The alarm went off at 4:10! but we managed to get back to sleep and wake up at a more reasonable time. After breakfast we met up with our guide and the rest of our tour party which consisted of 3 women. Two of the women were from the USA – Chicago and Seattle, with the other, also an American now living in Lichtenstein. Our guides name is Asil and although he has only just started with the tour company he has 15 years of experience and demonstrated good knowledge.

Today's tour was a walking tour of the Hippodrome, the Sultan Ahmed Mosque (commonly known as the Blue Mosque) and the St. Sophia.

The Hippodrome was originally built by the Romans (Emperor Constantine) but now lies about 6m under the present roadway. It was used for horse and chariot racing. Along the Hippodrome are 4 monuments consisting of 2 Obelisks, the Serpent Column and a fountain.

The Serpent Column is a twisted column of intertwined serpents that ended up with a tripod of 3 serpent heads, taken from the Greeks, supporting a golden bowl. The serpent heads and golden have been stolen over the years and only the column now exists.

The Obelsik of Theodosias (built in 14990 BC) was brought from Egypt. It sits on a Byzantine plinth and is in excellent condition. The second obelisk, the Walled Obelisk, was built in the 10th century and was originally covered with gilded bronze plaques. These plaques and the golden bowl from the Serpent Column were stolen during the fourth crusades.

The fountain was a more recent addition being a gift from Kaiser Wilhelm of Germany.

At the Hippodrome we then entered the Blue Mosque built in 1616. It is a working mosque and considered to be the last great mosque of the classical period. It is called the Blue Mosque because of the blue tiles used inside. It has specially designed accoustics such that prayers can be heard from anywhere in the mosque without use of electonics.

After the Blue Mosque we walked to Hagia Sophia (St. Sophia). Originally an Orthodox Basilica it was turned into a Mosque and now a museum. It was the Cathedral of Constantinople from 360 until 1453 and then a mosque until 1931. It has a massive dome and was the largest cathedral in the world for a 1000 years. The main dome had collapsed or been damaged in a number of earthquakes since 558 with the latest reconstruction completed in 989. The dome is no longer perfectly circular as a result of the repairs. There have been many repairs since.

The rest of the afternoon was free and we wandered around the Grand Bazaar again as there is so much to see. We went in search of the Spice Market but did not find it. We now know where it is and will visit it on our return to Istanbul at the end of the month.