One of my favorite places in Istanbul, Rumeli Hisari.
For me, it evokes an exoticism, romanticism from days of old.
I imagine brocaded soldiers guarding the fortress with headdresses that scrape the low arched doorways, and their kiliçler (curved swords) swinging at their sides.
I see veiled harem ladies sequestered behind the towers, dancing and telling stories, twittering (the old school way), and eating grapes.
The fortress, albeit impressive and strong, doesn’t really contain much, but it is just so much fun running up and down the towers and sitting under a mulberry tree, snacking on its juicy berries [...]
Continue reading Reflection #531 – Rumeli Hisari, Istanbul, Turkey
I took this photo while waiting for the train at Haydarpaşa. There’s something exotic about Istanbul’s skyline with the silhouetted minarets reminding you that this is an ancient city. I love Istanbul, and I especially love plying the waterways by ferry. Have you been to Istanbul? Is it on your list?
This young woman, presumably posing with family members, has come to the Sultan Camii to receive a blessing for her nuptials.
Istanbul bridges two continents. It’s a city that very much lives on the water. We try to never vist the city without taking a ferry, because they go all over the place and it’s fun to explore different areas.
This time around, we headed for a very conservative Muslim area called Eyüp. We had to take a ferry up the Golden Horn and it seemed that this was the last stop before it turned around, because the Horn [...]
Continue reading Eyüp – A Cultural Glimpse
On Saturday, Jim and I flew up to Istanbul to join the 4th annual Worldwide Photo Walk. There ended up being four offered in Turkey, but when we signed up there were only two.
We’ve been to Isanbul a number of times, but mostly we’ve spent that time in the Sultan Ahmet area where are the major tourist sites are. It’s a great area and there’s plenty to see, but after the fourth of fifth time, that’s enough. Finished.
The photo walk was going to take us through some of the more urban areas where many, many people hang [...]
Continue reading Scott Kelby’s World Wide Photo Walk 2011 – Istanbul!
For a true Istanbul’lu snack, head down to the ferry port in Eminonu. All year long, there are four or five boats docked there with huge grills on them, and on those grills are the tastiest fish to be found in Turkey. For 4 Tl. you can get a balik (fish) sandwich from the merrily costumed men that are moving too quickly to get a good photo of them. It’s a little discombobulating to order your fish, because they are moving at lightning speed in order to keep up with the demand, but they will help you…albeit quickly.
All types of [...]
Continue reading Ode to Balik(s)!
Istanbul, the only city in the world to span two continents- two cultures. There’s no better place to see this phenomenon than at the formidable fortress of Rumeli. It looms over one of the narrowest parts of the Bosphorus, at only 660 meters. Built by Sultan Mehmet II in order to besiege Constantinople and wrest the power from Constantine XI, the fortress only took a little over four months to erect. From there you can also see the Fatih Sultan Mehmet Bridge which is the only way to drive from Europe to Asia as well.
Rumeli is not on the main tourist track, [...]
Continue reading Climbing the Walls at Rumelihisari
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