Istanbul, Turkey

November 11, 2018

Istanbul #

Our last stop before all going our separate ways was in Istanbul. Highlight of that visit for me was the Hagia Sophia, once the tallest structure in the world and certainly one of the oldest still standing. There is a lot of history, including that it wasn’t officially called Istanbul until 1930. But I’ll let you google for the history. I’m just here to brag with photographic evidence that I’ve been there (although in this case it appears I don’t actually make an appearance in my own photos).

One of my other favorite parts of Istanbul was the lounge at the Ataturk airport. Free food and drinks for as long as you need to wait for your flight. Only thing is… it doesn’t seem like any one checks your ticket once you’re in. So if you ever need to hide for a long while…

Doormen in suits chat outside an ivy-draped yellow Ottoman-style hotel on a cobbled Istanbul street, cafe signs down the block Dome and minarets of Hagia Sophia in Istanbul rise above green trees under a clear blue sky Bazaar stalls in Istanbul selling scarves, kaftans, magnets, and dolls under autumn trees, a Turkish flag hanging out front Looking up at a slender stone minaret and the pink buttressed walls of Hagia Sophia against blue sky Tourists stroll before the Imperial Gate of Topkapi Palace in Istanbul, its marble arch topped with gold Arabic calligraphy Inside Hagia Sophia, giant round calligraphy medallions hang beneath the faded painted dome and arched gallery windows

Large bronze bell engraved with crosses and leaf garlands sits on a stone floor against a rough brick wall Two pointed minarets and the pink domed bulk of Hagia Sophia in Istanbul against a deep blue sky Ferries cross the choppy blue Bosphorus in Istanbul, hillside neighborhoods and a suspension bridge along the far shore Ornate white Dolmabahce Mosque and its twin minarets on the Bosphorus shore, ferries passing and a high-rise tower behind White motor yacht speeds past the ornate Ortakoy Mosque on the Bosphorus, the Bosphorus Bridge deck overhead at right Stone facade of Beylerbeyi Palace looms on the Bosphorus waterfront beneath a suspension bridge under dark clouds Arched windows and carved columns of Beylerbeyi Palace stretch along the Bosphorus seawall, a palm tree at one corner

Istanbul skyline silhouetted from the water, mosque domes and minarets rising over ferries and sun-sparkled waves Looking up into Hagia Sophia’s gold central dome ringed with arched windows, mosaic angels and scaffolding below Visitors wander the marble floor of Hagia Sophia beneath glowing chandeliers, calligraphy medallions, and stained glass Crowds beneath Hagia Sophia’s stacked golden domes, with a Madonna and Child mosaic in the apse and tall scaffolding at left Hagia Sophia’s painted domes and stained-glass windows above the marble mihrab, brass chandeliers hanging in the foreground Older man rests in a green leather chair beside luggage in an airport lounge, pool table and round bookshelf wall behind him