The Blue Mosque is one of the most important mosques in Istanbul and one of the most visited buildings in the city. Among other things, it is notable for having six minarets. This caused a scandal when it was built, since this was the same number as at the Mosque of the Ka'aba in Mecca. The situation was remedied when a seventh minaret was built for the Ka'aba.
The interior is covered in elaborately designed tiles in red and blue. In was built by Ahmed I in the early 17th century.
Away from the historic mosques and palaces, modern Istanbul is an unceasing bustle of activity.
Turkish style tea is an essential social ritual in all of turkey. Here a shopkeeper in the Bazaar district delivers tea to his fellow businessmen.
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Divided by the Bosphorus and the Golden Horn, Istanbul residents rely on ferries to get around every day.
Looking up at the fresco-covered dome of the Chora Church Museum.
The Chora Church is considered to be one of the most beautiful byzantine style churches. It is covered in mosaics and frescoes depicting biblical scenes. The building standing today was built in the 14th century.
Slushies are a rare and valuable find in the heat of Istanbul's summer.
The Hagia Sofia is the oldest and largest of the great mosques in the city. Originally a cathedral, it was converted into a mosque, and in 1935 was opened to the public as a museum.
The inside is a vast room of marble and frescoes.
The architectural design of the Hagia Sofia is said to have changed history. At the time of its construction, it was the largest cathedral in the world as well as the largest dome in the world. It would become the model for the imperial mosques built in Istanbul during the Ottoman Empire.
Looking out a window of the Hagia Sofia toward the Blue Mosque.
It was time for a haircut.
Stray cats are everywhere in Turkey. How many can you spot napping in this shoe rack outside the neighborhood mosque?
A swimmer jumps into the Bosporus on a hot day.
The Süleymaniye Mosque is the most ornate of the Imperial Mosques in Istanbul. Built by the master architect Sinan Pasha in 1558 on the third hill of Istanbul, making it one of the must visible buildings on the city's skyline. The ceiling is very ornately painted.
Admiring the mosque and taking a break from the midday sun.
The Topkapi Palace Museum keeps all of the relics of the Ottoman Empire. Unfortunately, photography is prohibited inside the buildings, but we had our photo taken in one of the massive old trees on the palace grounds.
A street vender balances a tray of simit (sesame covered bread rings) on his head as he walks among the afternoon traffic to sell his wares.
The Basilica Cistern was built in the 6th century under the rein of Justinian I. It is a massive subterranean room built beneath the center of the city. It was completely forgotten until it was rediscovered by a historian in the mid-nineteenth century.
A roof deck view of the Galata tower, with the Hagia Sofia in the distance. The Galata neighborhood is the center of the fashion and cultural district.
Boston's most famous pizza has made it to Istanbul! Notice the "Best of Boston" stickers on the window.
In 1453, the capture of Istanbul by the Ottoman army marked the end of the Byzantine Empire, and with it the Roman empire that had ruled Europe and the Mediterranean for over 1,000 years. The Ottomans would go on to rule this region from then until the birth of the Turkish Republic in 1923. The 1453 Museum tells the story of the capture of Istanbul (called Constantinople at the time) and ends with a massive diorama of the historical siege of the city.
A picture of us with the Golden Horn and Galata tower in the background.
The sun sets on another adventurous day in Istanbul.
