Istanbul was Constantinople, Now It's Istanbul...

Istanbul, Turkey

Why is it anytime I travel somewhere interesting, my mind gets stuck on the chorus of a location specific 80s pop song?  In Rwanda, it was "Africa" by Toto, "One Night in Bangkok" in Thailand, "Mexico" in Mexico - though in Sri Lanka I was pretty safe from those 80s earworms.  

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East Meets West

Istanbul, Turkey
This is one of the most incredible buildings I have ever been in.  Once a basilica, then a mosque (and now a museum), Aya Sofia stands out not only because of its sheer size, but because it is one of the few buildings where the layers of its history work together because they were somehow allowed to coexist (rather than being destroyed by each new conquering ruler.)  

Without Aya Sofia, we might never know that Mosaics of Jesus and the Virgin Mary actually look better in conjunction with traditional Islamic tile and marble.   I really love this place.  I saw it for the first time 15 years ago and somehow, after all this time,  the effect is the same.  

I think Ill stop by again tomorrow...

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