An earlier version of the mosaic may show Empress Zoe's husband Romanus III or her adopted son Michael IV. Another theory is that the mosaic originally depicted an earlier emperor and empress, and was later replaced with this version. Coming out of the church, the weather was really good, and you can see the characteristic dome of this church.

From a distance, you can see the church and the square in front. There are a lot of people here, many of whom sit there chatting, very leisurely. In addition, this is also the starting point of the sightseeing bus. Nalan Shiqi and Yunluo have taken such a sightseeing bus in the UK, which has audio guides of various places, but Nalan Shiqi and Yunluo went to take a look.

The sightseeing bus in Istanbul didn't have Chinese voice, and the English one was really hard to understand, so we didn't take it. It was getting late, and since Nalan Shiqi and Yunluo hadn't adjusted to the time difference yet, they were already feeling sleepy in the evening, so they planned to find a place to have dinner and then go back to sleep.

On the way, I met someone selling Turkish ice cream, so I tried one! The taste was average, but the people selling ice cream would perform and interact with you, which was quite interesting. At dinner time, Nalan Shiqi and Yunluo came to a restaurant where they could watch Turkish whirling dance. Whirling dance is also called dervish dance, which originated from the ascetic monks of the Sufi sect of Islam.

The whirling dance was originally spread within the sect as a religious ritual and was not open to the public. It was also banned several times due to conflicts between religion and politics. It was not until the dervish dance was listed as an intangible cultural heritage of humanity that it became widely spread. In fact, the real dervish sacrificial activities are still not allowed to be observed by outsiders. What can be seen now is...

It is a modified performance of the whirling dance. The philosophy of the whirling dance is that they believe that everything is spinning all the time, and the molecules that make up a person also spin with the earth and the planets in the universe. From birth to death, from youth, growth, and old age, it is a cycle. It is endless, just like a non-stop rotation.

They use their spinning to communicate and contact with God. You may also have an impression of this spinning dance. The dancers wear white robes and brown hats. When they turn around, the white robes turn into a round table, which is very beautiful. The ceremony they perform is called semaz. But it is not easy to see.

Generally, an elder leads a group of dancers to enter the venue. After saluting, they take off their outer robes and begin to spin. They point their right hand upwards, indicating that they accept the blessing of God and the energy from Him. They turn their head to the right, indicating that they no longer have any self-control and fully accept God's arrangement. Their left hand hangs halfway down, with the palm facing downwards, indicating that they are transmitting the energy given by God to the earth and other people, and broadcasting it to the world.

They kept turning until they felt dizzy and their heads swelled. They believed that when they were semi-conscious, they were closest to God. They returned to the hotel at night, and the first day's trip was over. When they first arrived in Turkey, Nalan Shiqi and Yunluo had a new understanding of this country that spans the Eurasian continent and learned more about the country's history.

On the second day in Istanbul, Nalanshiqi and Yunluo took T1 from the hotel to Sultanahmet. They visited the Blue Mosque and the Basilica Cistern, then took T1 back to Beyazit. They walked to the Suleymaniye Mosque, then walked to the strait, took T1 north to the terminal Kabatas, and visited the Dolmabahçe Palace.

Then walk to Taksim Square, then continue walking to Galata Tower to eat and see the panoramic view of Istanbul, and finally walk across the Galata Bridge. Then take T1 back to the hotel. Sultan Ahmed Mosque (Turkish: Sultanahmetcamii) is the national mosque of Türkiye.

It is also a historic mosque in Istanbul, the largest city in Turkey and the capital of the Ottoman Empire. The Sultan Ahmed Mosque is one of the mosques known as the Blue Mosque because of the color of the bricks used in the interior. The Sultan Ahmed Mosque was built between 1609 and 1616 during the reign of Sultan Ahmed I.

Like other mosques, the Sultan Ahmed Mosque contains a mausoleum of the founder, a medir (Islamic school) and a shelter. The Sultan Ahmed Mosque has become one of the most popular tourist attractions in Istanbul. Located on map b, opening hours: 8:00-18:00, free.

The Basilica Cistern (Turkish: yerebatansaray? (sunken palace)/yerebatansarn?c? (sunken cistern)) is located in the Sultanahmet district of Istanbul (formerly Constantinople), Turkey, south of the Hagia Sophia. The ancient Basilica Cistern is one of the largest ground water reservoirs with 366 stone columns.

It was built by the Byzantine Emperor Justinian the Great during his reign from 527 to 565 AD as a source of daily drinking water for Istanbul citizens at that time. Located on map C, opening hours: 9:00-18:30 from April to September, 9:00-17:30 from October to March, ticket price: 10 lira (30 RMB).

Suleymaniye Camii is one of several large mosques in Istanbul, Turkey. It was built in a very short period of time from 1550 to 1557 by order of Suleiman I and is the most important work of architect Kocamimar Sinan. Its magnificent complex, including the mosque, is part of the city's architecture.

It also has national significance and is as important as the Fatih Mosque. The entire complex is built on the complex and steep Third Hill, using an unusual architectural solution to integrate the hill with the surrounding streets. For example, the Third and Fourth Islamic Schools, completed in 1558 and 1559, step down to the Golden Horn, and are masterpieces in architectural history.

The interior of the mosque used red Iznik tiles for the first time. Located on the map D, opening hours: 9:00-17:30, free. Dolmabahce Palace is located on the European side of the west bank of the Bosphorus Strait, stretching over 600 meters. It was built in 1843 and completed in 1856. It is called the New Palace.

This period was the decline of the Ottoman Empire, and the extreme luxury inside the palace formed a sharp contrast with the decline of national power. The treasures inside are dazzling, and luxurious crystal lamps, ivory, and gold products are everywhere, including the world's largest 4,500-kilogram crystal chandelier.

Located on map f, opening hours: closed on Mondays and Thursdays, 9:00-16:00 in summer, 9:00-15:00 in winter, tickets: 30 lira (90 RMB) for the ceremonial palace; 20 lira (60 RMB) for the harem and concubines' courtyard; 40 lira (120 RMB) for the pass. Taksim Square (Turkish: taksimmeydan?) is located in the European part of Istanbul, Turkey.

It is a large shopping, tourist and leisure area, famous for its restaurants, shops and hotels. It is considered the heart of modern Istanbul. The Republic Monument (Cumhuriyetaniti) on the square was built in 1928 to commemorate the founding of the Republic of Turkey. Located on the map g. Galata Tower (Turkish: Galatakulesi).

The Torre del Cristo (Latin: christeaturris), as the medieval Genoese called it, is a medieval stone tower located in the Galata district of Istanbul, Turkey, just north of the Golden Horn. It is one of the city's most striking landmarks, dominating the Istanbul skyline. At 9 stories and 66.9 meters tall, the Galata Tower was the tallest building in the city at the time of its construction.

Its ground height is 35 meters above sea level. The bottom diameter is 16.45 meters, the inner diameter is 8.95 meters, and the wall thickness is 3.75 meters. There is a restaurant and cafe on the upper floor, where you can enjoy the spectacular view of Istanbul and the Bosphorus. There are two passenger elevators in the tower. Located on the map h, the ticket price is 17 lira (51 RMB).

The Galata Bridge (Turkish: galatak?prusu, English: galatabridge) is located in Istanbul, Turkey, across the Golden Horn. Since the 19th century, this bridge has often appeared in Turkish literature and art works. The existing Galata Bridge is the fifth in history and was completed in 1994.

The bridge is 490 meters long and can be opened in the middle to allow ships to pass. It is located between h and i on the map. [Start of the trip] It was raining heavily in the morning, which was very inconvenient, but we had to play even in the rain. We would walk a long way today, so Nalan Shiqi and Yunluo bought Istanbul bus cards so that they could take T1.

There is no mistake in the poem, post, content, and read the book on 6, 9, and bar!

Transportation Tips: Buying a transportation card will give you a discount on public transportation. You can buy the transportation card at the newsstand next to the station. Regarding the bus card and T1, Yunluo will explain it in detail in the [Transportation] section of the [Guide] later. Take T1 for three stops to the Sultan Mahmed Mosque. You must respect Islam when visiting here, so boys are not allowed to wear shorts.

Girls are not allowed to show their legs or shoulders and must cover their heads with a headscarf, as shown in the picture. Don't worry if you don't have a headscarf, you can rent one in the mosque. Tips for visiting the mosque: It is best for girls to bring their own headscarves. Although you can rent one in the mosque, it is not guaranteed that you can rent one when there are many people. In addition, you need to take off your shoes when entering the mosque.

It was still raining, but there were many visitors, and everyone was queuing in the rain. You have to take off your shoes when you enter the mosque. There are plastic bags at the door. You can take your shoes in and put them on when you leave. The reason why this place is called the Blue Mosque is because the walls inside the mosque are covered with a kind of blue glazed tiles. (To be continued...)