View over the Sultanahmet district of Istanbul showing the entrance to the Bosphorous from the Sea of Marmara with the Princes Islands in the background. We can see Asia on the left and Europe to the right with the Galata Tower in the foreground and beyond it the Blue Mosque across the entrance to the Golden Horn waterway.
A week in our favorite city was just what the doctor ordered. The fact that it coincided with heavy rain at home in Spain was an added bonus.
Istanbul is a vibrant and dynamic urban conurbation of 17 million people. It straddles the Bosphorous, a shipping passage from the Sea of Marmara to the Black Sea and which separates Europe from Asia. The best way to see Istanbul is on foot and we walk many miles soaking up the atmosphere of its bazaars and markets, back streets and boulevards, mosques and palaces. The Sultanahmet area with its Blue Mosque, Topkapi Palace and Hagia Sofia Museum is renowned for its beauty and is just a short walk away from the famous Grand Bazaar and Spice Markets. We have long since learned to avoid paying silly tourist prices in these areas however and can find excellent value food and drink in places that the locals frequent.
Istanbul is a vibrant and dynamic urban conurbation of 17 million people. It straddles the Bosphorous, a shipping passage from the Sea of Marmara to the Black Sea and which separates Europe from Asia. The best way to see Istanbul is on foot and we walk many miles soaking up the atmosphere of its bazaars and markets, back streets and boulevards, mosques and palaces. The Sultanahmet area with its Blue Mosque, Topkapi Palace and Hagia Sofia Museum is renowned for its beauty and is just a short walk away from the famous Grand Bazaar and Spice Markets. We have long since learned to avoid paying silly tourist prices in these areas however and can find excellent value food and drink in places that the locals frequent.
Typical Istanbul scene, the grand Mosque of Sulemaniye looms large over the waterfront ferries and floating restaurants.
The Blue Mosque at night.
The six minarets of the Blue Mosque are quite distinctive as four is the norm. It was once a contentious issue as it was thought to upstage the Grand Mosque of Mecca itself until an extra minaret was added there.
The Sultan Ahmed Mosque is commonly referred to as "Blue" due to the extensive blue tile work of the interior.
The Sultan Ahmed Mosque is commonly referred to as "Blue" due to the extensive blue tile work of the interior.
Birds
Rose-ringed Parakeet juvenile
Although we were not on a birding holiday I am always on the lookout for a photo opportunity and with a little patience the Rose-ringed Parakeets in the grounds of the Topkapi are quite easy to shoot. The male of this African species is a very exotic bird with a long blue-tinged tail, large red beak and rose-red and black rings around the neck
 Rose-ringed Parakeets |  |  Male parakeet listening to his mate in the hole. |
| Another interesting City bird is the little Laughing Dove, so called because of its chuckling call. Smaller than other dove species it quite a colourful and elegant variety. Western Turkey, particularly Istanbul, is the only European stronghold of this classic desert oases species.  Laughing Doves - streptopelia senegalensis |  Laughing Dove - streptopelia senegalensis |
Hooded Crow
The Hooded Crow-corvus cornix pallescens can be seen on virtually every street of Istanbul. In Britain it is a very shy and wary species inhabiting moors and open woodland and wild hill country. It is reputed to attack lambing ewes and lambs and is something of an outlaw which has been hunted quite remorselessly. In Istanbul however it is bold and inquisitive. Highly intelligent and adaptable it scavenges successfully along with sparrows, gulls and feral pigeons.
Feral Pigeon
The ubiquitous Feral Pigeon, descendant of the Rock Dove, is another common City bird. It prefers the proximity of large stone buildings, presumably a throwback to its ancestors which lived and bred on steep sided cliffs and rocky shores. Here we see them clinging to the walls of the New Mosque in downtown Istanbul.
Back Street Birding - Elena and the Chickens
People
Istanbul is great for people watching. There is a multitude of ethnic and religious communities all living in apparently peaceful harmony. Turkey is predominantly Muslim but officially secular. Residents of Istanbul may exhibit a completely Westernised culture with designer jeans and modern chic fashion common in the wine bars, night clubs and pubs on lively Istiklal Street. There are however many Muslim traditionalists who observe the modest traditional Islamic dress code. Although the hijab (Head scarf) is banned in universities and schools, 11% of women wear it, and 60% wear traditional non-Islamic headscarves, which are often confused with hijab. Generally speaking women dress quite modestly and men conservatively but with style and flair.
Istanbul ladies
Istanbul ladies
 Istanbul Style |  Turkish Delight |
 Sisters |  Roma woman |  Mother & Daughter |
Hasta Luego Istanbul, we will return.
