Istanbul

I’ve never been in Istanbul before and I didn’t know what to expect from the city.

I heard about traditional Turkish food, about Bosphorus and mix of European life and Asian culture. I was in Istanbul only 4 days but I can say that I like this city and I want to come again in summer, because I think that Istanbul in winter and Istanbul in summer are two different cities. What do you think?
The first day I was little bit nervous, you know, these mosques, cries of muezzins and women in black robes, but my fears vanished very quickly and I felt comfortable and cozy.

Bosphorus

The Süleymaniye Mosque is an Ottoman imperial mosque located on the Third Hill of the city. It is the largest mosque in the city, and one of the best-known sights of Istanbul.

Jetty Mosque is an Ottoman mosque located in the historic center of the Üsküdar municipality in Istanbul.

Asian part of Istanbul.

Semsi Pasa Mosque and lighthouse.

Jetty Mosque.

Istanbul Sirkeci Terminal is a central railway terminal, which located on the tip of Istanbul’s historic peninsula right next to the Golden Horn and just northwest of Gülhane Park and the famous Topkapı Palace.

Mihrimah Sultan Mosque is an Ottoman mosque located in the Edirnekapı neighborhood near the Byzantine land walls of Istanbul. Located on the peak of the Sixth Hill near the highest point of the city.

Ortaköy Mosque officially the Büyük Mecidiye Camii in Beşiktaş, Istanbul, is situated at the waterside of the Ortaköy pier square, one of the most popular locations on the Bosphorus.

Rumelihisarı (Rumelian Castle) is a fortress located in the Sarıyer district of Istanbul, on a hill at the European side of the Bosphorus. It gives the name of the quarter around it. It was built by the Ottoman Sultan Mehmed II between 1451 and 1452, before his army’s conquest of Constantinople.

The three great towers were named after three of Mehmed II’s viziers: Sadrazam Çandarlı Halil Pasha, who built the large tower next to the gate; Zağanos Pasha, who built the south tower; and Sarıca Pasha, who built the north tower.

Fatih Sultan Mehmet Bridge also known as the Second Bosphorus Bridge.

Anadolu Kavağı is a small fishing village on Macar Bay.

Hagia Sophia is a former Christian patriarchal basilica, later an imperial mosque, and now a museum- Ayasofya Müzesi. From the date of its construction in 537 until 1453, it served as an Orthodox cathedral, and the building was a mosque from 29 May 1453 until 1931.

Divanyolu Street.

Sultan Ahmet Mosque is a historic mosque in Istanbul. The mosque is popularly known as the Blue Mosque for the blue tiles adorning the walls of its interior. It was built from 1609 to 1616, during the rule of Ahmed I. Its Külliye contains a tomb of the founder, a madrasah and a hospice. The Sultan Ahmed Mosque is still popularly used as a mosque.

Inside the main hall of Sultan Ahmet Mosque.

Istiklal Street is one of the most famous avenues in Istanbul, Turkey, visited by nearly 3 million people in a single day over the course of weekends.

Istiklal Street located in the historic Beyoğlu district, it is an elegant pedestrian street, 1.4 kilometers long, which houses boutiques, music stores, bookstores, art galleries, cinemas, theatres, libraries, cafés, pubs, night clubs with live music, historical patisseries, chocolateries and restaurants.

St. Anthony of Padua Church, alternatively known as the Sant’Antonio di Padova Church is a basilica and the largest church of the Roman Catholic Church in Istanbul.

The original St. Anthony of Padua Church was built in 1725 by the local Italian community of Istanbul, but was later demolished and replaced with the current building which was constructed on the same location.

Holly sneakers, as you see:)

The Istiklal’s vintage tram.

The Galata Tower- is a medieval stone tower in the Galata/Karaköy quarter of Istanbul, just to the north of the Golden Horn’s junction with the Bosphorus. One of the city’s most striking landmarks, it is a high, cone-capped cylinder that dominates the skyline and offers a panoramic vista of Istanbul’s historic peninsula and its environs.

City view.

Hagia Sophia.

The Galata Bridge is a bridge that spans the Golden Horn in Istanbul. From the end of the 19th century in particular, the bridge has featured in Turkish literature, theater, poetry and novels.

The Yeni Cami (New Mosque) is an Ottoman imperial mosque located in the Eminönü quarter. It is situated on the Golden Horn, at the southern end of the Galata Bridge, and is one of the famous architectural landmarks of Istanbul.

Gazi Ahmed Pasha Mosque.

Inside Hagia Sophia.

The Basilica Cistern is the largest of several hundred ancient cisterns that lie beneath the city of Istanbul.

Located in the northwest corner of the cistern, the bases of two columns reuse blocks carved with the visage of Medusa. The origin of the two heads is unknown, though it is thought that the heads were brought to the cistern after being removed from a building of the late Roman period. There is no written evidence that suggests they were used as column pedestals previously.

The Grand Bazaar in Istanbul is one of the largest and oldest covered markets in the world, with 61 covered streets and over 3,000 shops which attract between 250,000 and 400,000 visitors daily.