Istanbul (2/6)
At the end of May 2002 I had the chance of a short break in Istanbul. This was my first visit to Turkey.
Near to the Blue Mosque is a long narrow park called the Hippodrome. The picture shows the Egyptian Obelisk located there, brought to Constantinople in AD 390.
The guide then took us to a Turkish carpet shop. Here the proprietor is explaining how the carpets are made.
We then left the guide for a while to look around the Grand Bazaar. This is the world's largest covered market with over four thousand shops and is very busy. The beautifully decorated ceiling shows clearly in this picture.
After lunch we visited Suleymaniye mosque, completed around 1557 it is considered to be the finest Ottoman building in Istanbul.
We then continued to Topkapi Palace, the former residence and seat of Government of the Ottoman sultans. Here is the main entrance gate.
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