Turkey : Exotic Cities and Landscapes

I’ve wanted to go to Turkey since I was 15 when I learn about the Hagia Sofia in high school history class. Later on in College, I learn that Constantinople, the old name, is supposedly one of the best example city of adaptive reuse. It was the capitol of the eastern Roman Empire. Once a Christian city with Hagia Sofia as its central Cathedral, it was eventually sacked by the Ottomans and later the Turks. It was rename Istanbul and is now predominantly muslim. Instead of tearing everything down, its religious architecture were converted to serve a different religion. Hence the minaret on the Hagia Sofia…

Wiki has plenty of info about the history: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/History_of_Istanbul

For me, this trip allowed me to see into the pass as I visited different cities around Turkey. From Istanbul to Cappadocia then Pamukkale, each had their unique histories, architecture and diversity of landscapes. Cappadocia has a collection of weird landscapes and “mushroom” like rock spires, where as Pamukkale has a collection of calcium carbonate hot spring travertines. Below are some images that highlight the trip.

Istanbul

A city at work

Cats Everywhere

Fishing is very popular

Galata Tower

Hagia Sophia and the Blue Mosque

Cistern — Often stored the water necessary when the city was in siege.

Inside the Hogia Sophia

Inside the Blue Mosque

Cappadocia

Morning Balloon Ride

Early Christian homes constructed on the side of mountains

Early underground Christian cities

A town along the Silk Road

Pamukkale

Calcium carbonate hot spring travertines. Hot water up top, freezing water at the bottom

Details in macro scale

You can stay at the top and look down, or you can walk up in the pools barefoot. Its very cold at the bottom….

View from the top

The Roman Ruins and Cleopatra’s pool

sunset

Sunset Details

Istanbul