Istanbul

Following my visit to Greece, I spent several more days in Istanbul to visit a local high school and learn about their Internet education program. Since this was my second trip to Istanbul, I revisited some of my favorite places and explore some new ones as well. (To learn about my first trip to Istanbul, visit my Anatolian Fortnight website.)

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Aya Sofya (Hagia Sofya), perhaps the most famous Byzantine church in the world.
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Aya Sofya from the garden across the street.
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A giant chandelier hangs inside Aya Sofya, along with two of its famous Ottoman-era calligraphy.
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The calligraphy was added when Aya Sofya was a mosque.
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Light shines through the semidomes of Aya Sofya's roof.
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Interior of Aya Sofya.
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More of the interior.
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The minarets of the Blue Mosque, seen through a window at Aya Sofya.
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Aya Sofya at night.
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A traditional Ottoman wooden house, one of the few left standing in old Istanbul.
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Children playing in an Istanbul neighborhood.
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Another quiet Istanbul neighborhood.
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Kids seem to hang out in all the window sills of Istanbul.
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Istanbul's many bakeries have some of the freshest bread I've ever tasted.
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A rather boroque mosque in Istanbul's Ortakoy neighborhood.
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The same mosque at night.
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Diners enjoying one of Ortakoy's many trendy restaurants.
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The Hippodrome, once the city's racetrack, is now a peaceful park.
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A man sells simit -- giant sesame bagels, essentially -- in the Hippodrome.
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A couple relaxes in a plaza not far from Aya Sofya.
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The Blue Mosque, adjacent to Aya Sofya.
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The Blue Mosque is one of the most beautiful buildings in Istanbul.
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The Blue Mosque's main courtyard.
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You can see the symmetry of the domes atop the mosque from the center of the plaza.
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A cafe not too far from the Blue Mosque.
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The Blue Mosque at night.
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The Kapali Carsisi, or Covered Market, is Istanbul's most famous market.
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Men crowd a teahouse between the covered market and the Beyazit Mosque.
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The remnants of a Byzantine palace on the outskirts of town.
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The Chora Church, home to some of the best preserved Byzantine mosaics in the world.
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The interior arches of the church are all decorated with intricate mosaics.
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Closeup of some of the mosaics.
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The ceiling of the Chora Church.
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More mosaics.
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I managed to take these pictures without a flash by using a pint-sized tripod and half-second exposures.
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Selim Cami, the Mosque of Selim the Grim.
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Two women admiring the view from the mosque.
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Men prepare to enter Fateh Cami, the Mosque of Mehmet the Conqueror, for mid-day prayers.
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The interior of Fateh Mosque.
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Mehmet's tomb, adjacent to the mosque.
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Men perform ceremonial ablutions before entering the mosque for prayers.
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An orange tabby eyes the wares of a local fishmonger.
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One of Istanbul's many Ottoman graveyards.
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Classic Ottoman tombstones.
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Topkapi Palace, home to generations of Ottoman sultans.
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One of Topkapi's courtyards.
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Interior of the Sultan's Harem, inside Topkapi Palace.
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Topkapi's tower soars above the harem.
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The Sultan's divan.
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The mosque of Suleiman the Lawgiver, seen from a ferry crossing the Bosphorus.
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Seagulls followed the ferry as we crossed from Europe to Asia.
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A market in Kadikoy, on the Asian side of the city.
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Kadikoy Anatolian High School, which I visited during my stay.
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Students using the Internet at the high school.
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The high school was one of the first in Istanbul to go online.
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A busy Istanbul street one afternoon.
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A shopper makes a purchase inside the Spice Bazaar.
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Spices for sale at the bazaar.
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Princely tombs. When a prince became a sultan, he often executed his brothers to secure the throne.
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A sultan's tomb.


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