Last day in Istanbul

The last day was a time to wander once again to some of our favourite spots in this wonderful city and also to go to the Istanbul Archaeological Museum.

We were a block or so from the Hippodrome so we often wandered along it. It was the Roman chariot racetrack and is now a long narrow square with quite a few of Istanbul's famous sights, like the Hagia Sophia and the Blue Mosque facing it. This is an Egyptian Obelisk carved about 1500 BC. Amazing to see the clarity of the hieroglyphs after all this time.

The Column of Constantine. It was originally sheeted with bronze panels, but these were pulled down to make weapons during the 4th crusade.

We decided another look inside the Blue Mosque was a must.

The inner courtyard is surrounded by a portico, with the fountain once used for ablutions.

The inside is beautiful, vast and intensely decorated with more than 20,000 rich, mainly blue, ceramic tiles. As in many of the mosques we saw, the lights are the low hanging chandeliers which were once designed for oil lamps with floating wicks raised and lowered to enable people to tend to the lamps. Now they hold electric bulbs.

A close up of one of the giant "elephant feet" pillars that support the arches, dome and semi-domes and cupolas. They are decorated with fluted marble panels.

Some of the beautiful stain glass windows and on top of the pillar, some decorative calligraphy.

The huge dome is nothing short of stunning.

Next we went through Gulhane Park to the Archaeolgical Museum.

The Museum of Archaeology is divided into three parts. These steps lead up to Museum of Archaeology.

There is a marvellous collection of sarcophagi and the star exhibit is the Alexander Sarcophagus.

This model gives an idea of how colourful it would originally have been.

Part of the impressive chain the Byzantines pulled across the mouth of the Golden Horn to block enemy fleets.

A caryatid dressed in a traditional gown.

The Tiled Kiosk Museum displaying tiles, and ceramics. (The Turks consider them all "tiles".)

The entry.

These are 16th century Iznik ceramic lamps used in mosques. They burnt oil and were hung by the handles.

A beautiful fountain.

We bought a reproduction plate similar to this one. They were produced from the mid 16th century.

Dated from AD 1500, this is one of the finest surviving pieces of Iznik tiles.

A 1430 glazed prayer niche bought from Konya.

The third museum is the Museum of the Ancient Orient. There is a great collection of tiled friezes which decorated the gate of the ancient city of Babylon. There are lions like this one, bulls and dragons.