Exporing where East meets West in Türkiye

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Sunday, 12 April 2026 - Our last day in Istanbul began before sunrise with quiet walks among the Blue Mosque, Hagia Sophia, and the ancient Walls of Constantinople. From the mosaics of Chora Church to the colorful streets of Balat, bustling Istiklal Avenue, and the fragrant Spice Bazaar, the day captured the city’s rich blend of Byzantine, Ottoman, and modern life.

On our last day in Istanbul, Cal headed out before sunrise to photograph the city in softer light and with fewer people around. Our hotel was close to all the big attractions, so it was easy to access the sites. It was quiet in the streets before the sun rose.

turkey2026 — The first stop was the Blue Mosque.

Each of the mosque’s six minarets is fluted and topped with a slender conical cap. The four minarets rising at the corners of the prayer hall each have three balconies while the other two at the outer corners of the courtyard have two balconies each.

turkey2026 — The architect used the cascade of domes and semi-domes, combined with more curved and multi-tiered supported elements, to create a softer profile that builds up smoothly towards the summit of the central dome.

turkey2026 — The washing area where worshippers perform Wudu, the ritual purification before prayer.

turkey2026 — A crescent moon between the Blue Mosque towers.

turkey2026 — Looking up one of the towering minarets.

turkey2026 — The central entrance is the most monumental, featuring a tall projecting portal topped by a small dome raised on a drum. A muqarnas, the intricate three-dimensional stone decoration, sits above the doorway. The top inscription panel says, "There is no god but Allah, Muhammad is the Messenger of Allah." The middle inscription says, "O Allah, grant me the prayer, and from my descendants, our Lord, and accept my supplication."

turkey2026 — The Obelisk of Theodosius before the crowds arrived. In the background, the Walled Obelisk (or Constantine's Obelisk) is visible. The building in the background is Ministry of Finance during the Ottoman Empire, now part of Marmara University.

turkey2026 — The Ibrahim Pasha Palace, built in the 16th century, this building was originally the palace of Pargalı Ibrahim Pasha, the Grand Vizier of Sultan Suleiman the Magnificent. It is known for its distinct Ottoman architecture, particularly the prominent wooden balcony with a conical roof seen here.

turkey2026 — An older home that needs some renovation overlooking the Hippodrome of Constantinople.

turkey2026 — Hagia Sophia, undergoing exterior restoration. Originally constructed in the 6th century as a Byzantine cathedral. Hopefully one day we will return to see it without the scaffolding.

turkey2026 — Tomb of Sultan Mehmed III in a courtyard of Hagia Sophia. The structure is a 17th-century Ottoman tomb built for Sultan Mehmed III. It features traditional Ottoman architecture, including curved windows with decorative lattice designs. The facade is adorned with intricate calligraphic inscriptions, featuring verses from the Quran.

turkey2026 — An ornate Ottoman-era entrance, featuring the tughra of Sultan Abdulmejid I. The architecture displays Ottoman Baroque style, characterized by a golden sunburst motif surrounding the Sultan's seal.

turkey2026 — The Fountain of Sultan Ahmed III, a fountain in the great square in front of the Imperial Gate of Topkapı Palace. It was built under Ottoman sultan Ahmed III in 1728, in the style of the Tulip period.

turkey2026 — The Imperial Gate of Topkapı Palace, built in 1478 during the reign of Sultan Mehmed II, served as the formal entrance to the administrative center of the Ottoman Empire.

turkey2026 — Soğuk Çeşme Fountain, an elegant Ottoman-era fountain near the Topkapı Palace.

turkey2026 — A minaret of the Hagia Sophia.

turkey2026 — The Tomb of Sultan Ahmed I adjacent to the Blue Mosque. Its large central dome and classical Ottoman design. Sultan Ahmed I, ruled the Ottoman Empire in the early 17th century.

turkey2026 — Built in the 5th century, the Theodosian Walls protected Constantinople for nearly a thousand years.

This section has been restored.

turkey2026 — The Walls of Constantinople feature characteristic alternating layers of stone blocks and red brick, a technique known as "banded masonry". The structure displays architectural layering from different centuries due to many repairs and modifications over its long history.

turkey2026 — The fortifications of the Walls of Constantinople include a main wall, an outer wall, and 96 watchtowers that were 45 to 60 feet high. They are recognized as a UNESCO World Heritage site and are considered one of the most remarkable feats of ancient military engineering.

turkey2026 — We were driving along the Walls of Constantinople to the Chora Church. There was very little parking, so we were dropped off and walked through an older neighborhood with these Ottoman era wooden homes.

turkey2026 — Formerly Church of St. Saviour in Chóra is renowned worldwide for its well-preserved mosaics and frescoes. Originally a Byzantine church, Chóra later became a mosque, then a museum, and today functions once again as a mosque.

turkey2026 — A close-up of the Chora Church masonry, built with alternating layers of limestone and brick, a hallmark of Byzantine architecture. The cylindrical buttresses provided both structural reinforcement and flexibility against earthquakes.

turkey2026 — Chora Church is known for its well-preserved Byzantine mosaics and frescoes from the early 14th century, which represent a pinnacle of Late Byzantine art.

You can get this picture without going inside, a mosaic of Christ Pantocrator. The mosaic represents Jesus Christ as the "Almighty" or "Ruler of All," a common Byzantine iconographic. The figure is labeled with the Greek inscription "Jesus Christ, the land (chora) of the living".

turkey2026 — Chora Church features a prominent brick arch and buttresses.

turkey2026 — A minaret added after the church was converted into a mosque.

turkey2026 — Fresco depicting the Anastasis (Resurrection of Christ). It shows Christ breaking down the gates of hell and rescuing Adam and Eve from their tombs, a central theme in Byzantine theology.

The artwork was covered with lime plaster and wooden panels after the church was converted into a mosque in the 16th century, which ironically preserved them from destruction until their restoration in the 20th century.

turkey2026 — The central dome along with the ceiling covered in frescoes. Our necks began to ache from looking up at the artwork.

turkey2026 — The Virgin Mary, referred to as the Theotokos or Hodegetria ("She who shows the way"), holding the Christ Child. Mary is dressed in blue garments and holds the Christ Child clothed in gold. Marble frames the scene.

turkey2026 — This mosaic is a scene from the life of the Virgin Mary.

turkey2026 — A different angle of the central dome and ceiling.

turkey2026 — A Byzantine mosaic of Saint Paul, likely dating to around 1320. The mosaic shows Saint Paul holding a book, symbolizing the epistles he wrote.

turkey2026 — Christ Pantocrator mosaic in the center is Christ Pantocrator ("Ruler of All"). The 24 fluted segments radiating from the center depict the ancestors of Christ, the kings of the House of David, and other biblical patriarchs.

turkey2026 — A fresco of the Last Judgment shows Christ in Judgment surrounded by apostles, with the Virgin Mary and John the Baptist interceding for mankind.

turkey2026 — The central figure is a representation of the Virgin Mary, often titled as the Theotokos (Mother of God) or the Chora (Land of the Living), holding the infant Jesus.

turkey2026 — Beautiful ceiling on a smaller dome showing the plaster and the bricks it used to cover.

turkey2026 — We then drove back to downtown Istanbul to the Balat neighborhood.

The bell tower of the Bulgarian St. Stephen Church. Known as the “Iron Church,” the entire structure — including the facade, walls, and bell tower — was constructed from prefabricated cast iron in the late 19th century. It serves the Bulgarian Orthodox community in the city.

turkey2026 — We then strolled through the neighborhood. Here on a café window ledge are ceramic pots. The pots are used in creating a dish called Testi Kebabı. A dish from the Cappadocia region consists of meat (usually lamb or beef) and vegetables that are slow-cooked inside a sealed clay pot.

turkey2026 — A building in the area - all the buildings were colorfully painted and decorated.

turkey2026 — Looming over the homes is the Phanar Greek Orthodox College (the "Red School"). Founded in 1454, just one year after the fall of Constantinople, it is the oldest surviving and most prestigious Greek Orthodox school in the city. Rebuilt between 1881 and 1883, the structure is an example of eclectic architecture, featuring a prominent red-brick façade and a fortress-like design.

turkey2026 — Very festive flower boxes on a building which could use some restoration.

turkey2026 — Colorful doors on a café.

turkey2026 — Bustling İstiklal Avenue, a historic pedestrian street lined with late Ottoman-era buildings.

turkey2026 — The Church of St. Anthony of Padua is the largest Roman Catholic Church in Istanbul. Built between 1906 and 1912 in a Venetian Neolithic style using red brick. The church is run by Italian priests.

turkey2026 — The mosaic located above the main entrance of the Church of St. Anthony of Padua. The Virgin Mary at the center, flanked by two figures, likely saints, in a scene of devotion.

turkey2026 — The statue is the Virgin Mary with her hands clasped in prayer.

turkey2026 — A street vendor preparing Macun, a traditional Turkish sweet often called "Ottoman candy". This street food is a soft, colorful toffee paste historically believed to have medicinal properties.

turkey2026 — Fruits for a juice vendor - there were many along the streets.

turkey2026 — We arrived at the bustling Galata Tower built by the Genoese in 1348 as a watchtower and once known as the “Tower of Christ.”

turkey2026 — We then walked quite a way, across the Golden Horn on the Galata Bridge to the Spice Bazaar.

The main entrance to the Spice Bazaar, completed in 1664 as part of the nearby New Mosque complex. It is one of the largest and most famous covered markets in the city, traditionally specializing in spices, nuts, herbs, and Turkish delight.

turkey2026 — The Spice Bazaar was very busy, as overwhelming as the Grand Bazaar. The smells of the spice stalls were treats to the nose.

turkey2026 — Damask rose buds alongside dried herbal tea leaves.

turkey2026 — And of course there were plenty of Evil Eyes for sale. According to local folklore, these blue-and-white glass beads are used to ward off the "evil eye," a curse believed to be caused by envious glares.

turkey2026 — Virginia Ann walks past a candy store in the Spice Bazaar.

turkey2026 — Many spice stores.

turkey2026 — A wide variety of spices piled high in hundreds of small stores.

turkey2026 — On our last night in Istanbul, Cal ventured out at sunset to photograph the Blue Mosque.

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