Hagia Sophia

Istanbul #2: Hagia Sophia and Topkapi Palace

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January 10th 2024
An early start today as I wanted to get out and beat the queues, if they existed. I am still not used to venturing out in the dark in the mornings. It felt like the middle of the night and watching people do their daily commute in the dark made me relieved that I wasn’t. First stop was the nearest Starbucks for coffee. The cafe was home to a cat, which seemed to have the run of the place. It has ... read more

Middle East » Turkey » Marmara » Istanbul » Sultanahmet

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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