Back in Istanbul May day 2015

We got back in lateish last night but got up early wanting to see the Hagia Sophia museum and the blue mosque, but I hadn't banked on it being not just a public holiday, but a Friday,  so of course a visit to the blue mosque was out. We got up to the hippodrome and I went to the Hagia Sophia museum,  while Lynley looked at the palace. We agreed to meet back at midday by the tree by the street back to our hotel. Well I went into the Hagia Sophia museum,  and saw very little of the church it once was,  most the Christian art had been drawn over in the last 600 yrs, of the Ottoman empire.

The baptismal area fascinated me, it was large enough for full immersion baptisms of all ages. Even new babies were fully immersed as were adults.

There was an area in the church where Roman emperors were crowned,  there is what looks like a confessional and an altar.

 Off to one side it is possible to see some of the original art, most particularly on the ceilings and there is one pictured in a mirror as you leave the museum.

Marcus told us the story of this area,  when Constantinople became Muslim and fell to the Ottoman empire.  The people knew of the impending battle, and they hid the whole city (then 20000) in the church. There was a baby crying, the first Sultan picked up the baby, settled him and handed him back to his mother. He told the people that they had nothing to fear, from then on they would be his people
The obelisk

The obelisk given by the Egyptians

 The blue mosque

 The German fountain in the hippodrome. The hippodrome area was originally a race track used by the Greeks,  for horse (chariot-maybe the forerunner of trotting?)racing.

 The blue mosque and the gardens of Tulips.

 One of very few Christian art works left in the Sophia museum.

 In the baptistry courtyard

 The notice in the courtyard

 The massive font, larger than a pool.

 The cross on the water inlet

 The mirrored art work.

 Looking down the hippodrome.

When I left there,  I couldn't get into the blue mosque because it was Friday,  I noticed the art gallery was closed and surprisingly few people around the hippodrome.  I thought I would just wait for Lynley, but of course I saw umpteen carpet sellers. Anyway eventually I saw her across the other side from our meeting place, she had also been waiting. We both noticed the riot gear for the police lying on the ground, but after the security at Gallipoli thought nothing of it. There also were a lot of sirens in the background, hardly any taxis, and when I enquired about a bus ride around the city it was suggested that half was cancelled and we could do it tomorrow,  I thought that odd. There was a tour of the Bosphorus going by ferry, so we thought we would do that.
 It was difficult to get a taxi there,  the one we got didn't want to take us really and he grove like a mad thing to the pier.
We later found all public transport cancelled,
and a lot of roads were closed, many people were walking, although the place seemed very deserted.