The Mediterranean Adventure: Part I (Turkey)

So, a new post after a long time, and this is going to be about one of my first trips abroad to Turkey and Greece!
Bosporus Bridge 
Back in 2006, we decided to visit these two Mediterranean countries to soak in the rich history, the magnificent architecture and the bright, blue sea. We first visited the Turkish city of Istanbul (to date it remains my favourite city ever, something that I don't see changing for a while).
Istanbul is beautiful in many different ways. As the only city to span two continents, it holds a unique place in history as the gateway to Asia for European empires, and the gateway to Europe for Asian empires, and yet today's Istanbul stands united both geographically and culturally. It is a symbol of harmony with grand mosques built into derelict churches, and palaces overlooking bustling streets and skyscrapers. Istanbul's atmosphere is unique to the city itself, something that is hard to replicate elsewhere.
Blue Mosque
Hagia Sofia
We visited the three great mosques of the city; the Hagia Sofia, which was built inside a Byzantine church when the Ottomans took hold of the city; the Blue Mosque, which stands tall, topped by its blur domes; and the Suleimaniye Mosque named after the great Ottoman emperor Suleiman II. We also visited the two palaces that adorn Istanbul; the Topkapi Palace, the abode of the Ottomans; and the Dolmabache Palace.
Suleimaniye Mosque
'From Russia with Love' Poster (LOL)
We also took in the beautiful scenery of the city of Istanbul as we drove up to edge of the Black Sea, and took the cruise down to some picturesque islands in the Bosporus Strait. Our guide took us to the Basilica Cistern, an underground water system where the James Bond movie, 'From Russia with Love' was shot!
The last thing we did in Istanbul involved a lot of shopping as we visited the Grand Bazaar and the Spice Bazaar.

(P.S. - Sorry for not having many good pictures, it was a long time ago and I'm having a hard time finding pictures)

(P.P.S. - Wait for Part II on Greece to come out soon!)

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