(one of the more ornate rooms in the Harem of Topkapi Palace, Istanbul)
(intense view from Galata Tower)
(Ortakoy Mosque and man who doesn't like me taking photos)
Istanbul site-seeing delivers like no other place. The sheer magnitude of the Hagia Sophia, light in the Topkapi Palace, over-the-top Roccoco madness that is Dolmabache Palace (supposedly where the last Sultans went broke -- a 6 ton crystal chandelier might just have brought down an Empire), detailed Byzantine mosaics at Chora Church, enormous domes of each and every mosque, quiet pools of darkness at the Cistern, hipper than hip fashions at the night clubs and restaurants, contemporary art at Istanbul Modern, smells of the Spice Bazaar . . .
The list goes on and ON!
I jokingly said my neck was going to be sore from craning at all the upward beauty . . . and it completely hurts now (ouch). A small price to pay for the galavanting around town and taking in amazing Istanbul. After 10 days of all-day site-seeing with Kate, our trio is down to two. But we are settling in and doing more regular things, exploring more of our neighborhood, cooking, art-making and reading.
We love it here.
This city is a must-see in this lifetime!
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ReplyDeleteawesome post. we should hang out soon. hi to d. bye!
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