Here is the second of my efforts this evening, 2/28/2012.  I have to apologize in that the pictures will not all be chronological.  We had two or three cameras and we returned to both the Blue Mosque and the Hagia Sophia.  Sorry.  Hagia Sophia = Holy Wisdom.

I don't think I previously mentioned that we were in Istanbul for the Mission Presidents' Seminar.  We had the 14 mission presidents from the Area, their wives, the five Area Authority Seventy, their wives, the Area Presidency, their wives, three translators (two Russian, one Spanish) and assorted Area staff people.  At the maximum count we were at 65.

One of two enormous vases at the back of the open area in the Hagia Sophia.

When the Muslim conquerors took over in Constantinople they did not destroy the images they found, but rather white washed over them.  They were restored by removing the white wash.  This is an ongoing project in this very large building.  This mosaic is of Mary and Jesus being given gifts of the Hagia Sophia (on the left) and I think the city on the right. 

Once Constantinople became the capital of the empire they began to measure distances from here to every part of the empire.  The stone pillar to the left of the man waking away from us is mile marker zero.

We are shopping as we wait for dinner to start.  Tons of little shops selling spices, trinkets, clothing, etc.

On the last day of the meeting, Friday, we were standing, singing "Called to Serve" when the first four Turkish missionaries unexpectedly came to the front of the room and joined the singing.  It was a very tender moment.

Vulkan seemed to know everyone in town.  On our last Saturday we had a small group touring the afternoon away.  He asked if we would like to eat some of the food the Sultan's had eaten in their day.  We said we would, as long as it was made fresh.  So we entered this quaint little hotel that is just off the front of Hagia Sophia, and wound our way to a 2nd floor restaurant.

Their deal is to fix dishes that only the Sultans and his royals would eat.  The recipes are slightly altered to be less fatty and salty, but otherwise they have tried to preserve the recipes as they would have been served from about 1500 to 1700.  Vulkan ordered five appetizers and four entrees for all of us to split.  I can't remember all we had but here's a sample:  rice with pine nuts and brown sugar; a little shrimp bowl with vegetables; grape leaves stuffed with ground beef and some other meat; a pastry with nuts and brown sugar; goose in a crepe; and finally a small dish of rose water with pomegranate, pudding squares, and nuts.  It was all very good.  Opposite Marlene are the Boswell's.  He is the MP in the Baltic states.  He bought lunch.  To the right of Marlene are the Senkans.  He is one of the Area Authority Seventies.

We stayed at the Doubletree by Hilton in Old Town Istanbul.  The staff were wonderful.  We had a breakfast and lunch buffet each day.  It was all very nice.  I gained back about five of the pounds I had lost in Russia.