Yerebetan Cad

I didn't see a hotel name on the voucher form, so I blindly followed the crowd into downtown Istanbul, where the tourist area is called Sultanahmet.

To get to where the tourist attractions are, you just had to take the Metro light rail down to the last stop Aksaray, then follow the crowd down to the tram way (500m walk). Take the tram heading to Eminono and get off at Sultanahmet.

One can see minorets everywhere on the Istanbul skyline.

I arrived early (05:30) local time, so I had to wait for the public transports to start.

The nice people at the hotel said my room wasn't ready, so I went upstairs to have breakfast.
It has a stunning view of both the Aya Sophia and the Blue Mosque.

(Blue Mosque - it is 400 years old built by the Ottoman Empire)

There I met a Canadian family from Victoria, and a couple from Washington state. They helped me take this pic.

After breakfast I went back to my room for a shower/first load of laundry, what a workout...

There must have been some mistake, but they gave me this room....

(Hagia Sophia, orginally an eastern orthodox church, converted into a mosque, now a museum - it is 1400 years old)

I got this view and I'm trying to dry my pants and cotton undies...

Anyway, it's still early, I'll probably head over to Asia side today and look at these two buildings tomorrow.