Next on H's marvellous plan for the day was the Basilica Cistern, again merely a hop skip and a jump away from the main locations. By now it was roasting hot and the idea of heading underground into a dark and damp cistern sounded very attractive!
We paid cash to a laconic and disinterested ticket officer to enter then we left the bright of the street. Our eyes adjusted very quickly to the gloom and what was in front of us was even more impressive than the many photos I had seen. It really is very extensive and there were wooden bridgeways that enabled you to get a really good view of it all. It was busy but not crowded and was well worth the visit. One slightly surreal thing was the 'photography studio' set up by the bottom of the stairs, where for a sum of money you could dress up as a sultan or a concubine and get your photo taken. Cheesy but good to know if you are into that kind of thing. We passed on it.
Naturally we sought out and found the two Medusa head columns.
By this time it wasn't yet midday and we had already crossed off a significant portion of our 'to do' list for the day. All credit to H for his magnificent organisation and directional skills!
By this time though, we were ready for a short break for lunch. We found a likely looking spot - the Green something or other. I can't remember. It was a very pleasant looking outdoor restaurant. Once we were seated, however, we found that their kitchens weren't opening at the usual time due to Ramadan so we had to make do with a coffee. Following my 'when in Rome' maxim, I opted for a Turkish coffee - which was certainly an experience and not nearly as nasty as I had been led to believe!
Then we ambled back to the Hagia Sophia, and literally around the corner and right behind it was the entrance to Topkapi Palace! Everything was so close together!
Here our 72 hour pass with skip the queue served us well again. We were able to enter very quickly.
Topkapi Palace was the primary residence of the Ottoman sultans for approximately 400 years (1465–1856). It was both a palace and a seat of government. It consists of four major courtyards and a large number of smaller rooms.
By now the day was incredibly hot and Topkapi Palace was rather crowded by the time we arrived. Because of this, and the fact that both our cameras were low on battery, we didn't take so many photos. We did manage to view most of it, including the Harem which was covered on our 72 hour pass.
I loved the amazing painted tiles that covered almost every surface. It was beautiful and ornate.
There were also fascinating signs of redecoration over the centuries. Again, previous decorations were simply covered over by later.
Topkapi Palace was built with magnificent views out across the shoreline and harbour.
And from here we could see our ship - the MSC Preziosa.
Following this we walked down to the Grand Bazaar. This wasn't terribly far away but it seemed like a bit of a hike in the heat. By this time heaps of shops and eateries were open and offering all kinds of delectable treats. However my husband had my iPhone and Maps open and he was a man with a mission. That Grand Bazaar was going to be located, dammit!
I had been looking forward to the Grand Bazaar immensely and had a very definite shopping list in mind. However once we arrived I was totally overwhelmed. I was hot and tired and this place was a visual cacophony!!! We wandered through three or four streets, worried to stray to far from where we entered in case we got completely lost. Fortunately we found a shop which had all the items we wanted and we were very quickly able to negotiate a mutually agreeable price. 
We bought a glass apple tea set, four small painted ceramic bowls (lead free paint), and an inlaid chess set with metal figures to play chess with our boys. They love the chess set and its quite to special use. 
Naturally we headed to the pool once we got back and happily relaxed with a drink.
That night was the Queen show at the Platinum theatre - which was a lot of fun. Then we had dinner followed by another magnificent sunset.
Ooooh! That reminds me... every time we left port they would play a song/tune through the loudspeakers that fitted the theme of the place we were leaving - greek music for Katakolon, turkish music for Izmir and Istanbul etc. We thought it was a marvellous touch and looked forward each afternoon to hearing what they would play. The final port, Dubrovnik, they played Bocelli singing 'Time to say Goodbye'. I did think that was cruel and unusual punishment as I definitely did NOT want to think about saying goodbye to what had been a marvellous cruise!
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