ISTANBUL STREET ART...

 Having nephews who appreciate street art & body adornments,
this post is dedicated to street art!

(ALL art was found in Istanbul)

bold & thin line lettering!

lettering = AMAZING!

Roger Rabbit & his motorcycle...

Mr. Spray Can...

building art near Galatasaray High School!

art in the alley way!

Spider Man & a modern woman...

(Bosphorus Strait)

Artist name? or musical instrument?

(at the bottom of the Galata Tower)

street art requires skill & talent... I can barely manage a paintbrush,

SO, I know using a spray can to create art must be a lot more difficult!!

STREET FOOD... ISTANBUL

SLE (Steph) suggested I try pomegranate juice from a street vendor!

Oh my, it was delicious! a bit thick, with some pulp. It was very refreshing!

roasted corn (on the cob)!

we observed children eating this as a snack!

round bagel-like breads with sesame seeds on top!

an example of  a street vendor selling pomegranate juice.

Some people like a bit of orange juice added to sweeten the rich, red juice.

The vendors cut the fruit in half & squeeze the juice into a cup.

We watched this woman roll out a thin bread (similar to a flour tortilla)...

she added spinach & cheese then folded it in half!

(JPE also had her add potato to his sandwich)

she plopped it on the warm grill until the cheese got warm & melty!

yummy!

(yep! we looked like tourists with our cameras around our necks!)

NATIONAL HOLIDAY....

REPUBLIC DAY - October 29th

(Cumhuriyet Bayrami)

like the US, Turkey displays their national flag on REPUBLIC DAY!

even restaurants displayed large flags.

JPE & I had one of our "tastiest meals" while visiting Istanbul.

line up of students participating in a Republic Day parade.

flag displayed on a historical building.

Istiklal  Caddesi means "Independence Street"

(New District - modern section of Istanbul)

street sign

the rest stop on the way to Ankara

Turkish people are very patriotic!

our group celebrating at Taksim Square

GRAB YOUR FISHING POLE...

view from the breakfast room - AZADE HOTEL, Istanbul

why are all these boats in one area?

the fisherman are ALL fishing for bonita...

seems like it could be pretty competitive with everyone trying to catch the same fish??

tossing his line out!

The once abundant native fish are becoming scare (due to large fishing boats);
so fisherman have been known to become territorial about their fishing spots...
yelling at others who scare their fish away (or are trying to fish in the same area).

the Fish Market is still alive in the evening!

Do you suppose the fish go on sale as the evening gets later?

along the waterfront are boats that cook the day's catch &
sell it wrapped in a pita-type bread!

assembly-line for the dockside fish!

a typical fast food meal!

ON EVERY CORNER!

BLUE MOSQUE

located two blocks from our Istanbul hotel

Visiting MOSQUES & learning about Islam was a key factor in taking this Rick Steve's Tour!

Our tour guide, Mert, (raised by his parents in the Muslim & Jewish faith) has been sharing the similarities & differences between the religions of the world! It's been truly enlightening... 
Mert completed his graduate degree (Bible Studies) in Dublin, Ireland, so we couldn't have asked for a more knowledgeable tour guide...

HAGIA SOPHIA

(the name means "divine wisdom")

faces the Blue Mosque

 Muslims pray five times a day. Speakers located on the minarets (tall, slender columns) announce the call to prayer... with the exact times of prayer changing every day, depending on the position of the sun. 

a mosque can be an elaborate design or something very simple. 
Simply stated, a mosque is a place of worship!!

Mosque of Suleyman
overlooks the city & dominates the skyline during the day & night...

the beauty of the mosque(s) takes your breath away!
& the 'call to prayer' is a constant reminder that 98% of Turkish people are Muslims.

Also, to confirm a statement from SLE, there APPEARS to be a mosque in every neighborhood.

A COLORFUL DAY!

simply beautiful... smells incredible...

SPICE MARKET exploring!

saffron is NOT yellow, but BRILLIANT red!

dissolved in water - saffron turns yellow!

Turks love their tea!

delicious apple tea for a drizzly, damp day of sightseeing!

open bins of tea!

Rick Steve's recommends you purchase fresh spices, teas, nuts and fruits

BUT have them vacuum packed

so you don't run the risk of

losing your purchases when you reenter the US

purchased soup spice for our winter soups

your MUST include a visit to the Spice Market

(if you get to Istanbul)

see you tomorrow!

MEN OF TURKEY...

In Taksim Square is a monument dedicated to Ataturk - the Turkish president (often referred to as the George Washington of the Turks)...

the view down Istiklal Street (New District)

men - traveling in groups!
women - with their husbands

 a little hookah & backgammon?

making a living... (wanna buy a bubble maker?)

selling lottery tickets...

how could you not leave a tip for this sweet musician?

more to follow!