Istanbul in Pictures

Middle East » Turkey » Marmara » Istanbul
August 23rd 2014

Published: September 8th 2014

I think the old adage a picture speaks a thousand words is one to embrace. I am probably guilty of writing too much and embedding too few photos in my posts. Here I have gone the other way but if you are interested in trawling through the pictures I have done my best to label and annotate them accordingly. I never set out to 'do' Istanbul as some might attempt, seeking to tick off the major attra... Read Full Entry

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Leo Passaportis

LeoPassi

Hello. Thanks for being here! English is my native tongue but not by virtue of being raised in the UK but in Zimbabwe, which is in Africa (in case you didn't know). Zim was home for the better part of 30 years notwithstanding studies in neighbouring South Africa. I lived in the UK for most of the last 5 years but have been a restless resident! I have revisited Africa on several occasions subsequently and still have such high hopes for the continent. Right now I'm on an extended visit to Turkey a country I have a deep affinity for. Is it any surprise I am half Cypriot and can count at least one... full info

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Juicing store

Selling fresh juice from these so-called 'Vitamin Bars' is popular around town and especially along this stretch of Istiklal near the Galata Tower.

View along Istiklal

There are some odd bits of graffiti down alleyways off the main street like this one which makes reference to me. Am I 'hard'? Nahhh.

Crowds near Eminonu

A vista which probably ingrains itself in the mind of each and every visitor to the capital city.

These Turkish delights

Would I dare? Should I dare? This is as close as I got.

Old city, Fatih

Stalls aplenty in the vicinity of the spice market on the old city side of the Golden Horn.

Birds flying high

I will always think of Turkey as being home to storks. They are summer migrants and come in their thousands. This is not a particularly good picture but if you can imagine a flock like this thousands strong descending to a few hundred feet, banking in tandem at multiple levels, then you have an idea of what I witnessed later on one of the Princess Islands. One of the most truly memorable wildlife scenes I can recall having seen. Amazing!

Water fountain, Sultanhamet

Chora Church near Ayvansaray

One of numerous depictions of Jesus and other figures from scripture in this Byzantine-era church. Sadly much of it was under renovation and inaccessible. It was still surprisingly busy and a number of established shops and stalls seemed to do good business nearby.

Chora Church, interior detail of dome

Gate with Hebrew (?) inscription

Whilst searching for the another Church near the Chora I came across this nondescript doorway set into a wall flanking an extremely narrow alleyway. On the other side of the door was a mechanic's yard. Was this once the site of a synagogue?

The last gate?

One of the last, if not the last, of the gates approaching the Golden Horn. The two individuals photographed here were mother and son, from Dorchester no less!

A familiar product

Advertising is very prevalent in Istanbul and many of the advertisements will be familiar to Westerners. You have to let your imagination see past these modern vagaries. The impressive length of ancient city wall ended here.

The other side

For a long while I couldn't determine where exactly the Europe-Asia divide lay because of this stretch of water which I mistook for part of the Marmaris. It's what they call the Golden Horn and it pinches out upstream of here (to the left).

Of an evening

A family enjoys and evening meal on a patch of lawn near the water's edge whilst I wait for the ferry to Eminonu with my English counterparts.

Street-side Juicer

Squeezing oranges all day for a living, with a little help from the juvenile peeping over the edge of the cart. Eminonu.

Galata Bridge

I have photographed this bridge from many angles and would probably never tire of doing so.

Aquatic captives

Sadly I don't think it was a case of catch and release but more a pragmatic approach to keeping the catch fresh.

Evening skyline

The view across to the Aya Sofia, Sultanhamet and Topkapi Palace from the Bosphorus is one of the iconic snapshots of Istanbul.

Behold the Eye

You will find representative images of the so-called Evil Eye everywhere you go in Istanbul. As one vendor explained to me its value lies in hanging one on a chain or pinning one to a lapel. It never blinks and it sees all: no one dare wish ill on you lest their spell be repelled by its gaze.

Rock lives here

I saw many posters advertising rock and pop festivals and performances on the European side of the city, especially around Taksim. This group Portishead come from the Bristol area I believe. I know that because I walked from that city to the village/headland that goes by that name on the edge of the Severn a few years before. That and the fact that one of the locals told me about them.

Nutella or the other stuff?

Hilarious. No comment required.

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Istanbul in Pictures

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