Istanbul

Truly one of the most amazing places we have visited in a long time.

We arrived in İstanbul late afternoon after a short flight from Dubai.  Jumped in a cab and headed for the old part of the city where Jo and Chris were waiting.  We had hired an apartment for the week and they had arrived a couple of days earlier.

Istanbul roughly divides into 3.  Firstly there is the old city on the eastern (European) side and the younger (only 500 years old) city on the western (Asian) side.  The Bosphorus (a channel connecting the Black and Mediterranean seas lies between).  The European side is further divided by a second channel called the Golden Horn, which historically was Istanbul's main harbour and runs into the Bosphorus.  The south side is the historical centre where most of the famous attractions can be found.  We were staying on the north side which is much more the cultural and entertainment area.  We were about 10 minutes from the main drag (İstiklâl Caddesi) with all its shops and restaurants.

Montage 1: Birthday cake and kebab meal.

Montage 2: The Aya Sofia Museum.

The first evening Chris and Jo had planned a surprise - a late birthday celebration for Paul (whose actual birthday was in January).  Jo had prepared a birthday cake and brought it all the way from the UK in her hand luggage!  Very nice too - lasted all the way to Cyprus.  We then went for kebabs at this fab little shop just down the road from the apartment - the first picture montage shows Paul standing outside it (top-left mini-picture).

We spent the next 5 days playing tourist, visiting all the major attractions and eating at some fabulous cafes and restaurants.

The Aya Sofia - built as a church almost 1500 years ago features one of the largest domes in the world - only surpassed during the Renaissance some 1000 years later.  Turned into a mosque by the Turks in 1453, it became a museum in 1935, thus side-stepping all arguments about whether it should be a church or a mosque.

Montage 3: The Blue Mosque.

The Sultan Ahmed Mosque (or Blue Mosque) sits opposite the Aya Sofia and has a much lighter, more open feel than it's more solid older cousin.

It's dome, whilst more elegant, is also smaller than the Aya Sofia but still requires very large, thick columns to hold it up - you can see them in two of the Blue Mosque montage images.  They are rudely referred to as the Elephant's Feet.

The dome of the Aya Sophia also required massive columns to support it but these are very cleverly built into the walls so they are not so obvious.

Montage 4: Galata Tower.

Another must-see is the Galata Tower.  built in 1348, it's a very unimposing building from the outside but built at the top of the hill on the north side of the Golden Horn it offers a terrific view across the city in all directions.

Montage 5: Boat Trip on the Bosphorus.

Finally we boarded a boat for a trip up and down the Bosphorus to see Istanbul from the water.  This was the nearest we got to the Asian side of Istanbul, sailing along the west bank of the Bosphorus.  We will have to see that side of the city next time.