Title – Blue Mosque
Date – June 2006
Location - Istanbul – Turkey
Istanbul is the gateway to Asia or if you are coming from Asia… it’s the gateway to Europe. In either direction this is assumed to be where Europe ends and the mighty continent of Asia begins. This line defined by the banks of the Bosporus, which cuts through the heart of this city of vibrancy, energy and sometimes just a little confusion about where it actually fits into the world.
The locals in Istanbul have long lived on this divide and refer to the two sections of their city as the ‘European side’ and the ‘Asian side’, but Istanbul is neither, Istanbul is simply and quintessentially Istanbul.
A city which for centuries has dealt with the diversity within; a city that believes in itself; a city that reinvents itself repeatedly throughout history; it is a destination that should not be missed. The mosques tower over the river; this temple designed by Mehmed Aga stands opposite the famous Hagia Sophia. Mehmed’s objective was to build a mosque with a bigger dome then the Hagia Sophia, which itself supports one of the biggest domes ever built. He failed in surpassing the magnificence of Hagia Sophia and in reality had no chance in competing with the history of this older structure. But in itself the Blue Mosque is a magnificent structure and sitting next to its more famous neighbour; they dominate this part of the cities skyline and play a significant role in a city whose turbulent past is only matched by its own sense of hope for the future.
Beyond The Blue runs Gap Year and Independent Travel Safety & Awareness workshops designed to help those people travelling anywhere in the world prepare for their forthcoming experiences so that they can travel to both urban and rural areas anywhere in the world, with confidence and the skills to do so in safety.
Please visit our website at www.safegapyear.com
Image – ©Peter Mayhew
Date – June 2006
Location - Istanbul – Turkey
Istanbul is the gateway to Asia or if you are coming from Asia… it’s the gateway to Europe. In either direction this is assumed to be where Europe ends and the mighty continent of Asia begins. This line defined by the banks of the Bosporus, which cuts through the heart of this city of vibrancy, energy and sometimes just a little confusion about where it actually fits into the world.
The locals in Istanbul have long lived on this divide and refer to the two sections of their city as the ‘European side’ and the ‘Asian side’, but Istanbul is neither, Istanbul is simply and quintessentially Istanbul.
A city which for centuries has dealt with the diversity within; a city that believes in itself; a city that reinvents itself repeatedly throughout history; it is a destination that should not be missed. The mosques tower over the river; this temple designed by Mehmed Aga stands opposite the famous Hagia Sophia. Mehmed’s objective was to build a mosque with a bigger dome then the Hagia Sophia, which itself supports one of the biggest domes ever built. He failed in surpassing the magnificence of Hagia Sophia and in reality had no chance in competing with the history of this older structure. But in itself the Blue Mosque is a magnificent structure and sitting next to its more famous neighbour; they dominate this part of the cities skyline and play a significant role in a city whose turbulent past is only matched by its own sense of hope for the future.
Beyond The Blue runs Gap Year and Independent Travel Safety & Awareness workshops designed to help those people travelling anywhere in the world prepare for their forthcoming experiences so that they can travel to both urban and rural areas anywhere in the world, with confidence and the skills to do so in safety.
Please visit our website at www.safegapyear.com
Image – ©Peter Mayhew
