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September 2015: Istanbul: Old Town

Blue Mosque, Hagia Sophia, And Touristy Things

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Here's a better view of the circle where the emperors were crowned and the baroque chandeliers from the 1800s. Where Christians would expect to see a raised altar is the flatter Islamic altar and mihrab. The mihrab shows the direction of Mecca which is the way muslims should face when praying.

The little pulpit with a peaked roof is a minbar -- the Islamic equivalent of a pulpit.

© Hughes Family 2015