Istanbul: A Symbol of Tolerence and Generosity !



Istanbul was Constantinople before and Byzantium or Nova Roma, even earlier.
Istanbul falls into two continents Europe and Asia and it definitely do Justice of its geographical identity. A part of Istanbul is just like America : the sky scrapers, highways , gas stations ; but it has an authentic flavor cannot be found in the west. Istanbul is a melting plot, it units east and the west. It is so much Eastern but welcomes the West so dearly!!


Topkapi Palace

 

My senses were bombarded with amazingly awesome experiences at Istanbul!!

Wondering around the Topkapi Palace, I went back on Ottoman Empire's glory days,  thinking how would it be to see the world through the Ottoman's eyes...


The magnificent architecture of Hagia Sophia, the building that had crowned Istanbul skyline for thousand years, is so amazing!!!



Hagia Sophia Ceiling

The Blue Mosque, is located across the street from Hagia Sopia, the beautiful mosque adds color to the city. The locals call the Blue Mosque as Sultan Ahmet Mosque, since the Ottomans build the mosque. The Ottomon Empire were called as Sultan ________ Mehmet, so they all had the same last and first name, only the middle name were different. The women Ottomon were called Sultan _____ Meherma!!

 


I went to Jumma Prayer ( Friday Prayer), at the Blue Mosque, the call for prayer was so so so pretty, the beautiful sound of prayer and the decoration of the mosque kept me speechless for days:

The view of the Marmara sea from SultanAhmet, Bebek, and Istanbul's sky scrapers kept me wondering, can things get any cooler than this !!
Bebek is a place where the artist lives, it's a pretty rich neighborhood, located by the Marmara Sea. It has shops, restaurants and nice apartments with a view.



Bosphorus

A tour with the Bosphorus cruise was just what I needed to calm my senses on a beautiful Friday !!

I loved walking at the streets of  Persian-Style boulevard, Istiklal Caddesi,

Tram at Taksim



The Narrow and Hilly streets of Istiklal Caddesi
 

 

 I noticed the streets are so narrow, Dogs hanging out here and there barking, well fed cats sleeping in the corner :) Cars coming from everywhere, traffic lights are hard to be seen, u gotta be careful crossing the streets!! It's so much fun though, like going to a roller-coaster ride : D

Food is so delicious at Istanbul!! Turkish delight tea is so good, Turkish people drinks tea: morning, after noon and after dinner. They eat a lot of different cheese and olive, the breads are also really delicious!

KUMPİR : Potato, Beef sausage !!

Turkish Delight Tea :)

Spice Bazzar,, Tickles your olfactory glands

Delicious food, aroma of spices, the people with a welcoming heart, made the trip even more unforgettable!!

People are really nice at Istanbul, I found helpful people everywhere I went.

The economy is getting better at Turkey, people are getting richer but their heart still remained very kind and loving.

Istanbul preserves its rich history but welcomes modernism so humbly!! I love Istanbul, a symbol of tolerance and generosity !