Colonnade, Blue Mosque

The difference between this picture, taken in the 1970s and the same image taken today is that

today it would be chock full of tourists. Nothing wrong with being a tourist, of course, and we all

want to see places like the 'Blue Mosque' if we can behave ourselves. The one thing about a

mosque, anywhere in the world, is that it's a place for quiet contemplation, for religious

observance if you're Islamic, and an escape from the hurly-burly if you're just a common infidel

like me. But on my last visit the press of people had brought the hurly-burly with them, and the

authorities were having to severely limit the numbers entering the inner sanctum at any one

time. So the Sultan Ahmed ('Blue') Mosque will probably not be on my itinerary for a future visit

to Istanbul.

For this picture, I've removed an unsightly tangle of wires hanging from the ceiling of this, the

left-hand colonnade of the outer courtyard. Thus is the picture improved, to my mind!

The difference between this picture, taken in the

1970s and the same image taken today is that

today it would be chock full of tourists. Nothing

wrong with being a tourist, of course, and we all

want to see places like the 'Blue Mosque' if we

can behave ourselves. The one thing about a

mosque, anywhere in the world, is that it's a

place for quiet contemplation, for religious

observance if you're Islamic, and an escape from

the hurly-burly if you're just a common infidel like

me. But on my last visit the press of people had

brought the hurly-burly with them, and the

authorities were having to severely limit the

numbers entering the inner sanctum at any one

time. So the Sultan Ahmed ('Blue') Mosque will

probably not be on my itinerary for a future visit

to Istanbul.

For this picture, I've removed an unsightly tangle

of wires hanging from the ceiling of this, the

left-hand colonnade of the outer courtyard.

Thus is the picture improved, to my mind!

Blue mosque colonnade