can't share at you and turn you into stone.

After the cisterns, we went right across the street to another world famous Istanbul attraction, The Hagia Sofia. Hagia Sophia, which literally means Holy Wisdom, is a former Christian Church, later a mosque, and now a museum. Famous in particular for its massive dome, it is considered the epitome of Byzantine architecture. It was the largest cathedral in the world for nearly a thousand years. The current building was originally constructed as a church between 532 and 537 AD on the orders of the Byzantine Emperor Justinian, and was in fact the third Church of the Holy Wisdom to occupy the site (the previous two had both been destroyed by riots).

Hagia Sofia

Old architectural pieces in front of the church

Entrance & Doorway

14 caret gold fresco of Jesus.

Jesus- our Savior celebrated in Turkey! :)

Breathtaking Church

The famous Dome

Muslim symbols were added later when it was turned into a mosque.

Beautiful color and attention to detail.

Heading to the second floor balcony through an old tunnel

Looking across from the second floor.

Courtyard outside

Just when we thought we couldn't see something more beautiful, we walked over to the Topkapi Palace, which was the official and primary residence in Istanbul for the Ottoman Sultans, from 1465 to 1853. The palace was a setting for state occasions and royal entertainments and is a major tourist attraction today. The name directly translates as "Cannongate Palace", the palace being named after a nearby gate. It was originally built in 1459 and the palace is a complex made up of four main courtyards and many smaller buildings. At the height of its existence as a royal residence the palace was home to as many as 4,000 people. The Tokapi palace also houses the Kasiki Diamond: the pear shaped 86 caret Kasiki Diamond is among the largest in the world. It's orgin is not known, although legend attributes it's name (the spoonmaker's or Spoonseller's diamond) to it's sale by a pauper, who was unaware of its value, to a merchant in return for a few wooden spoons. Now that was a lucky merchant!