Monday, April 14, 2008

One Day in Istanbul


We started the morning off by visiting Basilica Cistern, a mere few minutes walk from the hotel. The Cistern was quite cool, with lots of carp swimming around in the water. After a number of trial efforts, I figured out how to capture the ideal shot in low light.


Then we wandered across the square to the Blue Mosque - this is the most beautiful mosque I've ever seen. The architecture is magnificent both inside and out. It was certainly more impressive than any of the mosques I saw in Egypt and Jordan. Istanbul seems to rival Holland in terms of tulip plantings, and luckily for us, they were in full bloom. So we got to see all the iconic monuments surrounded by gorgeous beds of flowers everywhere.



After a visit to Topkapi Palace and its impressive Harem, we wandered over to the Grand Bazaar for some shopping. I'm quite sure I overpaid for many items, but it was a fun experience!

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