Istanbul
The Sublime Metropolis
Istanbul is a city of many names: Lygos, Byzantium, and Constantinople to name a few. Having been continuously inhabited since the 7th century B.C., Istanbul has been the capital of three major empires over the course of histroy: the Romans, the Byzantines, and the Ottomans. Situated across the edges of Europe and Asia, and now home to the Turks, its streets pulse with a wild and vibrant beat - one formed from centuries of being at the center of where Eastern and Western civilization converge.
Two seagulls flying in front of the Hagia Sophia.
A group of musicians playing on the Marmaray, the longest line of Istanbul's Metro system.
A shot of the Suleymaniye Mosque standing guard over the northern side of Eminönü.
A young Syrian boy with his garbage cart. The city of Istanbul informally hires Syrian refugees to act as garbage collectors - most of which are younger than 14.
A flock of seagulls circling around a fish market at the north end of the Golden Horn at sunset.
Fatih
Old Istanbul
If one district could represent the heart of ancient Istanbul, it is undoubtedly the district of Fatih. Today, Fatih covers much of the terrority of "Old Istanbul" - the impregnable, peninsular city bordered by strong walls and mighty waterways. Fatih was the center of governance for the Romans, Byzantines, and Ottomans, and is home to wonderous landmarks like the Hagia Sophia, beautiful vistas of the Bosphorus, and a sprawling labyrinth of multi-storied, victorian-era Ottoman buildings.
A painting on a wall of the Fatih metro station foreshadowing the kind of structures travelers will soon stumble upon.
A group of tourists and affluent Turks sipping chai and coffee at the tables of an expensive hotel.
The top of an old and ornate building from the late Ottoman Empire.
The gargantuan Hagia Sophia towering over both Fatih and the many tourists that the district attracts.
A slightly leaning minaret.
The front of the Hagia Sophia. In Greek, Hagia means "holy," and Sophia means "wisdom."
The Eastern side of the Hagia Sophia.
Constructed in the 5th century AD by Byzantine Emporer Justinian, the Hagia Sophia was once the largest church in the world.
A secluded garden beyond the Hagia's Sophia's walls.
One of the Hagia Sophia's southern porticos.
A flock of seagulls amidst a minaret.
A soaring gull.
A vista of the Bosphorus & the Asian side of the city.
The Blue Mosque situated across the street from the Hagia Sophia
A view of the Blue Mosque from Fatih's fountain plaza.
The cherry blossum gardens that lie between the Blue Mosque and Hagia Sophia.
Caferiye street - the main means of transport between Fatih and Eminönü.
A Turkish dessert shop (known as a Lokum) on Caferiye street.
Piles of traditional pomegranate, pistachio, chocolate, and other Turkish delights in a lokum.
Kadıköy
The Village of the Judge
Kadıköy is a district on the Asian side of Istanbul. Formerly known as Chalcedon in antiquity, it frequently changed hands over the centuries as Persians, Bithynians, Romans, Byzantines, Arabs, Crusaders, and Turks passed through the area. Kadıköy is now Istanbul's most liberal neighborhood, and its crowded streets and sprawling cafes are packed with Istanbul's young artists, musicians, and students.
The center of Kadıköy on a normal weekday.
Turks going about their daily business.
A mosque's white minaret serving as a unique landmark in Kadıköy's urban sprawl.
A sea of people navigating through Kadıköy's commercial core.
Turks traversing through Kadıköy's busy city blocks.
A group of Turkish friends admiring a photographer,
A side street clad with restaurants.
A row of colorful apartment façades.
Turks and tourists inspecting a wall lined with art.
A busy intersection leading to Kadıköy's main market area.
A young woman in a robe walking with her friend through a street filled with shops.
The contents of a traditional Turkish delicatessen.
A cafe-lined street in the shade.
A group of people heading into Kadıköy's center from the ferry ports.
A woman selling flowers to passerbys near one of Kadıköy's Bosphorus-bound ferry terminals.
A man grilling fresh fish and making sandwhiches with his friend.
A street musician playing his guitar at Kadıköy's waterfront with the district of Fatih across the Bosphorus.
A motorcyclist looking at a honking car behind him at sunset.
Moda
A Hidden Escape
Moda is a small neighborhood on the southern shore of Kadıköy. Its quiet and serene streets, which are covered by canopies of verdant trees, serve as a reprieve from the dense crowds and busy cafes of Kadıköy's center. As one walks southward past Moda's many high-end apartments, the sounds of motors begin to fade away, and one is quickly left with one's thoughts, the squaks of seagulls, and gorgeous views of the Sea of Marmara.
A tunnel of green leading to Moda's waterfront.
People enjoying a nice day by the water.
A Turkish mariner dipping his hand in the water.
Moda's ferry terminal being circled by seagulls.
Waiting for a ferry at a quiet time of day.
A ferry worker taking a break.
Moda's neighborhood reflected in the windows of a ferry boat.
A view of the Sea of Marmara from the rear of a ferry's upper deck.
The
Bosphorus
A Dividing Line
The Bosphorus is Istanbul's most defining geographical feature: A massive strait that bisects the city into two halves. Bosphorus means "cattle passage" in Latin, and is a reference to the Greek mythological story of Io, who was transformed into a cow and condemned to wander the Earth until she crossed the Bosphorus. This vital waterway has been fought over for centuries, and is of unparalleled strategic and economical importance to both Istanbul and the nations surrounding Turkey.
A wide view of the European side of the city from a ferry.
The Hızır Reis taking passengers up the Bosphorus.
A shot of the Galata bridge from the intersection of the Bosphorus and the Golden Horn.
A ferry boat and a cargo ship sailing north.
A sunset over the Bosphorus.
Eminönü
The Gateway to the East
Eminönü sits at the location of the oldest part of Istanbul. Positioned at the southern shore of the Golden Horn, Eminönü has served as the city's oldest port and hub of trade. The district is home to many sights, like the Grand Bazaar, which served as the Westernmost terminus of the Silk Road. Eminönü's countless ferry docks, floating tea shops, and endless rows of merchants make it one of Istanbul's busiest and most exotic districts.
A view of the Suleymaniye Mosque towering over Eminönü's busy outdoor market and floating tea shops.
The enterance to the Grand Bazaar's southern end, otherwise known as the Spice Market.
A stall in the Grand Bazaar selling spices, teas and other assorted goods.
Rows of baklava in the front of another shopkeeper's stall.
A larger stall with cabinets full of spices and other luxurious treats.
A wide corrider that connects the rest of the Grand Bazaar with the Spice Market's northern enterance.
The majority of the Grand Bazaar is a vast network of streets lined with multi-storied buildings that host a plethora of open air shops. This is one such street.
A flower store in the Grand Bazaar.
More shops toward the Bazaar's eastern border.
A shot of the Galata tower from Eminönü's outdoor market.
The north end of the New Mosque across from the Bazaar near sundown.
Columns that surround the edges the New Mosque's courtyard.
The domes of the New Mosque's roof.
One of the New Mosque's minarets.
A Turk performing his ceremonial washing in the courtyard before evening prayers.
The New Mosque's courtyard in the blue shadows of an evening sun.
The Galata tower and the northern end of the Galata bridge at sunset. This bridge juts across the Golden Horn and connects Eminönü to Galata.
People on the Galata bridge taking photos of the sunset.
Ferry boats in front of the Haliç metro bridge and a distant Fatih mosque.
A lone boat sailing through the sun-soaked waters of the Golden Horn.
Two more boats sailing westward along the Horn.
The Golden Horn at a golden hour.
The New and Suleymaniye Mosuqe at dusk on the eastern end of Eminönü.
Galata
An Ancient Holdout
During the days of Constantinople, the Galata district came under Genoese rule as one of their colonies. But after the fall of the Byzantines, the Turks gradually transformed the district into the financial hub of their new Ottoman empire - all built around the famous Genoese Tower that once served as the primary stronghold of the district. Remnants of Galata's financial history still stand, as massive, victorian-era banks made of chisled stone still line the hilly streets.
A view of the Galata tower from the ferry stop at the north end of the Golden Horn.
Two women deciding wether to sit down for an afternoon cup of coffee.
Façades of buildings built in the late Ottoman Empire. Formerly used as banks, buildings like these are now frequently used as consulates.
A large Turkish flag draped over a governmental building.
Traditional Ottoman sitting rooms and balconies jutting out of ornate apartment buildings.
An old smokestack towering above a Galata neighborhood.
A small road meandering down a steep hill.
A cafe situated on a quiet street.
The Galata Tower standing stalwart.
The Tower in the evening sun.
A vibrant street leading away from the Galata Tower.
A sunset over a Galata hillside.
Groups of people gathered to watch the setting sun.
Two friends next to a bike.
The sun caressing an old building's façade.
An election billboard accompanied by patriotic flags.
The back of a young Turkish boy's head.
One of the Hiliç metro bridge's two towers at dusk.
The inside of the Hiliç metro bridge with the Suleymaniye Mosque in the background.
Taksim
The Beating Heart
Though Fatih represented the heart of Old Istanbul, times have changed. Now, Taksim is regarded as the center of Istanbul commerically, economically, and culturally. Just north of the Galata district, Taksim boasts many similar features to its southern neighbor, like its sprawling grid of Ottoman-era imperial buildings. However, Taksim has cultivated its own kind of Turkish identity - one that flirts with both moderntiy and the nation's past.
People walking down and up the famous Siraselviler street.
The top of the Taksim Mosque.
Siraselviler at evening.
Young boys hitching a ride on one of Taksim's street trams.
Onlookers inspecting the desserts of a Hazır Mustafa shop at sundown.
The Republic Monument at Taksim's core, which illustrates the founding of the Turkish nation.