Turkey

Istanbul, Turkey. The Suleymaniye Mosque, in central Istanbul. A beautiful piece of architecture in a city crammed with exotic sights, sounds, and smells.

Istanbul, Turkey. Out of the many, many mosques in Istanbul this may be the most famous of them all, and for sure one of the oldest and finest. This is the Hagia Sofia. Built over 1500 years ago, it was one of the largest structures in the world at that time, and the largest cathedral in the world for over a thousand years. Over its history Hagia Sofia has been a Christian church, an Islamic mosque, a museum, and (as of 2020), a mosque again.

Top : The rules to follow at mosques, if they let in non-Muslims at all. It's common sense for the most part : dress conservatively and don't act like a heathen.

Middle : The huge dome roof on the inside of Hagia Sofia, over 100 feet in diameter. Pretty impressive for back in those days..

Bottom : A small part of a very large tile mosaic from back in the days when Hagia Sofia was a church. Yep, it's real gold.

Not that Istanbul is all about mosques, but they do make up a sizable part of the city's more interesting tourist sites.

Istanbul, Turkey. I think there is very little that can't be bought or sold in this town. East (Asia) meets west (Europe) here, and products from both continents pass through the markets of Istanbul. From small family-owned shops to large public markets, if you can't find it in Istanbul, it probably doesn't exist. This is a shot of the lively Grand Bazaar, in the historic Fatih quarter of town. They specialize in ... everything.

Uskudar, Turkey. Istanbul is split down the middle by the Bosphorus Strait, one of the world's great waterways. On the east side of the Bosphorus lies the "Asian" part of Istanbul, at Uskudar. Not really much different than the "European" side, but it has some great views looking back at the city. A traditional Turkish fishing boat sits at anchor on the east side of the Bosphorus, the "Crossroads of the World".

Exotic food and drink surrounds you in this place. In most countries, street food is not highly recommended, and I can vouch for why that's so. But here in Turkey the street vendors offer an easy, safe, quick, and friendly way to sample all kinds of local flavors. On the left are just a few of the ways you can eat your way around Istanbul. On the right is a mobile tea-guy serving up a spicy hot - and very delicious - Turkish tea. Interesting tea-dispensing contraption.

A cute little Turkish kid, snuggled up to her mama.

Istanbul, Turkey. A large crowd fishes from the Galeta Bridge in the early evening. This bridge crosses the famous Golden Horn river, and is way more than just a connection between two very interesting parts of town. Besides all the fishing action on the top deck, the bridge is crammed with bars and restaurants underneath. These cafes are great places for a wide variety of food and drink, and also for sunsets and people-watching.

I've been through Istanbul many times over a whole lot of years, and I've always found it to be one of the friendliest big cities on earth. Locals seem to go out of their way to be helpful. Or to strike up a conversation to learn about your home country or just to practice English. In the photo above, Beth deals with a barrage of questions from local school kids, who seem to be curious about everything.

Istanbul, Turkey. An exotic sunset in an exotic place.