Aya Sophia

Istanbul (Not Constantinople)

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October 20th 2005
I arrived in Istanbul the morning of the 14th after an all night bus ride from Thessaloniki. My first "real" border crossing went smoothly enough, as Turkey is kind enough to allow tourists to buy their entry visas at border checkpoints for $20. After negotiating my way out of the most massive bus station I've ever had the (dis)pleasure of passing through, I took a combination of metro and tra ... 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