Our first day in Turkey

On arriving at the airport in Turkey, we made our way to our mini-bus (her name is Dhyana) and were greeted by the rippling and glistening waves of the Marmara, which was filled with the modern (sea barges) and flanked by the antique (walls of the old city). We were glad (though very much tired, having stayed up close to 30 hours at the writing of the post!) to have entered a city that is so rich in religious, political, and cultural history. Although Istanbul (at least the part we explored) seems only a shadow of its former glory (measured perhaps by beautiful architecture now replaced by low-quality retail outlets and florescent lights), and has been heavily transformed by the effects of globalization on the urban environment, it still retains that "historical mystique" if only because I've learned so much about it, but have never been able to put a picture to those lessons.
We immediately made our way to the Hagia Sophia, once a magnificent Christian church which was converted into a mosque after Constantinople was conquered by the Ottoman Turks in 1453, and then turned into a museum. There were mosaics aplenty, especially of the Virgin Mary with Baby Jesus, or Jesus flanked by various emperors or angels. The columns and windows were spectacular; we were all, I think, not expecting the six huge green medallions inscribed with Arabic surrounding the sanctuary. Afterwards we saw the remains of the hippodrome, which was where chariot races used to take place, right outside the Hagia Sophia and next to the Blue Mosque (named so for its blue tiles). We called it an early day after taking a tour of the aforementioned places. The other sites on our itinerary include Assos, Troy, Izmir, Philadelphia, Cappadocia, and Ankara, among many others.
We are expectant and excited for the beautiful and certainly awe-inspiring sites yet to see and cities yet to visit. Although only a short smattering of the riches Turkey has to offer, it is our hope as a group that this experience inspires further exploration of Turkish history and a greater understanding and appreciation for those cities in the Bible we often uncritically read over.