It's their first time in Istanbul so we had the privilege of being the tour guides. We started at the Blue Mosque and the obligatory covering up.
We looked amazing and so did the mosque. Fantastic red carpeting, blue tiles everywhere, and a fantastic ceiling. Who could ask for anything more?
From there we went to the Hagia Sophia. While the Blue Mosque is just a youngun' and was built in the 17th century, Hagia Sophia has been living it up since the 6th. It was originally a church, then became a mosque, and is now a museum. The building is an unusual mix of religions, cover-ups of religions, and repurposing of religions. 
Some of my favorite quirks from the building include the Islamic mihrab and minbar, both of which are supposed to face toward Mecca. Because the church was not built with the purpose of facing Mecca like all other mosques, the mihrab (a niche in the wall) and the minbar (think: pulpit) appear at an odd angle and not-quite-center to the rest of the building. 
Additionally, giant boards with Arabic text hang next to newly uncovered mosaics of angels and biblical figures. 
Oh, and that dome. According to our tour guide, it's getting a little bit bigger every year due to earthquakes. We've decided that can't be good and will probably require additional scaffolding to repair...
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