Day 3: Monday 8-15-2011

The day started of with a little hick-up. My wake up call was for 6:30am I was awake before then and I fell asleep right before the phone rang. I Answered it and then I fell right back asleep. I assumed my sister was up but she was just turning over in her bed. I realized what had happened then I woke up in a flash and started running around looking for everything and packing it in my bag then making sure I had every thing before we left the hotel. We flew down to breakfast. Some how we we're ready and with the group early and then we boarded the bus to take us to our next destination.

As we were driving our guide told us that the sultan who had the Blue Mosque built started it construction when he was fourteen. He had a vision. Back when a sultan built a Mosque it would have 2-4 towers (called a "minaret"). This was a mark that it was a sultans creation because the other Mosque would only have one minaret. This Fourteen year old sultan said that he wanted his to have 6 minarets. There was one problem. Macca already had six minaret, and his advisors told him that it would be unwise to create a new place with six that would be an insult to the islamic faith. The sultan however told the architects to continue on with construction and he would come up with a solution to Mecca before the blue Mosque was completed. His solution was to go travel to Mecca and add an other minaret there so it would still remain a marvel and not be overshadowed by his creation.

Our bus came to a stop and we all exited and went into the Grand Bazaar. It was all contained with in a huge building that snakes in every direction you can look. there were so many colors. brilliant silk scarves, shinny luminescent gold jewelry, and Sparkling diamonds. It was a new sight in every direction.

After the Grand Bazzar we left Istanbul and went to a boat dock where the bus drove onto the ferry. then we enjoyed lunch as we crossed the Sea to the other side of turkey.

Once the boat landed on the other side we hit the road and continued on to the Grand Mosque. As we were getting there we heard another story that the sultan at the time had wanted to win a war and come out of it alive. So as he was in battle he prayed to god that if he won this battle and the war that he would build twenty Mosque for him. He won the battle. So he followed up on his promise and told his architects that he was going to build twenty Mosque. They told him that it would be better if they built one Mosque with Twenty domes on it. He agreed, and thats how the Grand Mosque was built.

Once inside I saw how grand it was. Huge pillars with every part of the ceiling a dome. with a large dome in the center. it was very impressive

Then we went to the Green Mosque, however it was closed for renovations. but we did see the sultan's burial chambers and his wifes. They did remake it but when it was remade it was with blue and turquoise not green tiles.

Then we came home and had a swim ate and I took some photos of the night sky. Looking forward to a relaxing day tomorrow.