Photos from the Turkish leg of our trip — June 16th–24th. We spent time in Istanbul and visiting archeological sites in Southwestern Turkey.

  • Our hotel, Empress Zoe, next to the ruin of a Turkish bath
  • Our room
  • Iconic Room Art
  • Yeni Akbiyak Caddesi (White Mustache Street)
  • Aya Sofya (Hagia Sophia) built in 537 A.D.
  • The Blue Mosque
  • Calligraphy on the Blue Mosque
  • Inside Blue Mosque
  • Circumcision Candidates
  • Respectful Barbara
  • Minaret with noisy loudspeakers
  • Obelisk (Tuthmose III) raised in the 4th century
  • Base showing placing the Obelisk
  • Four Seasons Hotel, nearby
  • Dining Al fresco at Balikçi Sabahattin. We loved the fish and so did the cats!
  • Istanbul University
  • Across the Bosphorus to the Asian side
  • Entering the Spice Bazaar
  • Spices & Caviars in the background
  • Fabulously fragrant
  • No comment
  • Underground Cistern
  • Happy Medusa with a Headache
  • Mosque of Sulieman the Magnificent
  • Renovation
  • Barbara at dinner with the Srokas: Rebecca, Bob & Barbara
  • Dinner Menu!
  • Dinner up in Flames
  • Topkapi in the moonlight
  • Topkapi Gate of Salutation
  • Executioner’s Handbasin
  • Bosphorus toward the Sea of Marmara from Topkapi
  • Bosphorus Bridge toward the Black Sea (first bridge to connect two continents)
  • Nick & Bosphorus
  • Barbara
  • Rivan Pavilion built by Sultan Murat IV
  • Rivan Pavilion tiles
  • River pebbles on the floor of the Domed Portico
  • Topkapi feral cat
  • Commuter Ferries at Eminönü (The Golden Horn)
  • More casual commuters
  • Yenïkoy: A village dating from Byzantine times
  • Egyptian Consulate
  • Private waterfront mansions
  • Jumping in!
  • Next day, new room at the Empress Zoe
  • Sea of Marmara from the roof of the Empress Zoe
  • Hi!
  • Aya Sofya from Empress Zoe
  • First Mosiac on entering Aya Sofya