Sunday, July 8, 2012

Istanbul: Aya Sofya



As with some of the other sites, you can see the same thing I saw, without crowds, if you go here for the virtual tour of the Aya Sofya.



Of the Big Three - Blue Mosque, Topkapi Palace, Aya Sofya - the Aya Sofya is the most spectacular. And what a refreshing change that when one religion took the property over from the previous religion, it didn't cover up what was there before.


 
I like how Turkey places its museum shops in strategic, yet unobtrusive spots, at these sites.

Here are my videos from the first and second levels:



 


A tout, just wanting to "help" me, offered to buy my ticket for me (no, not pay for it - just go do what I could do easily on my own), to get me ahead of the line (there was no line), and assured me he wasn't a tour guide (but he, I'm sure, had good carpets to sell). This is just annoying as hell.

And a slide show:








 

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