Süleymaniye Mosque
Istanbul, Turkey
Now that the Birmingham Flickr meetup is out of the way it's time to get back to my holiday snaps and the ramblings of a wandering tourist.
But for a nice lunch break at the Seven Hills Restaurant overlooking the Blue Mosque and Haghia Sophia we might not have ventured to this mosque. Such places are great for people watching and the occasional ear-wagging of interesting conversations - a waiter was chatting up two young girls on the table behind us and was offering to show them the "sites" after his shift finished. The usual patter... have you visited this mosque and that mosque?... to which the girls replied about the construction work in both and that they were disappointed at the landmarks so far.
"Then you must visit Süleymaniye Mosque, it is the most beautiful mosque in the whole of Istanbul... I can take you there!"
We had already opened our map and was busy searching for it long before he finished his sales pitch. Now this mosque is a fair walk from the main attractions... a case of follow the tramline up the main street, past the Grand Bazaar to the end and turn right. Follow the road with the university on your left and the outer stalls of the bazaar on your right and you can't miss it!
Without going into all the detail, all I will say about this mosque is that you won't be disappointed by it, in our opinion more beautiful that the other two and in light of the current restoration work, which may take years to complete I would make this a must visit attraction. Coupled with the fact it's probably off the radar for the daily coach tours and cruise ship visitors, far less crowded.
The interior is stunning and the surrounding grounds peaceful and tranquil to wander around... but the best bit is the view from the terrace gardens overlooking the Golden Horn - worth the walk alone!
Süleymaniye Mosque
Istanbul, Turkey
Now that the Birmingham Flickr meetup is out of the way it's time to get back to my holiday snaps and the ramblings of a wandering tourist.
But for a nice lunch break at the Seven Hills Restaurant overlooking the Blue Mosque and Haghia Sophia we might not have ventured to this mosque. Such places are great for people watching and the occasional ear-wagging of interesting conversations - a waiter was chatting up two young girls on the table behind us and was offering to show them the "sites" after his shift finished. The usual patter... have you visited this mosque and that mosque?... to which the girls replied about the construction work in both and that they were disappointed at the landmarks so far.
"Then you must visit Süleymaniye Mosque, it is the most beautiful mosque in the whole of Istanbul... I can take you there!"
We had already opened our map and was busy searching for it long before he finished his sales pitch. Now this mosque is a fair walk from the main attractions... a case of follow the tramline up the main street, past the Grand Bazaar to the end and turn right. Follow the road with the university on your left and the outer stalls of the bazaar on your right and you can't miss it!
Without going into all the detail, all I will say about this mosque is that you won't be disappointed by it, in our opinion more beautiful that the other two and in light of the current restoration work, which may take years to complete I would make this a must visit attraction. Coupled with the fact it's probably off the radar for the daily coach tours and cruise ship visitors, far less crowded.
The interior is stunning and the surrounding grounds peaceful and tranquil to wander around... but the best bit is the view from the terrace gardens overlooking the Golden Horn - worth the walk alone!