The Blue Mosque (the actual name is the “Sultan Ahmed Mosque”).The ablution area for the Blue Mosque.Looking up at the ceiling of the Blue Mosque.The interior of the Blue Mosque.Another view of the interior of the Blue Mosque.The Blue Mosque, seen from its courtyard.Hagia Sophia seen from Sultanahmet Square.Hagia Sophia, seen from the southeast side.Inside of Hagia Sophia.Islamic calligraphy in the shape of the Kaaba, by Aydin Kizilyar.The minbar inside Hagia Sophia.View from the second level inside Hagia Sophia.Mosaic inside Hagia Sophia.Looking at the Blue Mosque out of a window on the second level of Hagia Sophia.Inside the Basilica Cistern (the largest of several hundred ancient cisterns that lie beneath the city of Istanbul), which was built in the 6th-century AD during the reign of Byzantine Emperor Justinian I.The Hen’s Eye column inside the Basilica Cistern.One of two Medusa-head column bases found inside the cistern.More columns inside the Basilica Cistern.Another view inside the Basilica Cistern.Colorful buildings in Istanbul.Looking up from the courtyard in Nuruosmaniye Mosque.One of the entrances to the Grand Bazaar in Istanbul.Inside the Grand Bazaar.Spices for sale in the grand Bazaar.Belly dancer costumes on display in the Grand Bazaar.Lanterns on sale in the Grand Bazaar.Europe and Asia (across the Bosphorus Strait), seen from Galata Tower.Looking down at a street from Galata Tower.Looking across the Golden Horn at Hagia Sophia and the Blue Mosque in Istanbul.A seaplane flying over Galata Bridge and the Golden Horn.Galata Tower, built in 1348 AD.Dolmabahçe Mosque on the shore of the Bosphorus.Bottle of Turkish dry red wine made from Öküzgözü (“ox eye”) grapes.The Middle Gate to Topkapi Palace.The Throne Room in Topkapi Palace.The Bosphorus, seen from Topkapi Palace.Colonnade and walkway in Topkapi Palace.Pavilions on the palace grounds.The Baghdad Pavilion.The domed ceiling inside the Baghdad Pavilion.Smoking room in the Harem.Interior of one of the buildings in the Harem.Forecourt next to the Dormitory of Black Eunuchs, inside the Harem.Room inside the Harem.The Imperial Hall inside the Harem.Tulips in Topkapi Palace.Alemdar Cadesi Street in Istanbul.The Hodjapasha Dance Theater, before the Sema Ceremony.Bottle of Turkish white wine made from Narince grapes.The Theodosian Walls, which were built in 413 AD.A tower on the Theodosian Walls.Looking down at Edirne’s border gate on the Theodosian Walls.Mihrimah Sultan Mosque, under reconstruction after the 1999 earthquake.Mosaic inside the Church of the Holy Savior in Chora.Another mosaic inside the Church of the Holy Savior in Chora.Painting depicting the foundation of the Ottoman State.Painting depicting the birth of the Turkish flag.Diorama depicting the Ottomans conquering Constantinople.An Ottoman iron helmet from the 16th-century AD.Ottoman shield from the 17th-century AD, made from wrapping silk thread over each willow branch.Turkish swords.An American heavy machine gun from the 19th-century AD.Uniform used by Ekrem Akömer during his service as aide-de-camp in the Prussian army during World War I.A 1907 Model French machine gun and an Ottoman uniform, similar to those used during the Gallipoli Campaign in World War I.Example of a Turkish Hamam, found in the Military Museum.A Krupp Mark, fixed cannon.A bottle of Turkish red wine made from Boğazkere grapes.Riot police in Istanbul, containing the protestors on May 1st.Looking across the Bosphorus, at the Asian side of Istanbul and Maiden’s Tower.Meclis-i-Mebusan street, near Dolmabahçe Palace – usually full of vehicular traffic, but now with only a few pedestrians.A deserted street on May 1st in Istanbul.Turkish red wine made from Boğazkere and Öküzgözü grapes.Roundabout in Beşiktaş.İskender kebap with a salad, bread, minced spices, and yogurt.
