I was in Turkey in January.  I spent most of my time in and around Istanbul, a  city of 17 million people.  I had no idea.   For you that have forgotten your history and geography, Istanbul is located on the Bosphorus Straits, which connects the Black Sea and the Mediterranean Sea, and has been of major strategic importance for centuries.  West of the Bosphorus Straits is Europe and East, which constitutes the majority of Turkey, is in Asia.  Not sure how the mail works!

Old Turkey is fascinating with its numerous mosques (most of which are converted catholic cathedrals), Grand Bazaar and the Spice Market (the trading for which was dominated by the Turks).  My personal favorite place was the Basilica Cisterns, an underground water storage area built by the Romans and connected via aqueducts to a water source 17 kilometers away from the heart of the city.  Amazing what they did.

There have be a large number of different rulers and dynasties that inhabited Turkey over the years giving rise to architectural eclecticism and changes over the years.   That has given rise to a some architectural "bone yards" where there were literally tons of "spare parts".  You need a Roman column?  Got it.  A column cap in the 6th century Greco Roman style?  Got it.  A Medusa head base?  Right here.

Ate some really great food while there thanks to some great hosts. What we get over here in the US as representative of Turkish cuisine doesn't do it justice.

Enjoy the photos!  Click on the go to gallery if you want to see some more shots of the Grand Bazaar and Spice Market.  It was a fun place to shoot.