I was at first a bit sceptic about going on a bus tour in Turkey. I have always looked at Turkey as a ticking bomb, politically and religiously. My interest for history and my wanderlust pushed me forward though. There are so many historically important places in Turkey and I could spend many weeks there if I had time and money. My route was not that big though and I can not remember all the names of the different towns. I will try to give you idea of how the route went.
My route: Istanbul-Gallipoli-Canakkale-Troia-Bergama-Izmir-Kusadasi-Pamukkale-Konya-Ankara-Istanbul.
The Blue Mosque in Istanbul.
Inside Hagia Sofia. It is hard to imagine that this building was constructed in the year 537. It has been used by christians as a church but also the muslims as a mosque. Sadly the Ottomans destroyed a lot of the old christian relics and mosaics in the church when they took the city. The round spot on the floor (lower right in the picture) was the place where Byzantine Emperors was crowned. Definitely a place you must see whenever you are in Istanbul.
Some of the old christian mosaics have been uncovered.
The Basilica Cistern is the biggest cistern in Istanbul and it was built in the 6th century. It was a very interesting place. Come to think of it, it was as if I walked into the underworld :-p
View of the Bosporus strait and the bridge that connects Europe and Asia. The Ottoman Palace is the vantage point. The palace is not as interesting or as old as Hagia Sofia but still got some historic value. This was the place the Ottoman rulers greeted foreign envoys and diplomats. It is pretty huge and it takes a while to go through it and especially if you look at every nook and cranny of the place.
Part of the palace.
If you want to see these places then be ready to stand in line for a while.
The next part will be about my visit to one of the biggest and most deadly battlefields of the 1st world war.
Have a nice day :-)
Hello @supertramper . Turkey has lots of historical places to see. I hope you will have lots of fun in your trip. Followed you.
Thanks. Did this trip back in 2013 I think. Would not do it now with all the stuff happening in Turkey nowadays. Appreciate any follower who find my posts interesting :-)
The cistern is stunning. Great picture. It feels so cold and quiet.
It was definitely an interesting place. Like going back in time to the roman empire.... :-)
That's so cool. Ancient cultures have to be one of my favorite things to study. I'm just so curious. I always start daydreaming about walking around in the old towns. Rome would have been a sight to see back then.
Rome was be magnificent I am sure :-)
Very nice travelogue @supertramper, and some very good photography. Please provide some info on your equipment and exposure data. Upvoted, resteemed, followed & DPS.
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Thanks :-) These photos were taken in 2013 I think so I could not say too much about exposure data and such. However I used a Sony Alpha 57. You can pick any photo you wish for the "Daily Photo Section". I am sure at least one of my photos is worth reposting :-) Thanks again, appreciate the feedback :-)
Thank you @supertramper.
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