Sightseeing in Istanbul

 The vast space inside the Aya Sofya

Spring has come to Istanbul, encouraging Becca and me to venture out to do some sightseeing. Our first stop was the Aya Sofya. Even this early in the season, there were so many tourists that we had to queue to get in. No matter how many times I visit this amazing structure, I never fail to feel overawed by its size and overwhelming magnificence. It's incredible that the entire basilica was completed in 537, taking only six years to build, without the use of any machinery, just with the work of human hands!

Yerebatan Sarnıcı - the Basilica Cistern

We moved from the soaring heights of the Aya Sofya, to the subterranean depths of the Yerebatan Sarnıcı - the Basilica Cistern. There, I was surprised to discover that much of the water had been drained away, and the poor fish were confined to a small area beside the heads of Medusa. The reason is that a strange interloper has moved into the cistern. It is a model of the legendary Lagoon Monster, said to lurk near the Punta della Dogana in Venice. Apparently, this is its first stop on a worldwide tour, so be warned, it could arrive in your city any time soon!

The Lagoon Monster, luking in the depths of the Basilica Cistern

From the cistern, we walked down the hill to Sirkici Station, the last stop of the famous Orient Express, before taking our ferry to Kadiköy where we had lunch in a rooftop restaurant.

Becca in Sirkici Station, Istanbul

Our view from the rooftop restaurant. The building site in the forground will be the new metro station for the line running under the Bosphorus.

On the way home, we stopped to listen to these street musicians

Photographing Istanbul (Day 2)

 Cruise ships visiting Istanbul

Our first full day of photography was spent capturing some of the iconic sights of Istanbul, beginning with the Aya Sofya (Hagia Sophia). Although we made an early start, we still had to wait in line, due to the influx of huge numbers of cruise-ship passengers into the city. Finally inside, we were able to take innumerable photographs of this magnificent building. The sheer size of this Byzantine masterpiece is breathtaking, especially when one considers that it was built nearly 1,500 years ago, without the aid of any type of machinery.

While we waited to go into the Aya Sofia, we took photos of the man 

selling sweet corn, a popular street snack in Istanbul

Now all the scaffolding is down, one can appreciate the sheer 

size and beauty of the Aya Sofya

We especially admired the beautiful mosaics

Our next stop was the Yerebatan Sarnici, also known as the Basilica Cistern, built by the Romans to store the fresh spring water brought to the city from the Belgrade Forest along enormous aqueducts. This underground cavern is eerily lit, and very difficult to photograph without a tripod, so we tried steadying our cameras on the rails to get our best shots.

The cavernous interior of the cistern is quite spectacular

It is easy to get around this part of Istanbul by using the tramway.

The Grand Bazaar, where we went to next, is always a colourful subject to photograph. It has been in existence since merchants travelled the old silk road, bringing their goods from distant exotic lands. The bazaar has been covered since 1461, following a decree by Sultan Mehmet II, the conqueror of Constantinople, giving it the distinctive style we see today. Jerry and I had great fun walking the streets of the bazaar and talking to the stallholders, who assailed us from all sides with their banter, "Please can I help you spend your money," being the most popular.

The Grand Bazaar was bedecked with flags for Children's Day

From the bazaar, we walked downhill, through the crowded, winding streets, full of little shops, all the way to the Egyptian Bazaar, by the Golden Horn.

On the way down, we saw these boys washing in a fountain.

Spices for sale in the Egyptian Bazaar

 Finally, with hundreds of photos captured on our cards, we headed for the Eminönü Iskelesi, where we boarded our ferry back to the Asian side for our journey home.