Mosques and Bosphorus Asian Bank

Today was mostly museums and visits to particular things.

First up was the Hagia Sophia, which was the second old building I especially wanted to see on this trip. Originally built as a Christian basilica, it was converted to a mosque after the fall of Constantinople. Currently, it appears to have been decommissioned as a mosque and is more of a curiosity and badly curated museum. Unfortunately, a major restoration of the dome is underway so I couldn't fully appreciate the amazing building.

Next was the Blue Mosque, which was stunning but somewhat sterile. Even undergoing a reno, the Hagia Sophia seeped mysticism and character. The Blue Mosque, like many of its cousins, just seem a bit too perfect when experienced in the flesh.

The morning was rounded out by a flying visit to a cluster of really good museums that are within a short walk of these amazing buildings (plus the cisterns and the palace), making this precinct an absolute theme park for history nerds. Purchasing a museum pass makes all of this available for about AU$40. Incredible value.

After that, it was a quick walk back to the hotel for a post-kebab nap that turned into a major crash. I woke at around 6pm, wondering where the afternoon went. With just a few hours till dusk, it was the perfect time for a quick trip to Asia. I tumbled out the front door with camera and tripod, and jumped on the subway that is just down the street. Five minutes in a tunnel under the Marmara, and I emerged on the Asian side of the straits.

I headed down to the water and found these broad steps with cushions on them. Crowds of people were just sitting and watching the sun go down, so I joined them. Vendors quickly supplied tea, a bagel and a freshly cooked fish sandwich for dinner and I just sat back and let it all sink in. It's quite a shift in perspective, a living geography lesson. This was Asia, that was Europe. Nothing abstract about it; just a mundane subway ride in this amazing city.

I just sat there for about an hour before I realized I was watching a fabulous sunset with my camera and 15mm lens sitting in my lap. I appreciate "snow leopard" moments (that's a Walter Mitty reference), but this wasn't one, so out came the tripod.

I still struggle with landscapes, especially sunsets, and while I am happy with some of these I did not do the scene justice. I had my good camera and best landscape lens, but still couldn't quite squeeze all the subtle gradients out of those images. I'll have to wait till I get home to do a better job of editing them. But this city is so very, very photogenic, I'm going to be learning heaps. I'm hoping to have my last few days given to pure photography in a couple of places I've already picked out.

Which brings me to a point... which clown was it who persuaded me to pack my lenses for convenience rather than performance? Oh, that's right... it was me. I was originally going to bring my big ol' telephoto, but brought a walk around zoom instead... exactly what the little LX100 is good at. So, I have the wide angles covered with the 15mm, but I have no reach. A last minute change to an otherwise well thought out gear selection has left me seriously needing a long lens right now. 

Okay, that's enough gear talk. Tomorrow is an early morning walk to be first in line at the cisterns, then a day exploring the opulence of the old sultan's palace round the corner.

Hagia Sophia... converted to a mosque.

Scaffolding. Sometimes you've just got to take what fate dishes up.

This is what makes this old building so charming... its state of mystery and decay. Though I have to admit I'm a bit concerned about its future; it's not being well maintained.

The main vault. Even with the scaffolding the light was simply sublime. A place of shadows and light.

I'm pretty sure there weren't any viking guards named Mustafa. The Viking ruins are unfortunately under some badly scratched protective acrylic which makes them impossible to photograph. For some reason, Mustafa's effort wasn't similarly protected.

I was naughty and pushed open a window of the Hagia Sophia and stood on a box to get this shot of the blue mosque...

One-upmanship on a colossal scale. The Blue Mosque faces the Hagia Sophiaa directly, from less than a kilometer away.

Ah, the original...

Inside the Blue Mosque. This has been the reality of most major sites in both these cities when you don't get in the first five meters of queue first thing in the morning. Still, complaining about tourists while on tour is like complaining about traffic while you're sitting in it.

The Blue Mosque. Perfection but somehow bland. And what's going on with those reinforcing beams?

Fishermen on the Asian shore of the Marmara Straight. I have expected them to be King and his boys.

A very nice way to watch the sun go down.

Near sunset, looking across at Beyoglu. I just can't get the detail out of those shadows. I think I have to start using a gradient filter as I should be...

That old lighthouse has been converted into a rather swish restaurant. That boat was shuttling couples out to it. 

A rather large dust bunny from my sensor, with a sunset in the background...