Dream Trip 2009

Great Travel Moment

I had expected to be captivated by the sheer magnitude of the Blue Mosque's majesty during a visit to Istanbul. And I was completely prepared to be awestruck by the sky-reaching domes and grand arcades, the intricate lacework of the 20,000 blue Iznik tiles (hand painted, no less) bearing tulips and vine motifs. And like the visitors that surround me, bare feet sunk into the plush carpet, I simple stare in amazement at the most spectacular sight I've ever witnessed. But I hadn't expected to be enraptured by the hallowed sounds emanating from inside the mosque during the muezzin's four-minute call to prayer. Those four minutes changed me for an eternity as I was swept away by the sonorous words sung in a foreign tongue. With the sunlight glowing through the stained glass windows and the harmony filling my ears, my visit to the Blue Mosque transcended all my expectations.