Adventure is Out There: Here a Mosque, There a Mosque, Everywhere a Mosque

As I said before, there were a lot of mosques in Turkey. We were able to go into a lot of them--something we don't get to do in Israel. They are all so amazingly beautiful. I really loved the peacefulness inside each one. I tried my best to capture the size and beauty of them but, as always, pictures just never do the real thing justice.

Blue Mosque

This mosque was built in 1616 and is named after the blue tiles inside. It was not too far from our hotel. Definitely a highlight from Istanbul.

You always wear scarves and take off your shoes before entering the mosques.

Grand Mosque

Built in Bursa in 1399, this mosque was definitely grand. It has 20 domes and 2 minarets. It was amazing inside.

I tried to do a 360 panorama but it doesn't quite look right. Just imagine the two ends touching and how big that would make the building.

To give you a better idea, this is 1/3 of the mosque.

I can't get over the calligraphy! It is so beautiful. This mosque had calligraphy on almost every pillar. They made shapes of flowers and ships and animals.

This cloth used to be covering part of the Kaaba in Mecca. They change the covering every so often and the Grand Mosque got to keep this piece.

An overview of what the mosque looks like from the outside.

Hagia Sofia

The Hagia Sofia was originally built in 537 as a Greek Orthodox church. In 1453 it was converted to a mosque. Finally, in 1935 it was turned into a museum and remains as such today. This was our first stop in Turkey and wow! What a stop!