Lazy Days Around Istanbul

Middle East » Turkey » Marmara » Istanbul
August 14th 2007

Published: September 26th 2008

My first three days in Istanbul went by at such a quick pace that they had all blurred together. I had taken in three huge tourist attractions as well as countless others. All of the exotic sights and sounds, which were unlike any I had ever experienced, had worn me out and I was approaching sensory overload. All of the sightseeing had been wonderful, but I needed a break, so I decided to slow ... Read Full Entry

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Keith Martin

explorerkeith

I am from Georgia, but I have lived in California for the past few years. I have been working as an engineer since I got out of school six years ago. I have grown tired of working the never changing rat race of ‘normal life’, so I am embarking on a multi-year round the world journey, a retirement of sorts, beginning with a winter contract job in Antarctica. From there, who knows where I will go, but I plan on seeing the whole world and all of the unique cultures, remote wildernesses and amazing history that this planet has to offer. I am planning on traveling as inex... full info

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A Battle with Giants

Another myth carved in stone.

A Goddess with a Child

Another of the lovely statues from the Istanbul Archaeology Museum.

Istanbul Archaeology Museum

Winged Sphinxes

One of the lovely coffins in the Coffin room.

Playing with Lions

One of the carvings from the 'Alexander' coffin.

A Lion of a Different Sort

Note the lion helmet on the man's head - That is Alexander the Great.

Weeping Ladies

This is one of the amazingly detailed coffins from the royal necropolis at Sidon in Lebanon.

The Alexander Coffin

This is one of the most magnificent carvings I have seen. It is called the Alexander Coffin because it depicts him on the side, not because he was buried in it.

Ongoing Archaeology

There were several exhibits on ongoing archeological projects. These were pottery shards from all over Turkey.

The Gates of Hades

The Basilica Cistern was an amazing place to spend an afternoon.

Carp

These fish seem to live a great life in the dark waters of the cistern.

Medusa - Upside down

There were two columns in the cistern that relied on Medusa for a base. The seem to have been deliberately place upside down and sideways.

The Snake-Haired Maiden

The second Medusa head in the Basilica Cistern.

Along Topkapi's Walls

This looks like it was once a gate into the palace grounds from the sea.

Topkapi Palace

A view of the palace and a bronze sultan from the banks of the Sea of Marmara.

The Wall

Another lovely spot along Topkapi Palaces ancient walls.

Joining Europe and Asia

The land pictured is Asia.

On the Banks of the Bosporus

One of the lovely waterfront homes on the Bosporus.

Yoros Castle

The badly ruined Yoros Castle was a strategic fortress for the Byzantines, the Ottomans and the Genoese.

The Black Sea

The view of the Black Sea from the outer walls of Yoros Castle.

The Front Entrance?

The graffiti and the trash all over the castle grounds do a good job of dampening the majesty of the place, but if you look hard enough you can still see it.

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Lazy Days Around Istanbul

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