Sultan Ahmet

Wow. I remember 5 years ago being in Istanbul. Well that's sort of a lie. I have vague memories of being here on a cruise many years back, and visiting the Blue Mosque. Knowing very little of the history, religion, and culture that it represents, I didn't think much about it, and especially didn't think much about returning.

Today, along with thousands of other people, I prayed at the Blue Mosque. I went through the procedures, said the lines, and experienced a chilling glimpse into a world previously seen from the exterior. No, I could not understand a word that the leader was reciting, but the beautiful flow of prayer has no language barrier.

Before I entered the Blue Mosque, I felt like I was going to be overcome with wonder, awe, etc. In reality, I wasn't. Most of the time I was wondering how the well I would continue sitting on my shins, but that's besides the point. What had more of an effect on me, which the Blue Mosque experienced complemented, was talking for more than 3 hours with Murat, another employee, who is probably the most open-minded person I've ever met. He also happens to be the most conservative Muslim that I've met. As I tend to see only the negatives of religion, he really shed light on the benefits of religion, beit organized religion, a holy religion, or something else. He left me with, "We have little time; we must utilize our time on earth."