Holiday in Turkey, Bosphorus River

Breathtaking waterway. We cruised by ornate Ottoman palaces and grand villas. Saw the great rounded domes and elegant minarets gracing the skyline. The boat dancing merrily across the waters from Europe to Asia, fusing reflections of blues and greens, an unmissable and truly magical day trip, wine beer and coffee available on board. Went to the highest point in Instanbul and rode a cable car down, went to craft markets and shops.

Istanbul

This photographic  tour will take you through Istanbul’s old city, with its Roman, Byzantine and Ottoman monuments of an historic past. We admired the defensive walls, the Roman aqueduct and the hippodrome. Saw the Galata Tower and paid a visit to the Blue Mosque as well as Hagia Sophia, today a museum that’s one of the best surviving examples of Byzantine architecture [pink building] . At night entertained by a Turkish belly dancing performance, watched the Swirling Dervish dancers, toured the markets and ate at local restaurants and food stalls. We wandered the Topkapi Palace, cobblestone streets and of course, the Grand Bazaar which is the biggest undercover market in the world [I think] with over 5,000 stalls. Here I did some serious icon shopping and boy, I could have spent a lot of money if I had it!

The last 9 photos were taken inside the Hagia Sophia.