PREFACE:
The Blue Mosque bubbles up from its foundation like a geological phenomenon. Minarets like geysers erupt to the heavens, while windows and domes cascade down upon themselves back to earth. There is something fluid about this stone. The repetition of arches in the courtyard, like waves surrounding you. There is something vulnerable about this spectacular behemoth. Sitting in the shadow of its older sibling, the Byzantine masterpiece Hagia Sophia, the Blue Mosque bravely stands its ground; ancient rivals, east versus west, trapped in an endless staring contest. Perhaps it is within this rivalry the identity of Istanbul can be found; these opposed monuments, this fractured city straddling two continents, this eastern culture vying for western acceptance.
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