CAMBRIDGE - May 20

Istanbul was a fantastic city in which to close out our trip. A cool, vibrant city, we fell in love immediately.  The line between living in and visiting was much more distinct in Istanbul than anywhere else we had visited on this trip-- the sights were tourist destinations with buses constantly unloading, with no locals in sight. Just barely off the beaten path, we would be the only tourists on the block. Nonetheless, we were not going to be so backpacker elitist as to skip the spectacular sights.

Friday morning we were up early and headed straight for the Blue Mosque. Built by Sultan Ahmet I and completed in 1616, it stands as a marvel of Ottoman architecture. Named the Blue Mosque for the blue tiles in its interior, the hype did not disappoint. Approaching the mosque, we had been struck by the beauty of its soaring minarets and cascading domes. It was truly spectacular, and once inside we stood for a while with our heads back and mouths gaping open in awe.

After the mosque, we were off to see the Basilica Cistern. It was pretty cool inside, but its story was far more compelling than the actual site itself. Built by Justinian in 532, it was forgotten some time before the Muslim Conquest. In 1545, Petrus Gyllius was researching Byzantine antiquities and was curious when locals told him they could catch fish from their basements. A little excavation revealed an underground cistern nearly 10,000 square meters. (For you Americans who only measure in yards, that's really big). A true green architecture project, all of the columns supporting the ceiling had been taken from nearby pagan temples during construction. At the far end of the cistern, there are two columns supported by huge stone medusa heads, one sideways, the other upside down. Rumor has it that these orientations render her gaze powerless. Primed from seeing the mummies, Jillian was disappointed to see a head made out of stone when she had been hoping to see a head made out of, well, Medusa.

The small mosaic museum tucked into a bazaar proved to be the coolest sight of the day. A team of archeologists discovered an early Byzantine palace floor in the 1950's, and left it completely in tact. With a few minor restorations and a catwalk for visitors, the museum was really just a viewing place for the floor. We were the only people visiting while we were there, and really got to take our time appreciating the intricacy of the designs.

We visited the Grand Bazaar late in the afternoon. Grand would have been a much more apt description of the souks in Morocco, but we managed to find a few treasures to bring home with us before heading to dinner.

Lots of love,
Jillian + Ari