Turkey
Location Description
Sub-locations
261 photos
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View of our first mosque from hotel window in Ankara. ...
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These guards posted at the Anitkabir (Ataturk's...
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View of the Anitkabir. It holds one side of a vast...
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Our first Turkish lunch ... wonderful braised lamb on a...
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We never learned why it was called this.
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From lunch we walked to an Archaeology Museum. One of...
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I've totally given up on being able to date or...
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Posing outside the museum which was surrounded by lovely gardens
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Our group was still pretty jet lagged and had retired to...
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One of our first Turkish words. It is pronounced...
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Korean War Martyr's Monument in Ankara. About 15000...
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The remains of Hattusa, the capitol city of the Hittites...
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Green rock in the middle of the Hattusa ... no one knows...
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A reconstructed version of the city walls, based on...
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... as shown on this explanatory plaque
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Now we can tell that this is a Hittite ruin, since it...
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What they think one of the entrances to the city looked like
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... and what is left of it. Still not bad for over 3000...
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A lovely luncheon spot not far from Hattusa. There were...
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Up in the hills to some of the suburbs which had areas...
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I found this fascinating. This is an example of what...
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Leaving the Hittite area (NW of Ankara) and heading...
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You know what they are doing as we stood around and watched.
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We were not the only ones in the air that day.
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The beautifully bizarre landscape beneath us. Essential...
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The air was full of other balloonists. I can see how...
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Our intrepid balloon captain - a Brit.
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A classic shot. The combination of the other balloons...
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We were trying to figure out what was planted in such...
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A close view of some of the lava flows that have been...
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There are many areas where people lived up through the...
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Ah, the traditional champagne (and pomegranate juice) on...
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That was the name of our company. The one involved in...
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Grabbed this from the bus window. Very common sight on...
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The village of Uchisar as seen from "Pigeon Valley". ...
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One of the valley residents. Custom holds that a young...
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It is a strange looking place.
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Ah, some obvious tourists. We gave up on our name tags...
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I still don't understand the creation of these things. ...
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Not sure why we stopped at this place. Looks like more...
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According to Sonol (pronounced Shonol because of a...
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Seem to remember waiting quite awhile for people to...
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This is the cave dwelling where we had lunch. Went in...
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Typical street market scene, though with fewer people than usual.
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Another Egyptian visitor. After we saw about 8, Sonol...
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Some of these formations are referred to as "fairy chimneys"
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Perhaps that makes this a fairy castle.
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I'm sure there's a tale to tell of mineral content and...
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Quick now, where are we? Oh right, Camel Valley
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... which had its share of fairy creations
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Our intrepid leader, Sonol and our vehicle with driver...
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An interesting blend of English and Turkish. It was...
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This is the Red River, I believe in Nevsihir which is...
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Part of our group. The fellow up front was Don ... a...
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The inside of one of the "cave towns" ... it went on and...
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One of two "commercial" stops of the whole trip. A...
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The potter kicked the wheel with his right foot as he...
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... which wound up looking like this. It was amazing.
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A caravanseray - a safe stop over night for caravans...
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It was in a caravanseray that we saw a whirling dervish...
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This is on the west side of the Anatolian plain. I...
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Another caravanseray
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When in use, the arches would contain food vendors,...
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I'm pretty sure we did not eat here ... more just a tourist shot.
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A fairly typical luncheon side salad (to be shared by...
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This was the name of the restaurant which served the...
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The building (not a mosque) dedicated to Rumi - the...
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This was at a Sufi meeting place where we were to hear a...
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Pretty sure that is a picture of Ataturk behind me - he...
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Leaving Konya we headed south towards the Mediterranean...
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Stopped at the Theatre of Aspendos, just outside of...
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We had lunch under the umbrellas .. don't know why I...
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The name of our luncheon restaurant which also enclosed...
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Instead we went to the ruins of Perga. I believe this...
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More of the ruins at Perga
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If I am remembering correctly, these columns were along...
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Yep .. .Main street with shops on either side
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There were a lot of pieces just lying around, waiting to...
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It was hard to tell if something like this, the gates to...
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Leaving the ruins behind, we entered Antayla, a booming...
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Another installation. Turns out there was some sort of...
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Pretty upscale place we stayed at for two nights.
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This was the view of the Mediterranean from our room.
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This was a lovely restaurant where we had lunch...
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The entrance to Mehmet ... this represents Antayla with...
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A view of "old town" in Antayla which leads down to the harbor.
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A fairly typical statue of Ataturk leading the fight for...
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Antalya was a pretty lush city. Wonderfully moderate...
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Ah ... a tourist at Hadrian's Gate
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... and then hanging out is what is obviously a tourist...
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A bar / restaurant off one of the side streets that...
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A shoe sign kit. Not sure who the folks are ... not...
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Now, if there is a retiree looking for a real...
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An updated version of water heaters (I'm sure there are...
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The interior courtyard of the Rixos Hotel in Antayla. ...
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Cats and dogs were everywhere: restaurants, hotels,...
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Driving out of Antayla we passed many poppy fields - the...
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Darn if I know what / where this is. We were on our way...
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More ruins ... this one had the largest necropolis every...
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Through the gardens to the cemetery. The fellow with...
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These are the white calcium pools which cling to the...
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This is the place where Catherine's friends told us to...
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These kids don't have socks on, and seem to be natives.
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A lovely luncheon in the seeming nowhere between...
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And then hopped off and landed on one of our tour mates...
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Another fish lunch, and equally delicious as the one in...
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Another theatre, smaller, in the city of Aphrodisias -...
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The remains of the temple to Aphrodite.
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So, these archeologists find chunks of marble and pile...
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This was a large coliseum used for chariot races (the...
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Another part of Aphrodisias - I believe it was an entrance.
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It seemed odd to me that the columns didn't "match". ...
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The view of the Aegean from our hotel in Kusadasi.
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Three guesses, and first two don't count. Silk larva...
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Man in the white shirt is the rug merchant who gave us a...
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The silk can be pulled and pulled and pulled on top of...
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Somehow I dropped the picture of the dying vats. But...
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The rug merchant, following a display of many many rugs,...
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A graceful minaret spotted as we approached Istanbul
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Part of the original city wall around Istanbul. The...
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One of our first tours in Istanbul was to the Topkapi...
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Ornamentation everywhere.
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One tourist appears eager to enter the harem
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Our group wasn't always happy - Sonol kept his spirits.
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Another example of the decorative work on the walls.
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These are all in the harem, which actually was a pretty...
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I found the art beautiful.
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these niches were used for candles.
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A bedroom wall in one of the wife's apartments.
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A fire pot for warmth. Check out the rug ... and the...
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Another part of the Topkapi Palace grounds
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On the terrace of Topkapi Palace which overlooks the Sea...
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Still on the terrace. The suspension bridge in the far...
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One of the most covered women we saw.
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A little room designated as a library ... looked like a...
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More of the library
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.. and I believe an adjoining room
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An unusual gathering of several headscarfed women. I...
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Now, who does this look like? Isn't he a mascot or...
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Our first sight of the Aya Sofia (Turkish for Hagia Sophia)
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Lunch at a restaurant called Hamdi. On the second floor...
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A view from the restaurant window. We are in the Old...
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Enjoying a kebob at Hamid.
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On our way to the Rustem Pasha Mosque - smaller, and not...
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Glad I brought my own scarf.
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Ceiling of this Mosque - I think I was trying to capture...
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A better view of the ceiling, I guess
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One of the few worshipers inside. We never saw women praying.
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The pulpit which is used during Friday prayers.
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Decoration over a doorway
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Entrance to the Spice Bazaar
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You could find just about anything in loose baskets. ...
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Very pretty displays
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But it went on and on, store after store. How do you...
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Interesting to me, all the shop keepers were men.
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Did I mention there was lots of stuff?
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... and even more. A lot of "Turkish Delight" - the...
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People escaping from the spice market. Front right...
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Back for a better closer look at Aya Sofia
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Except this is the interior of the Blue Mosque ... hmmmm...
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Definitely the Blue Mosque, despite the red carpet
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It was built around 1610 as a mosque and still used as...
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The name comes from the blue tiles on the walls. It has...
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More foot washing stations.
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Obelisk shipped from Egypt. Supposedly one solid piece...
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These are turtles that seemed happy enough to live in a...
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Like this double decker.
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The Basilica Cistern with just a few feet of water. In...
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Today carp live in the water and keep it clean by eating...
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Most of the columns had corinthian tops. When filled it...
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The tears on this column are supposedly for the hundreds...
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And one column had at its base a Medusa head, placed...
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... ah, there it is. Would be too tall if upright, but...
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... and in a corner what struck me as a very very poor...
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Now, this is the inside of the Aya Sofia. Thee are four...
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There was significant restoration work going on. It is...
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Here's the side not being worked on.
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.. and here is a tourist happy to see it at last, even...
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Ditto from this fellow.
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Behind the angel figures is one of the famous...
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Initially built in 360 as an Orthodox Church, it became...
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Views from the balcony
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Flying buttresses were installed when it looked like the...
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A view of Hagia Sophia complete with its four minarets.
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One of the many mosaics in the Chora Church originally...
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Some more of the mosaics.
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The ceiling in the Chora church - which was named for...
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One of the few "international" brands we saw in Turkey
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The first course at a lovely restaurant near the Chora church.
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Another serving of wonderful braised lamb over a puree...
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The restaurant, whose food was just pictured. We ate...
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Driving back from Chora, we passed the city walls (at...
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Part of a new bridge under construction across the...
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I'll leave a description of what's happening here to Peter.
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One of two suspension bridges across the Bosphorous. ...
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More of the bridge with an old fortification on the...
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Visible is the Rumeli Fortress ... a series of three...
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One of the summer palaces on the Asian side used by the sultans.
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A scene in the Grand Bazaar - city's great shopping destination.
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A store in the Grand Bazaar ... sort of like the Spice...
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More Grand Bazaar.
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... and still more. Note the male shopkeepers.
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A mural in the Mosaic museum - a little off the beaten...
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... more old timey interior decorations
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Lots of stories behind all these.
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Lots of fables
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A street market that we walked through several times -...
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Not quite sure what I was trying to show here ... but I...
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One of the community pets. I've decided that's what I'd...
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Taking a break between the Mosaic museum and the...
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The sarcophagus of Alexander the Great with some of his...
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On the reverse side, six weeping women mourning the loss...
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One of many many Roman sculptures in the Museum.
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Once you start looking for the pets, they are everywhere.
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A display in the Museum for Turkish Ceramics, across...
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More Turkish ceramics
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Some beautiful pieces on display
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Back in the Archaeology Museum. Have lost track of...
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A peace treaty from 1260 BCE. We should do as well now.
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A portal lion, most likely Hittite, explained below
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Yes!
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And here's another lion with a description this time
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Check out these dates: we're talking 2600 years old
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Remember when we had a replica on the slate coffee...
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Catherine might want a pony; I'm still asking for a...
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In the Koftecisi (meatball) restaurant recommended by...
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She said to have the meat balls (logs?) with piyaz, a...
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Standing outside the Koftecisi
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Istiklal (Independence Street) looking down from Taksim...
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Three musicians contributing to the street scene. Very...
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The funicular at the bottom of Istiklal which runs back...
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A sea gull who came over to the restaurant window at our...
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He lives across the way, on a roof top where he and mom...
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The Blue Mosque as seen from the rooftop cocktail lounge...
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As its lights come up for the evening
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I'm sure there are ways to adjust my camera that would...
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Needed a picture of Cloudy since I already had Shadow
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Dolmabache Palace on the European side of the...
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It definitely incorporated European styles.
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Beautiful gardens along the Bosphorous
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An entry gate if you arrived by water.
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Some of the ornate decoration
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A tourist in the garden.
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The entrance gate if you came by land.
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... with rose standards
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.. and great sculpture
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View from a different entrance gate. Bosphorous to the...
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Another sculpture at Dolmabahce Palace. The weather is...
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Enjoying the gardens and the day.
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Leaving the palace
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This fellow is sitting right nest to a seafood market.
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I am assuming he knows who butters his bread. The...
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A greengrocer in Ortokay. Love the radishes arranged...
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Our last day in Istanbul, walking up to the Galata Tower...
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View of the new (under construction bridge across the...
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Not sure which mosque. I'm betting on the Suleyman...
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Back on the street, there were many posters for the...
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From Galata Tower, we walked up Istiklal Street where we...
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We next spotted the riot police heading to Taksim...
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Also spotted an all electric street cleaner
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Sunday night, last evening in Istanbul at Ahirkapi - a...