Istanbul (or is it Constantinople?)

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Istanbul is the city that has, er 16 million people. There is so much to see here, it is ridiculous. Capital of the eastern Roman empire, Ottoman empire, etc. The old bit has all of the museums, etc and has a distinctly Arab feel (although one suspects that it is ramped up for the tourists). The new part, across the river, is all funky shops, bars, cinemas and cafes and you could be mıstaken for thinkıng that you were in any western city in the world.


This is a good place to be stuck - because I am. I am tryıng to get a visa for Iran and it ıs a red-tape nightmare.


Gallipoli was okay, but I could not help in thinking that the Australiasians have gone over the top with this one. The casualty list at Gallipoli of the Anzacs was minor compared to that of the Turks, the Brits and French and even the Anzacs later in the war. The mythology that has sprung up around the tragedy there has given them a sense of national identity and separation from the British which they perhaps didn't have back in 1915. But the zeal which has been applied to this (you really have to go there to see it) has a semi-religious tragi-comic character about it, a bit like watchıng The Life of Brian. It is their Pearl Harbour or Battle of the Somme and I guess every country needs something to rally together by.



People from New Zealand seem to have the greater respect from the Turks in this matter. An NZ couple were very pleased to learn this at the beginning of the day of the tour, but the guide took every opportunity to suck up to them which was funny for the first hour and they liked it, but by the end of the day I felt sorry for them with their 'new best friend'.

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Photos

Aya Sofya
This place went from church to mosque to museum in just 1500 years!

Food (fish eugh!)
This is a floating fast food outlet. Nothing short of weird.

Obligatory belly dance.
We were getting very bored and were leaving when the guy announced that she had finally arrived (90 min late). So we lined up at the front like excited japanese businessmen at a private strip show. I didn't enjoy it though - I was off my tits.

Istanbul tram
I walk faster than this tram.

Apple man
This picture may give you the impression that Istanbul is full of quaint looking vendors selling all manner of delights. Most vendors I came across sold mobile phones and TV remotes.