Thankfully a less intensive day today as our time in Turkey draws to a close. After breakfast we headed off to visit Topkapi Palace, only a short walk from our hotel and situated behind Aya Sofia. This palace complex sports some wonderful tilework and a fascinating collection of jewels. The Imperial Council Hall was an ornately decorated part of the complex and it was interesting to see the grille on the floor above from where the women of the palace could watch proceedings as visiting dignitaries, ambassadors and the like were welcomed Among the many rooms was one simply know as the circumcision room and apparently this where the young crown princes were circumcised. After an extensive tour of the palace complex we headed back to the Golden Horn Hotel for the final lunch that would include all of our group. Following lunch saw us bid farewell to Jack and Gayle who were heading back to Australia this evening. Our remaining smaller contingent then set off to explore the nearby Basilica Cistern. This cistern is the largest of several hundred located beneath Istanbul and measures roughly 140 metres by 65 metres. It was constructed in the 6th century AD and it's purpose was that of water storage and filtration. It really is quite an amazing structure. Back to our hotel following this for a rest and freshen up before again heading out for a family dinner. Owing to a slight mixup (our tour leader had misread the address) we ended up driving rather a large circle through and around Istanbul before realising our mistake. In the end our destination was a lot closer than originally thought and as a result we were quite, quite fashionably late for dinner - luckily our hosts had a sense of humour. The usual delicious meal was followed again by conversation and exchange of gifts. We arrived home with still just enough energy to pack our belongings for tomorrow's checkout and preparation to fly back to Australia.
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