Photos: Istanbul, Crossroads of the World
It’s a very rare thing for me to visit a place and immediately declare to anyone within earshot that I could live there, but this is what I found myself doing after approximately 17 minutes in Istanbul. The city has just the right amount of chaos to make it exciting, yet not so much as to make it overwhelming. It has just enough of the East in it to make it exotic and just enough of the West in it to make it familiar. The food, generally, is preposterously good, and then there’s the small detail of the Bosphorus River, which divides the city equally between Europe and Asia.
Here is a glimpse of what you can expect to find:
Ferrying across the Bosphorus
Back street in Sultanahmet, the old town
The Blue Mosque, built in the 17th Century
Aya Sofia, built in the 6th Century and for over a millennium the largest enclosed space in the word
The Basilica Cistern, an underground Roman reservoir constructed in the 4th Century
Arasta Bazaar
Ottoman Cemetery
Sultanahmet
Street food is hugely popular in Istanbul
Spice Bazaar
Spice Bazaar
Grand Bazaar
Market
Istanbul Modern Art Museum
Galata Bridge
City Skyline
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Category: Inspiration, Travel Photography
About the Author (Author Profile)
My best travelling experience was a two-month road trip around and through Australia in a tiny campervan. When they appeared, the sights were magnificent. But what I loved most about the whole thing was the relentless motion; travel in its simplest form. Because of the vast distance we needed to cover (13,000 kilometres) it was necessary to be almost constantly on the move, and this became a way of life. Nothing can quite compare to the freedom you feel when pulling out onto a road that ends in a vanishing point, fuel needle pointing to 12 o’clock. Next on my bucket list is Antarctica to see the emperor penguins. These have to be the most adorably quirky creatures on the planet (though meerkats come a close second), and nothing would give me greater pleasure than to see them waddling around in their natural environment. And speaking of the environment, I’ve always been drawn to inhospitable places; they unnerve me and excite me in equal measures, a balance which in my opinion is the epitome of a fulfilling travel experience. Or perhaps I’m just a misanthrope in denial.Subscribe
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i lived in Istanbul for 12 years and i say “you should go to see Istanbul before you die”
by the way check out Fethiye another paradise southeast of Turkey
http://www.fethiyedays.com/eng/
Couldn’t agree more!
amazing….. i love all photos
I love Istanbul !!!
Thanks Branimira, I love Istanbul too!
What a coincidence. In six hours, i will be landing in Istanbul for three days. I was there six years ago but want to see the sites again. Love the photos.
Ah amazing! I’m very jealous! Such a great city. Glad you enjoyed the photos!
Brilliant pictures! You have a real talent.
Thanks very much, glad you enjoyed them!
Beautiful photos! The seagull at the top looks pretty smug
Thanks Ellie! I asked the seagull to look serious, but yeah, he was only up for doing smug, so it had to do!
Loving that seagull photo Will – fantastic image!
Cheers Kirsty!
Some beautiful photos and a great introduction to Istanbul; I definitely want to go now!
Thanks Em! You definitely should, such an amazing city!