Hagia Sofia

Next Stop: Istanbul

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April 12th 2007
We had a very early flight to Istanbul Thursday morning, and once arriving at the airport, we had to buy a visa to enter this beautiful city. It's unlike anywhere I've ever been before. It's very middle-eastern, yet still has very European qualities in much of the city, as the city spans both Asia and Europe. We stayed in the Sultanhamet district, the Old Town. Mustafa, from the hotel, pic ... read more

Middle East » Turkey » Marmara » Istanbul

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Modern Turkey was founded in 1923 from the Anatolian remnants of the defeated Ottoman Empire by national hero Mustafa KEMAL, who was later honored with the title Ataturk, or "Father of the Turks." Under his authoritarian leadership, the country adopt... ... read more