Yesterday was a full day of adventures.  We started with the Blue Mosque where the interior space was almost as impressive as Hagia Sophia.  It was built 11 centuries after Hagia Sophia (in the 17th century) and displays beautiful Iznik tiles throughout its interior.







Then we toured the underground cistern, built in the 6th century, with a capacity of 27 million gallons.  There are 336 columns supporting brick vaults that cover an area equal to two football fields.





Next we made our way to the Grand Bazaar, which covers a huge area with 4000 shops connected by spacious covered pedestrian streets.  Many of the shops cater to tourists, but occasionally we encountered some quality merchandize.  It is a haven for pickpockets, but we out foxed them.  Here is some of the stuff we saw.





















To roundup the day, we were strolling on Istiklal Street when we encountered a rally (or protest - we didn't figure out what it was about) with a police presence in riot gear.  Fortunately for all, the event was peaceful.