Blue Mosque

Look I tried it a second time and I am definitely NOT taking the veil. ... Finally  got to the Blue Mosque and it was stunning.  Got there early before tourists.   My Goodness Sinan was an incredible architect.  Amused by a couple of kids who cut loose and decided to try out the pulpit for themselves... people came running from everywhere... one very embarrassed father.

Couldn't resist going to the Museum of Mosaics... but it was SO not what I thought....  I had expected bright blue and green tiles but what we found was huge mosaics from Byzantine era which have been lovingly restored piece by piece. This means millions of loose tiles loosened, cleaned, sorted and re-set into aerospace materials so that they will last "forever"

It was stunning!

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After all of that decided it was siesta time.... BUT then stumbled on the Museum which had a Seljuk exhibition..... How fantastic.  Look at the timepiece which showed the time around the world... 300BC!

Definitely time for siesta... or a swim.... these kids chose the local fountain.   Parents even bought their floaties!

A cheapo  dinner of kebab with a bit of a tourist show of the Dervishes... fun and Free!

But what was really strange was the wedding party... who all looked really glum.  The bride in her incredible white dress sat there eating a kebab looking miserable... There's a story there somewhere.

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Home via the Blue Mosque which is where we started the day!