My Time in Turkey - Part 2

I am having the best time in Turkey! On the third day of our trip, we went to see the Hagia Sofia and the Blue Mosque. The Hagia Sofia was once the biggest church in the world! I thought it was a mosque, but I learned that a mosque and a church are very different things. The Hagia Sofia was used when the Roman Empire took over in the 300's, and ruled until the 1200's. The Romans were all Christian, and their empire was massive. The Roman emperors tried to demolish the Muslim faith, so they could have everyon believe in Christianity. In the 500's, the Roman emperor Justinian built the biggest church in the world. The church was so big, it was used to crown the new emperors!

When we went to the Blue Mosque, we had to make sure our hair was covered, that our shirts were long enough to go down to our mid-thigh, and that our pants covered our knees. Of course, my dad didnt have to do any of this because in Islam, men are considered closer to God than women. That is also why the men sit in the front of the Mosque, and the women sit in the back. Despite having less rights than men in this religion, I thought the women in the mosque looked pretty happy with themselves (they may just be happy because they are in the place of God, we'll never know). On a different topic, the mosaics in the domed ceiling were absolutely amazing! It is so gorgeous I can't even describe it.

I keep relating everything I see that has to do with Islam with a book that I am currently reading.This book is so amazing and I think everyone should have a chance to read it. The book is called "I Am Malala" and it is written by Malala Yousafzei. It tells her story and struggle to find peace and win back her chance at education. I wish I could have reccomended it for next year's book club at Lime Kiln.

On our fourth day we went to the Palace. The architecture was so amazing, and we werent allowed to take pictures😬. It was so gorgeous! The chandeliers were as big as dining room tables that could seat 8! The furniture was made of the most expensive fabric, and the ceilings had gold plating and stone was carved into designs. The paintings were giant, and so amazing! The hallways had stained glass windows, gorgeous curtains, and giant chandeliers. The biggest chandelier had 10,000 English crystals!!!

I think that i have written to the point where if you read any more you will get bored and leave.