We are just back from a week in Istanbul. The first picture is of me and Tamara on a ferry, with our trusted guidebook. The second picture is of Istanbul's New District, which is a main shopping street and yes, it really is that crowded. The third is a scene from the grand bazaar - spanning a huge area, it is billed as the 'world's oldest shopping mall.' The fourth is the Blue Mosque built in 1609-16 by the same architect who built the Kabba, (the holiest shrine of Islam, the giant black cube at the center of Mecca). The fifth is the Hagia Sophia, built in 537 A.D. by Emporer Justinian, serving as the 'Eastern Vatican' of the Roman empire for 900 years until it was converted to a mosque. The sixth is of the spice market, built in the mid 17th century.
2 comments:
I'm jealous. Nice pictures. I hope to go there very soon. Hope you were able to sample the grilled Kofte, midye dolma, the local yogurt, as well as a simit or two. Did your guidebook mention those?
we found the restaurant that makes premiere, top notch, travel there from holland kofte the day before we left. we liked them so much that we risked missing our plane back home so we could have lunch there prior to our departure. The restaurant is called Sultanahmet Koftecisi, and was opened in 1921. It is famous throughout Turkey. Lunch for 2 cost 25 YTL, about 12 Euro.
The baklava was the best I've ever eaten.
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