Beach Walk

Archive for March, 2010

The Hagia Sophia in Istanbul is one of the masterpieces of the world because of its architecture as well as inside decoration. It is also one of Turkey’s major tourist destinations.

From its high vantage point in the old quarter of the city, Hagia Sophia is instantly recognizable, and can be distinguished from its neighbor, the Blue Mosque, by its distinctively pink facade and four minarets. The dome was an engineering innovation at the time of its construction, and was a clear inspiration to later generations of architects.

The Hagia Sophia or Church of Holy Wisdom was the basilica of the Patriarch of the Eastern Orthodox Church for nearly a thousand years. The present-day structure, built by the Byzantine emperor Justinian in the 6th century, is on the site of the original built two centuries sooner by the emperor Constantine.

Back then Istanbul was called Constantinople. The basilica was known as the largest church in Christendom, and is still considered one of the most distinguished buildings in the world. It survived earthquakes, fires, and armies.

After the city’s official new name was changed as “Istanbul“, Hagia Sophia was converted to a mosque on the orders of Sultan Mehmet the Conqueror.

It gradually underwent extensive repairs, iconographic images disallowed by Islam were plastered over, and minarets were added to the structure. As Ayasofya, it remained Istanbul’s primary mosque for almost 500 years.

When it comes to beach holidays, everyone knows how to have a great time. Kids can run around and play in the sand, or get their feet wet on the shore. Teenagers and adults can go swimming, surfing, skimboarding, tanning, or just plain old relaxing. The adventurous type can go snorkeling and walk through the tidepools and shore looking for wildlife, interesting shells, and drift wood.

It is the warmth and beautiful environment that makes the beach such a wonderful place. From the soothing sound of the waves, so the children playing down by the water, it all seems to come together as a very enjoyable experience. However, an unplanned or badly planned trip can lead to disaster, which will turn your smile upside down. There are a few steps that you can take in order to make your beach holiday more relaxing, safer, exciting, and easier.

Often times when a beach holiday is involved, the form of transportation is usually by family car. First thing that should be done is to make sure all of your fluid levels and tire pressure is where it should be at. Next, it’s time to clean out the car. Not only will this give you more room for luggage, it will make you feel more comfortable because you aren’t so crowded together. Make sure to take along essentials and precautionary items such as sunblock, first aid, ibuprofen , cough drops, antacids, bandaids, and a few comfort items as well.

If there is anyone with long hair that is going to be attending the beach holiday trip, then you should also bring a few extra hair ties as sand, water, and hair don’t always mix together so well. Lastly, always keep a map with you, unless you have a gps navigation system. All of these goals should be completed before the trip, and will ultimately make everything go a lot smoother.