And Then Some News

Thursday’s essay is the seventh in a ten-part series about our Mediterranean cruise. It is entitled, “Istanbul, Turkey: A city that demands a return - Essay I.”

1. “Cruising is incredibly self-indulgent” (06-04-09)
2. “Barcelona and the French Riviera (Nice and Eze): Minds Stretched in New Directions” (06-11-09)
3. “Livorno, Civitavecchia, and Tuscania: So much history it boggles the mind” (06-18-09)
4. “The Sistine Chapel, Saint Peter’s, and the Colosseum - Our tour of Rome” (06-25-09)
5. “The Port of Napoli - Our tour of Pompei and our warning about Naples” (07-02-09)
6. “Piraeus & Athens: Learning so much, and yet so much to learn” (07-16-09)

The series will cover additional cruise stops in Santorini and Mikanos (Greece), as well as Venice. The essays will offer a little history, our experiences on the excursions, as well as additional insights and observations.

Share your link. Have you written anything on Mediterranean cruising? Have you visited Istanbul? Burger King or McDonald's in Asia? (I'm kidding!) Do you know someone who has? Can you share some insights about any of your own touring or excursion experiences with readers? What would you like to tell people who want to cruise the Mediterranean? Places to go? Things to see? Any personal information you would like to share with them? Share your link with us. We’ll post it and move traffic in your direction. And, a big “thank you,” in advance, from AndThenSomeWorks.com, for sharing your link.

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Thursday's And Then Some Essay preview
Istanbul, Turkey: A city that demands a return - Essay I
by Richard L. Weaver II

Excerpt:

Directly across from the Blue Mosque is the St. Sophia Museum (Hagia Sophia - or Divine Wisdom), a former patriarchal basilica, later a mosque, now a museum. It is considered the epitome of Byzantine architecture and was the largest cathedral in the world for nearly a 1000 years. For almost 500 years it was the principal mosque in Istanbul and served as a model for many Ottoman mosques. It originated in 326 under Constantine the Great, and was rebuilt on a larger scale during the reign of Emperor Justinian whose intention it was that the new building should surpass in splendor all others in antiquity. Marble columns were brought in from temples in Asia minor, Greece, and Italy. 10,000 workers were employed in its construction, and it was, as recently as 1934 under the direction of Ataturk, the founder of the Turkish Republic, converted into a museum. It is now the most important Byzantine monument in Istanbul — famous for its immense dome, beautiful frescoes, and outstanding mosaics.

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And Then Some Works - see you Thursday!!