Fine food familiar friends

Istanbul is know for the amazing beauty of its history and the friendliness of its people. Alp, a business associate of my brother's showed us both. He took us out to an amazing feast of Turkish food overlooking the Suleiman mosque after a delightful walk around the city. The Suleiman Mosque was, at the time, quite innovative and modern. It broke away from but drew on the Byzantine style, (particularly the Hagia Sophia), which created a symbolic connection with the city's past, while moving forward with creative new elements. Modern designers of buildings we have seen on our trip seem to have neglected this concept in their works. But even more brilliant, apart from the main mosque with the prayer hall and courtyard, is the fact that the mosque complex also included a caravanserai for people to stay, a public kitchen to serve food to the poor, a hospital, a school and a bath-house. I think people today should be so enlightened in designing public buildings.