istanbul: the aya sofia, blue mosque, hippodrome, etc. area
sultanamet is the original neighborhood in istanbul and the most popular tourist area.
located here are the byzantine aya sofia, ottoman blue mosque, the roman basilica cistern & hippodrome, etc.
obelisk of theodosius -- he brought it here in 390AD
originally built for egyptian pharoah thumosis III in luxor around 1490BC
the obelisk has survived 3500yrs in astonishingly good condition!
the serpent column
removed from the temple of apollo at Delphi
the walled obelisk (900AD)
originally covered in brass plaques, taken away by latin crusaders in the 4th century
lale music
behind the blue mosque
back view of the blue mosque
got random chicken? yep
pomegranite juice & guy carrying food on his head outside arasta market
lale restaurant aka the world famous pudding shop
thee boomer era hippy meeting place in the 1960s
traveling harvard students came up with the idea for the lets go travel book series here
also, it’s infamous as the place where billy hayes got the hashish in midnight express http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Pudding_Shop http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Midnight_Express_(film)
the old pudding shop message board wall
divan yolu -- the imperial processional road
laid out by constantine the great 300AD
it runs from the seraglio point to the golden gate of the city walls
there it meets the road to rome http://www.turkeytravelplanner.com/g...DivanYolu.html
milion post is the official start point of the mese
the mese is what the divan yolu road was called in roman times
the structures were raised in the 1400sAD
the little aya sofia little cemetery on the grounds
*** and that is the end of a thread on the most popular tourist area of istanbul ---
next time we go over the golden horn to checkout the city and galata/beyogulu nightlife ***
Great pics fitting for a great city! I love the Roman and Byzantine architecture. It is interesting to think about what would have become of the city if the 4th crusade had not sacked Constantinople but instead attacked the Ottomans. The Romanian Empire (Byzantine was the name given to them by Western Europeans) would not have spent 50 bloody years fighting to take the city back while the Ottomans became a great power. Perhaps Constantinople would have continued to rule its traditional Hellenic heartland around the Aegean Sea. Turkey is a really cool country i would love to visit someday, but i'm a history buff and the Byzantine Empire has a special place in my heart. Sorry for the tangent but Istanbul fascinates me and so does its history.
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“Mike, you got it? No f**king crazy talk from anybody in the administration.” (Trump to Pence on the eve of the US - DPRK Hanoi summit)
Says the pot to the kettle in a moment of self projection
not at all doc thx for the history comments -- istanbul certainly has that in spades. i was always fascinated by the place myself and am so glad i got a opportunity to go there. i hope you go too sometime. as you know the rest of turkey is just as interesting so i will have to go back. sometimes its worse getting a taste of a place you liked haha!
Too right, it is a bit sad for me to think of the fall of Constantinople if the Ottomans hadn't done such a good job beautifying the city i might hold a grudge lol. Turkey certainly is a very interesting country, i do love how the Ottomans took traditional Byzantine architecture and added an exotic Islamic flair absolutely gorgeous. Anatolia has been the home of great civilizations since the days of the pharaoh's. So much to see and do your very lucky to have gotten the chance to go, i'm looking forward to your next set!
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“Mike, you got it? No f**king crazy talk from anybody in the administration.” (Trump to Pence on the eve of the US - DPRK Hanoi summit)
Says the pot to the kettle in a moment of self projection
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