Ending in Istanbul....

Istanbul, Turkey was our last stop on the Journeys of Paul trip. We definitely went out with a bang...Istanbul was incredible! None of us really knew what to expect from this city, but I must say, we were all blown away and wished we had more time to spend there. I'm going to start this post with pictures of our room on our ship, The Star Clipper. I snapped a few pics of our cabin on the last night before we starting packing our things. The next morning, we woke up along the majestic shores of Istanbul....

The hallway leading to our cabin...

Our room was nice and cozy...

Thank goodness for this tiny window...and chocolates on our pillow each night!

The very small and slightly awkward bathroom...only room for one in here! Shower to the left, sink to the right...

We woke up at 6am on our last morning aboard The Star Clipper to see the sun rise over the city of Istanbul...

It was well worth it....is God good or what?!

Blue Mosque on the left...Hagia Sophia on the right...

Blue Mosque up close...

Hagia Sophia up close...

99% of the people who live in Turkey are Muslim....there are more than 3000 mosques in Istanbul alone. The Blue Mosque is still a "working" mosque, so non-Muslims are not allowed inside during the 5 half hour daily prayers....the prayers are announced over an intercom from the minarets. The Blue Mosque has 6 minarets.

Hi from Istanbul!

The courtyard area along the perimeter of the mosque...

The inside of the mosque was enormous...pictures will never do it justice...


Only men are allowed to pray in the main area of the mosque....there is a small section in the back designated for women. Most women pray at home.

The ablution, where people wash/cleanse themselves before going inside to pray.

Of course Josh thought it was appropriate to cleanse himself....

The Hagia Sophia was the earliest of Istanbul's churches. It was converted into a mosque in 1453 and into a museum in 1935. The four minaret, one on each corner of the building, were added at various times during the Ottoman period.

It was absolutely amazing inside....again, the pictures just don't do it justice.




Allah in Arabic...

The largest scaffolding I've ever seen...

They are working on enhancing the top of the dome...

The Grand Bazaar.....I've never seen so many people in one place before. The was shopping for miles! Fortunately, we had a couple of hours to spend here!

The indoor area of the bazaar...don't be fooled...it was HOT in here!

Learning about the Turkish rug industry. One lady on our trip purchased a $30,000 rug....so, Josh and I did too. Just kidding, obviously...

Downtown Istanbul...again, people and shopping everywhere!

Me, Jill and mom power shopping!

Our fun group at dinner.....we spent the night in Istanbul and started our journey home the next morning.

Well, there you have it....our incredible trip has come to an end. I hope you've enjoyed the journey through pictures! I will forever be grateful for the 2 weeks we spent in Greece and Turkey. It was the most amazing trip...and even better that I got to experience it with my precious family. The memories we made together will always hold a special place in my heart. A very special thanks to my incredible momma for making it possible. We love you so much!!