31/5

Turkey is a lot of fun, but very very hot. The Hagia Sophia is beautiful, if in need of a great deal of work on the plaster/ mosaics on the ceilings and halls. The Blue Mosque, right next to my hostel, is nice as well, if a bit obstructed by hanging lights that stand about 8 feet above the floor. The Blue Mosque, being the preeminent mosque in Turkey, also boasts the finest Imam for the call to prayer in all of Turkey. His voice is very impressive, but it is hard to apprechiate at 4:30 in the morning. For the 4:30 in the afternoon call to prayer, we were ontop of the Galata tower. From the top, you are able to hear all the mosques in Istanbul sound the call at the same time, so its like a wave of sound across the city. Very impressive.
Quick aside. In Newsweek, I saw a small info box saying that the US leads the world in civilian arsenal, with 90 guns per 100 civilians. The next closest was Yemen, with 61 guns per 100. Never in my life have I seen so many handguns for sale on the streets as I have in Istanbul. I have seen no less than 20 shops selling handguns. shotguns, rifles, and knives, proudly displayed in the windows. A bit disconcerting.