Aya Irini (Sancta Eirene)

Visited the Blue Mosque first thing after breakfast. It's a magnificent building but is unlucky to be right next to Ayasofya - any construction would suffer in comparison. Sultan Ahmet's decision to take on Ayasofya and attempt to equal or surpass it was about as well advised as a drunken boast to take on Muhammed Ali in his prime. And I mean the boxer.

I continued on down past Ayasofya, along a street lined with wonderfully well-preserved old wooden houses, to the Topkapi palace. The grounds were lovely, with shady trees and views out over the Sea of Marmara. I joined the throng and made my way into the inner palace area. Some intricately decorated doorways, lintels, facades.

The most interesting display for me was the holy relics of Islam - brought here during the Ottoman period. I wonder how authentic they are and how important or sacred Muslims consider them. It certainly reminds one of medieval Christendom and it's obsession with such things. Countless bits of the Prophet's beard, his swords, bow, mantle, part of a tooth of his. Swords and other items from a number of his companions. The arm and skull of John the Baptist (I'm sure a number of cathedrals throughout Europe would dispute this!), King David's sword and Moses' staff (these ones I was most skeptical about). Best, though, was Joseph's turban ... being an Egyptian, I doubt very much the man ever wore a turban in his life. Naive I suppose but I found these parts of it irritating. Christianity has rightly been subjected to rigorous historical examination and is better for it - thankfully few Christians today base their world view on a completely literal interpretation of their scriptures. Joseph's turban just reminds me that Islam hasn't yet endured such scrutiny. It desperately needs it, especially in the current world climate. It would help eliminate the medieval air that sometimes hangs over it and at times makes it seem more obstinate than it needs to be.

On the way out of the palace, I realised the Byzantine building I was passing was Aya Irini, Sancta Eirene. The man in the tourist bureau had told me it was closed except when concerts were held there, which disappointed me greatly.  The pictures I'd seen of this church looked intriguing. Bare stone with a large cross stencilled into the dome above the altar. As I  walked by, I  noticed with surprise that it was open, labelled as a museum and entrance was 5TL. I entered and was rewarded with a truly magnificent space. There had once been mosaics, no doubt, as there were still some clinging on around the rim of the apse. But the effect of the bare stone was much more striking - it gave it the feel of a raw medieval cathedral in a more western land, or the simply decorated, sometimes Crusader-built churches of Palestine, Lebanon and Syria. The Basilica's dome soared above impressively and if not parked right next to the world's most amazing building, would've no doubt been considered worth coming from miles around to see.

I wandered back, picking up some bread and drinks for lunch, and spoke to my darling Nadia for another good hour. The afternoon is sliding slowly towards the western sky and I'm in no hurry to rush out and do anything. I might go and have a look at the Grand Bazaar or I might not.