Finding Suleymaniye
Our final half day in Istanbul saw us head to the last of our intended tourist destinations, Suleymaniye Mosque.
The path leading towards it was a warren of backstreets, run-down and lined with abandoned apartments. It was at least, a very different scene to the near-West-European look and feel of the rest of the city. We past cats huddled together, makeshift clothes lines, and even a father teaching his kids how to kill and prepare a chicken.
Through my eyes, the mosque was much like the others, albeit with different patterns in its decoration and carpets. The view made the trek worthwhile.
Istanbul International Airport was another exercise in lining up — it took a full two hours to get from baggage drop-off to immigration to boarding, with a total of two x-ray scans and several passport checks. How anyone gets to a plane on-time is beyond me. Different strokes I guess.
tdha
