Tag Archives: Istanbul
Hagia Sophia II – Frescoes and Mosaics
Christian art can be an inconvenient truth at times. When Constantinople fell, and the Hagia Sophia was converted from a church into a mosque in 1453, the conquerors had to decide what to do about the frescoes and mosaics. With all the publicity in recent years over the various drawings of Mohammed that have spawned […]
Hagia Sophia I
It has had multiple uses: first as a church, then converted to a mosque and now is a museum. Whatever its function, one thing is certain: the Hagia Sophia is impressive. We tend to forget that Turkey, which is today 98 per cent or so Muslim, was once the centre of the Christian church, and […]
The Blue Mosque
It is one of the most visited tourist sites in Istanbul, the Sultan Ahmed Mosque, commonly referred to as The Blue Mosque. Of course it was a must-see when I visited Istanbul a year ago. I have visited dozens, maybe hundreds of churches in my travels over the years but I have been in very […]
The Cistern
Sometimes the guidebooks have it right, as I discovered last year on a trip to Istanbul. When you visit that city there are certain must see sites, such as the Hagia Sophia, The Blue Mosque and Topkapi Palace, all of which I will get around to talking about here in the not too distant future. […]
Gotta Be Flexible When Traveling
“I’m sorry, but your train has been cancelled.” “When will the next one be?” “Tomorrow.” My wife might tell you that I am not very flexible, that once I decide on something I hold to it and can’t be budged. That’s not a good idea when you are traveling. So much of travel is beyond […]
random thoughts from lorne 
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