Welcome to Turkey Istanbul, Day 20. It's been a long trip so far, but it seems to be flying past quite quickly. It's been a couple days since our trip to Ephesus, during which we've all needed to rest up. I find one day trips to be quite draining, but I will admit that Ephesus was definitely worth it. Between the breathtaking view from the hotel and visiting the Ancient City where Paul walked and taught, the trip was a wonderful experience.
One thing (amongst many) that caught my attention was while staying in Kusadasi. While I knew I was still in Turkey, I noticed that I didn't feel like I was. A few people in our group, myself included, kept saying things like "when we get back to Turkey", meaning Istanbul. I found it peculiar how this city didn't feel like the same state we had been exposed to in Istanbul. People seemed to follow the rules and signs while driving, there were high end stores as well as thrift stores along the beach, everyone wore whatever fitted their fancy; the entirety of the city was very different from Istanbul. I feel it important to mention that while I think Kusadasi is a nice place to stay and have a little vacation, if you really want to experience Turkish culture, Istanbul is a better place to do so.
Yesterday, we visited what is believed to be the most beautiful mosque in Turkey. Of all the mosques I’ve seen, I must say that this one is so finely detailed, employed beautiful coloring and tones, and utilized textures to their utmost advantage that this mosque rivals the Aya Sofya. My favorite singular part of the mosque (having so many to choose from) would have to be the main dome. When looking up, all that can be seen is a golden colored dome with little painted windows inside. These windows appear to be looking out in to a rose garden. When coupled with the fact that the mosque had a light rose scent, it made everything much more enhanced. Again, the mosque is very finely and delicately detailed that there is no way to describe the beauty of it. Even pictures cannot aptly portray its grandeur.

Overall, the last few days have been extremely tiring, so on this Saturday rest, worship, and perhaps a Turkish bath are in order :)