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History
Destinations:
Istanbul
Topkapi Palace
Ankara
Cappodocia
Konya
Aspendos
Perge
Antalya
Pamukkale
Ephesus
Aphrodisias
Kusadasi
Pergamum
Troy
Canakkale
Gallipoli
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We stayed in old historic
(European side) Istanbul. We were within walking distance of the
Blue Mosque,
St. Sophia Museum,
Topkapi Palace,
Grand
Bazaar, Bosphorus strait, The Fish Market,
spice market and the old city wall.
We also saw the Chora Museum and
Dolmabahçe Palace.
Part of the Istanbul tour was a 90 minute
boat ride on the Bosphorus (the strait of water separating Asia and Europe).
It was a great way to
experience the ebb and flow of Istanbul's many cultures than during a cruise on
the Bosphorus as we glide past the magnificent palaces, beautiful mosques,
imposing fortresses and Ottoman mansions that still grace its shores.
The shores of the Bosphorus are between a third of a
mile and two miles apart and are lined with cafes, restaurants, taverns, Yali's
(residences) and several palaces. From Istanbul to the Black Sea the shoreline
measures nineteen miles in all. The view of the Bosphorus is amazing with its traffic of freighters, fishing boats, water
skiers, swimmers, and flights of storks and eagles. Silently watching all this
progress for centuries are the two imposing stone
fortresses, Anadolu Hisari
(1390) and Rumeli Hisari (1452).
Istanbul has about
15 million residents, straddling Europe and Asia, and an
unchallenged place in the country's history, folklore, commerce and culture. For several thousand years before the
construction of the Bosphorus Bridge in 1973, the only way to go between the
European and Asian parts of the city was by boat. A second bridge was completed
in 1988, a third is planned and a metro is being developed. Our boat went
under both bridges - truly spectacular.
Walking along the Bosphorus and visiting the fish market
in the late afternoon was wonderful. It was only a 15 minute walk from
our hotel down some local streets. As we walked
back to our hotel, the sunset was beautiful.
Click on a picture to enlarge.
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