Istanbul, Turkey :: Pictures Part 2

More pictures from our trip to Istanbul:

One of my favorite sites... basilica cistern

Very lovely and massive. It is completely underground.

There were hundreds of carp. I don't think they have ever seen sunlight.

Medusa's head.

A pigeon at the Pet Market, part of the Spice Market.

Tiny turtles.

Curious toucan.

Ducklings.

At the Spice Market.

Delicious dried dates, figs, apricots, and more...

Sea of Marmara.

Outside of topkapi palace.

View of the Sea from Topkapi Palace.

At the archaeological museum.

This was interesting. For 5 Lira, a rooster picked my fortune and a bunny picked Matt's fortune. What did my fortune say? "You got tired for the last days but you still don't perceive your own state. This exhausting work can put your health in danger. You're admired by two people but you don't even notice them." Interesting!
Matt's fortune: "O! Owner of fortune: You're in straits nowdays but don't worry you will sort out everything and feel happy. It is seen generosity by someone."

Crowded streets in the New District.

Seafood dinner on the last night in Istanbul. Delicious. The host brought out a platter of 15-20 different mezes (appetizers) to choose from. I picked stuffed muscles and Matt got rice filled grape leaves. He then brought out a platter of fresh whole fish to choose from. We picked a Kırlangıç, a kind of rock fish. It was the most expensive meal of our lives. We didn't know you had to buy the whole fish until after we chose. Total cost of dinner: 190 Lira! You can do the currency conversion HERE. Nutty!

Whew! An exhausting trip! More pictures in our Flickr photostream and I'll add more later.

Istanbul, Turkey :: Pictures Part 1

Matt and I took tons of pictures from our trip to Istanbul. I'm sorting through them all and it's going to take a while, so I thought I'd post in batches between work today. :)
We stayed in Istanbul for 1 week and left right before riots broke out not too far from where we were staying in the Old District. We were just blocks from the Blue Mosque and Hagia Sophia. We rented a charming 2 bedroom apartment that came with a generously sized bathroom, kitchen, dining room and living area. The modern conveniences were a nice touch. I'll look for the contact information and post here when I get the chance.
The trip was very different and I especially enjoyed the cuisine, although I'm pretty much burned out on lamb and kebab for a long time. We visited mosques, museums, the Grand Bazaar, the Spice market, and many other sights.

Hagia Sophia

One of the entrances to the Grand Bazaar.

Inside the Grand Bazaar.

I really liked the lamp shops....

Matt liked the brass and copper.

Looking at meerschaum pipes.

Wearing my new necklace from the Grand Bazaar.

Many trinkets and odds and ends.

More Hagia Sophia shots...

Cute stray dog. We were surprised at how many cats there were on the streets. They'd walk under our tables at restaurants, sleep on public benches, climb everywhere... Many stray dogs too.

Inside the Blue Mosque

Inside Hagia Sophia.

Restoration work... very tall scaffolding.

Intricate details everywhere.

Walking up to the second level of Hagia Sophia.

Under all the plaster were these very intricate tile mosaics. Very beautiful.

More photos to come!