A handful of men stand on the shore of the calm strait, each holding a fishing rod and a bucket to contain the catch. Some look pensive, others uneasy. Curious with the water I come closer to see what lies beneath. Surprisingly it reveals small […]
All posts filed under: West
Istanbul: A Feline’s Paradise
As I wander around the neighborhood of Beyoğlu, I point my camera and snap some pictures of the magnificent Galata Tower, then I spot a cat. I come closer, caress him until he purrs and seems really content, then I move back to the tower, […]
Grand Palaces of the Ottomans
The steep cobblestone street that raises up on the right side of the expansive Gülhane Park is filled with stone artifacts from the Byzantine era, all lined up on one side of the street creating an outdoor exhibition of the fragments from the city’s long […]
Istanbul’s Roman Footprints
The 55 stone steps take me to a vast underground opening where rows of floodlit columns are partially submerged under the clear freshwater. Grey fish – some are bigger than a cat and never see the sun – roam around the submerged columns, undisturbed by […]
The Architectural Marvels of Constantinople
From the outside it is a structure of plain layers of bricks protruding from the exposed weathered pink wall, supporting a massive dome flanked by four minarets varying in size and color. A dull outer narthex with a more elegant marble-walled inner narthex separate the […]
Istanbul, A Prologue
Crisp winter air caresses my face, a delightful sensory sensation after a 14-hour flight escaping the tropical humidity. The sun has just started to peek into the sky a few moments earlier, leaving a warm hue coloring blocks of apartments with bright tint. The minivan […]
What an Amazing World! 