Hagia Sophia

For some reason, we are both loggy this morning, perhaps too wine last night, so we didn’t head off till around 9:30, taking the bus to Kabatas, the tram to Hagia Sophia. It was a warm day, and such a convenient way to get downtown. The tram also stops at the Kapali Carsi so one can stay on it one more stop to get there Hagia Sophia was a bit disappointing because of he huge scaffolding right in the center, under the dome. It obstructed the marvelous sense of airyness and openess that I remember. We waited for about five minutes to get tickets, put our bags through an x ray before going in, and joined the throngs inside. Something is lost we the crowds but you still get a sense of the artistry and building masters who put this toether in the 5th century BCE. It’s mostly marble, cobble stoned floors, marble columns, mosaics on the wall, many covered by the Ottonmans, plus drab frescoes, mostly designs, so I am not sure when they were done. The most obtrusive part, which I remember from thirty years ago, are four huge, perhaps 20-30 in diameter, disks, placed up high, with arabic script. It just doesn’t belong here anymore since it is a museum, not a muslim holy place. We are now sitting in a lovely shaded café, facing the Blue mosque, a oasis in this hot day. I love tea houses like this, even if there are lots of tourists using it. Fortunately, it’s another cloudless, blue day, so I should not complain about ti being hot. Later in the afternoon, around 6:00, we walked to Bebek and back, a lovely night to walk, had a dinner at home of salad and Hasan’s pasta, and relaxed watching CNN. About 8:30, I got hungry for a tatli, so I went to Migros, picked up two sutlac’s and brought them home, less than a dollar for each one. They were quite nice, as we went to bed by 9:30.