Istanbul Bazaar Side Entrance
photo by D.MiddleburghWhy take photo of main entrance like everyone else; This is a side entrance. Diagonally across the bazaar from here we heard loud shouting and my friend got scared. It was not a riotous disturbance but the gold traders on their mobile phones bidding (like on stock exchange floor in London or New York) Coincidently the BBC World service had carried a piece about the traders a couple of weeks earlier so I knew what was going on.
Istanbul Grand Bazaar
photo by D.MiddleburghThe bazaar is really a well organised low end arcade, not unlike the markets here in HK arround Temple Street but with a roof and carpets. The most interesting market in Istanbul is the Spice (Egyption) Market near the Galata Bridge. Hear you can buy spices; essential oils and perfums amd get ripped off on a couple of perfum bottles which cost about 1/3 price in a shop near Taksim. It's part of the experoience !!!!
Istanbul Grand Bazaar Coutyard
photo by D.MiddleburghThere are a number of smaller markets/ souks in court yards just outside of the main bazaar. I liked this because it was quiet and also the nearby book market .
Istanbul Beyoglu Tram
photo by Yep Mei HingThe only tram line in Istanbul. Try as I may, I could not get a good photo of it especially with all the non fare paying kids hanging off the back. This was taken by Becca
Istanbul Galata Tower
photo by D.MiddleburghActally the tower itself is a quite boring, but the view is spectacular The district gives its name to the Galatasaray football team. We drove past the ground on the way back from Bursa
Istanbul Dervish
photo by D.MiddleburghI was so enthrawled by the Dervishes that I kept forgetting to take pictures; to set the camera and completely ignored the movie functionality
Istanbul Cistern
photo by D.MiddleburghIstanbul aka Constatinople was a Roman city, capital of the Eastern Empire; The roman city walls and viaduct are pretty much the same as elsewhere but this was first time I had visited a cistern . Just as I was going to photograph the column with the medusa head (as is base) the camera battery died . Becca was not impressed
Topkapi Inner Gate
photo by D.MiddleburghThere is a symbolism about gates ... passing from one place or state to another, leaving things behind maybe treasyred maybe not , venturing forth into anew beginning to somewhere better or somewhere worse. This gate looked inviting
A Night on the Turkish Tiles
photo by D.MiddleburghI associate tiles with Lisbon in Portugual (and Macau). Turkey is also famous for its tiles and in particular in the Topkapi Palace. I photographed the iconic blue peacock feather tiles but all these tourist got in the way . These tiles were in one of the private quarters
Bosphorus Restaurant
photo by D.MiddleburghThe restaurant at the end of the bosphorus (eastern end) The ferry drops you off ; you walk up the road past the square and there is ... the fish restaurant ..... and all the boat spotters - middle aged (?) men with binoculars logging the vessels working the channel. Their wives were having a quiet drink. I am convinced these guys were retired spies with nothing better to do, who used to gather intelligence on vessels going to/from the former soviet union Black Sea ports
Istanbul
photo by D.MiddleburghWe got mosqued out; This is the Blue Mosque (i think). I have to say that the austerity of most mosques remind me strongly of the autstrerity of the synagogue my father used to take me to when i was a child. The most interesting mosque we visited was that of Ulu Camii, the major mosque of Bursa which has an early design . It has a feel about it that is much more "human" and less "fundamentalist" than those built later.
Blue Mosque
photo by D.MiddleburghThe Blue mosque with accompanying tourists
Istanbul - Across the Horn
photo by D.MiddleburghView across the Golden Horn , from the Galata side beside the Bridge
Sutanahmet
photo by D.MiddleburghView of the old town across the Golden Horn taken from the top of the Galata Tower
Istanbul Ferry
photo by D.MiddleburghOnly wimps go on the 'tour" boats . The cognoscenti go on the "real" ferrys . There are three challenges; Working out which one to take; Working out where to buy the ticket and most importantly getting a good seat. We "cased" the boat the day before, were one of the first on board, scoring the seats just behind the 3rd life belt on the left upper deck. A tour guide who turned up with a party to claim these prime seats was stunned to find us already in possession. We got to listen to his english commentry for free
posted by David Middleburgh on Wednesday, August 30, 2006
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