Let me just start by saying that we LOVED Istanbul. It's such a fascinating, wonderful city. And I have to confess it was never on my list of cities to visit, but when Jacob went to Turkey in 2008 he decided he really wanted to visit Istanbul someday. I'm so glad!!
We started our tour of Istanbul with a visit to the Hagia Sophia (above), the most important example of Byzantine architecture in the world. It started out as a Christian Orthodox basilica in the year 360, then was converted to a mosque when the Ottomans conquered (then) Constantinople in 1453. Since 1935 it has been a museum, and it retains both Christian and Muslim elements. (It's nothing special from the outside, but inside...) You can see from the above photo that the dome isn't exactly round anymore.
Below is a portion of the Deësis mosaic, one of the many impressive mosaics in the Hagia Sophia. I really like the depiction of Jesus' face here.
Then we toured the Blue Mosque. This place is unbelievably impressive, both from the outside and inside. The tiling inside is exquisite. 
As part of our organized tour we saw a rug-making demonstration. Dad, this photo's for you! I'm sure you would have been drooling over these. They really are beautiful. And apparently all hand-made.
I took the below photo as I stepped out of our hotel. This is what a typical street in Istanbul looks like, and we enjoyed watching these boys play. The people in Turkey were among the kindest we've ever met; they went out of their way (sometimes MILES out of their way) to help us, and they were just so nice.
Below is a portion of the Deësis mosaic, one of the many impressive mosaics in the Hagia Sophia. I really like the depiction of Jesus' face here.Then we toured the Blue Mosque. This place is unbelievably impressive, both from the outside and inside. The tiling inside is exquisite. As part of our organized tour we saw a rug-making demonstration. Dad, this photo's for you! I'm sure you would have been drooling over these. They really are beautiful. And apparently all hand-made.I took the below photo as I stepped out of our hotel. This is what a typical street in Istanbul looks like, and we enjoyed watching these boys play. The people in Turkey were among the kindest we've ever met; they went out of their way (sometimes MILES out of their way) to help us, and they were just so nice. 
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