One of our days in Istanbul was taken with a boat tour of the Bosphorus. I would never have imagined the delightful view along its banks where Europe truly does meet Asia.
The European side has all the mosques
and palaces of the Istanbul where we stayed which I thought was beyond spectacular. But
somehow it's the much more subdued Asian side that really delighted me. The entire city, with its endless shoreline is staggeringly beautiful.
It was a hot, hot day (it was around 40C (100F) every day we were there) but, as long as you stayed in shade, it was much cooler on the water. I was impressed with the cleaniness of the water of the strait. A population of 14 million and they maintain water clean enough for swimming.
With that many inhabitants it's not surprising that every inch of space is well utilised. The bridge across the Golden Horn between Beyoglu and Fatih is lined with fishermen, cars, and fish restaurants. The cars ride across the top where the fishermen stand and try their luck with very long lines and poles. Staircases lead down to a lower level closer to the water and lined with restaurants.
Oooh I want to go!
ReplyDeleteThe photos reflect all I've heard about this area. As one who comes from a country with a lot of wide open space and cities that are known for their green spaces, it always amazes me how city dwellers in places like you've shown are able to live so closely packed yet keep everything running so smoothly.
ouch, 40 deg celsius! I find it hard having the temperatures in the 30s here.
ReplyDeleteI have wanted to visit for so long and almost went a while back but lost my courage because of the group we would be with. Maybe the future...or maybe! I notice that the women do not get to swim and cool off, such a gender biased culture.
ReplyDeleteThank you so much for sharing your travels! It's a mini break to my busy day.
ReplyDeleteI would never had thought this such a beautiful modern city.
ReplyDeleteWell it's been a while coming but that really was a post worth waiting for.
ReplyDeleteYou have made a beautiful place look wonderful. The harsh light doesn't make this an easy job.
ReplyDeleteAnother fascinating, interesting post with wonderful photos to match.
ReplyDeleteBeautiful views.
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ReplyDeleteThat looks like a great trip you did I'm guessing it was before the Turkey started getting problems with the terrorists. The buildings are beautiful.
ReplyDeletePS You have a spam comment above
Great place to visit but the weather is rather hot. Beautiful photos. I am following you and invite you to follow me too. Thank you.
ReplyDeleteDecades ago John and I saw these same sights. What a trip! How cool to go to Istanbul these days; hopefully there were no worries of violence and unrest while you were there.
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