Istanbul is a city of superlatives: blinding lights, traffic noises and flashy sights amplify your senses, while the kaleidoscope of colors and aroma hypnotize you into a trance. Spanning across Europe and Asia, the metropolis is power-packed with distinctive cultures and flavors.
Stepping foot on Istanbul for the second stop, I noticed how rapidly it has changed. Within a short time span of 3 years, Istanbul has developed into a city of contradictions. Soaring skyscrapers vs aged shop houses, chic outdoor cafes vs old school teahouses. Here, old meets new and East meets West – I’ll let my photos bring you through the multi-hued streets of Istanbul for a closer look.
A gorgeous display of white tulips – Turkey’s national flower – contrasting against the grey backdrop of the New Mosque.
Spice Market
Spices and condiments of every color you can imagine – heaped up into pyramidal piles. I had the constant urge to push one of them and see how the colors would blend.
Rows and rows of rainbow-colored porcelain bowls all intricately hand-crafted and ornamented with jewels. Only fit for royalty.
Brass and bronze utensils on sale at Spice Market.
Street Food
A kebab seller sharpens his knives and gets ready to strut his stuff. With two blades on hand, he whips up some outrageous kebab – the most popular street food ever.
By the Bosphurus banks, I spotted these floating fish kebab stalls, where fresh fish caught from the sea were grilled instantly, sandwiched in a bun and served hot and steamy.
Quintessential Sights
The Basilica Cistern, masterpiece of the Roman empire, beautifully displays the works of yesteryears. Dim red lights give the underground water bunker a mysterious glow, gently lighting up the columns. In the darkness, you can see the reflection of the columns on the clear water surface.
The exterior of the Sultanahmet Mosque. The central water fountain is used for the purpose of cleansing your soul before entering the mosque.
The interior of Sultanahmet Mosque is bewitching – chandeliers hang from the sky-high ceiling while sunlight pours through the colorful stained glass.
In Hagia Sofia, the influences of both Byzantine and Ottoman empires can be evidently seen. Its dome-shaped ceiling, carved walls and Orthodox paintings represent the Roman Byzantine past while Arabic scripts are symbols of its Muslim present.
The Bosphourus Bridge connects Europe to Asia – two continents bridged into one. At Ortakoy, rows of sophisticated restaurants compete to see who has the best view and cuisine in town.
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I have heard so many amazing things about Turkey. I would really, really like to go someday. I especially love your photos of the porcelain and the lights. The colors we experience on our travels really do help define a place.
I NEED to go to Istanbul now!!! It's really got the best of both worlds – Europe and Asia!
Gorgeous photos! We’ll be in Istanbul in a few days and this got us EXTRA excited about it. Great post!!!
-Jaime
Awww I’m sure u’re gonna love Istanbul, it’s one of my favorite cities in the world. I’m not too much of an urban traveler but Istanbul has so much going on! Have an awesome time u guys.
Congrats, Nellie, for an interesting post, a photo journey and of course for the images. I've never been to Istanbul – but planing to get there sometime.
Thanks Lori, I’m sure you’ll love it when you get there.
LOVE Istanbul, and miss it so much! Lovely Istanbul photos
Cool shots! You've captured Istanbul well. It's such a unique city with its fusion of mid east and europe. The markets are amazing, though we found the merchants didn't barter as much as we expected. I guess we are just too used to the SE Asian markets.
Awesome colors! I want to walk around the market.
Unas fotos preciosas de Estambul Nellie, tambien las de India. Un beso
Great photos of a great city! Thanks for sharing these great images of Istanbul. I love this place!
Great photo collection! Istanbul is such a vibrant city – love the donair kebabs and fish sandwiches on the Bosphorus
Turkey is on the top of my bucket list and these photos just pushed it even farther to the top
I especially love the picture of the brass and bronze utensils at the spice market…gorgeous!
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