Istanbul Trip (in a series of statements - photos without commentary follow)

-I traveled to Istanbul for a three-day orientation session.
-I discovered that airport security is not so crazy in Izmir and Istanbul as it is in the US.
-The flight to Istanbul was less than the time it takes for me to fly to Chicago from Minneapolis.
-The Taksim neighborhood on the European side of Istanbul looks very much like any other old European city (with the addition of mosques here and there).
-I discovered our hotel was close to the Pera Palace Hotel.
-Agatha Christie used to stay at the Pera Palace Hotel when she took the Orient Express.
-Pera Palace is an old school 19th century hotel with lots of marble.
-The Pera Palace is closed for renovations and restoration.
-I do not know what the lobby looks like except in pictures.
-Cats are as plentiful in Istanbul as they are in Izmir.
-People stay up late here.
-Orientation can be tiring if you are still struggling to get used to a new time schedule.
-I was not taught enough in history class about neither Constantine nor the Ottoman Empire.
-I learned a song in Turkish.
-For the most part I have Turkish pronunciation down pat.
-I need to build up a lexicon of useful words and phrases.
-The Hagia Sophia is one of the most fascinating places I've ever seen.
-The Hagia Sophia contains iconography architectural elements and calligraphy from both the Christian and Muslim religions.
-The Hagia Sophia must have been AMAZING when it was first completed and was covered in mosaic tiles.
-Mosques get their domed look from the Hagia Sophia.
-The dome of the Hagia Sophia was actually a part of the Christian-era architecture of the church.
-I kept singing Hagia Sophia to the tune of "Hava Nagila" but only in my head.
-The food here is making me put on weight again.
-There are about 50 cisterns under Istanbul.
-I toured the largest.
-These were made during the Christian era.
-The pillars used to support these structures were taken from Greek and Roman temples and are quite exquisite.
-Two carvings of the head of Medusa help prop up two pillars.
-Neither head is facing the right way.
-Jackie Chan filmed part of a film in this cistern.
-The Bosphorus is beautiful. The 4 hour cruise I took was excellent.
-I want to go back to Istanbul soon.
-I have a picture of the Blue Mosque below.
-I did not get to see the inside of the Blue Mosque.
-The pictures below are in no particular order.