East meets West, Europe meets Asia - the clichés are true...

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Photographs from our recent trip to Istanbul (October 2008)

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Photos

Boats in Eminonu
With Suleymaniye Mosque in the background.

Galata Tower
From Galata Bridge - men with little better to do try their luck in the waters of the Golden Horn.

Turkish coffee
Or kahve as it is called here.

Ferry
Numerous ferries ply the myriad routes across the Golden Horn and Bosphorus.

The New Mosque
Yeni Cami - the name is a little misleading: the mosque was inaugurated in 1665!

Ferries and Minarets
Istanbul in one picture.

Up the Bosphorus we go
The Turkish flag and a blue sky, nice juxtaposed.

Perched on a hill
North of the Golden Horn, Istanbul is built on a series of rather steep hills.

Dolmabahce Palace
Erstwhile nerve centre of the huge Ottoman Empire.

Ortakoy Mosque
A beautiful neo-Baroque right on the waters of the Bosphorus and practically under the Bosphorus Bridge.

The Bosphorus Bridge
Or Bogazici Koprusu in Turkish. A dramatic road link between Europe and Asia.

Rumelihisari
Built in the 15th century, the fortress is a reminder of the historical importance of these straits.

Northern suburbs
The dozens of little fishing villages lining the European shore of the Bosphorus now merge with Istanbul's northern suburbs.

Rumeli Kavagi
A tiny village, the last stop before lunch on our little jaunt up the Bosphorus.

Istanbul in the distance
From the top of the hill in Anadolu Kavagi. Narrow straits indeed!

Passing through
Countless enormous ships - container vessels, tankers - pass through these straits on a daily basis.

Yeni Cami
In the foreground, ablution fountains for performing "abdest".

Zincirli Han in the Grand Bazaar
One of the bazaar's many "han" or open courtyards: refuges from the hustle and bustle...for a moment at least.

Comments

[Hakan Karaagac]

Great photos!
Wow, you've really captured the essence and feeling of the Turkish market!! I love the colour and feel of the Turkish markets, especially when you haggle and feel like you've bought a bargain! Even more impressive is that even the Turkish is spelt correctly! What kinds of things did you buy from the Market?