1989
Istanbul
The Bosphorus
The south side of the Golden Horn, near the Galata Bridge.
Fish sellers, with the Sancta Sophia in the far distance.
The Grand Bazaar
The Grand Bazaar started as a small bedesten or
warehouse built in the time of Mehmet the Conqueror (reigned 1451-1481), and
now comprises over four thousand shops, several kilometers of streets, mosques,
banks, police stations, restaurants and workshops.
The Blue Mosque
Built by Sultan Ahmet I (1603-1617), with the aim of surpassing the Sancta Sophia.
The Sancta Sophia
The Church of the Holy Wisdom (Hagia Sofia in Greek, Ayasofya
in Turkish) was not named for a saint; sofia means
wisdom. Built by Emperor Justinian (572-565) in an effort to restore the
greatness of the Roman Empire.
The large medallions inscribed with gilt Arabic letters were
added in the 17th Century. The calligraphy
inscriptions are reads the names of God (Allah), Muhammad and the early caliphs
Ali and Abu Bakr.
Mosaic inside the Sancta Sophia.
Ephesus
The Library of Celsus
Carefully restored by the German Archaeological Institute.
Stone Tablet
In the Museum of Inscriptions, housed in a temple dedicated to the Emperor Domitian (81-96 AD).
Pamukkale
Travertines
The travertines form shallow pools supported by stalactites, and filled with warm, calcium-rich mineral waters.
Close-up view of a travertine.
The Mediterranean Coast
Kaş
The quintessential Turkish seaside village.
Cappadocia
Göreme Valley
Volcanic eruptions spread a thick layer of hot volcanic ash
over the region, and the ash hardened to a soft, porous stone called tuff.
Over
eons of geological time, erosion by wind, water and sand wore away portions of
the tuff, carving it into elaborate and unearthly shapes.
Troglodyte dwellings carved in the tuff by Cappadocians hiding from invaders from Europe.
Decoration inside a cave church.