November 2011. Sky is low and a cold wind is blowing through the streets of Istanbul. Straddling both Europe and Asia, Turkey's capital is in a unique situation, torn between history and modernity. This makes it the perfect place for an extended weekend. Visit Hagia Sophia mosque, get lost at the Grand Bazaar, ferry around the Bosphorus and explore the old and new city on foot to get the most of your weekend.
Istanbul's local public transportation system is a complex network of trams, funiculars, metro lines, buses, bus rapid transit, and ferries.
PHOTO BY Damien Roué, All rights reserved
The Spice Bazaar is one of the largest bazaars in the city. Located in Fatih, in the neighborhood of Eminönü, it is the second largest covered shopping complex after the Grand Bazaar.
PHOTO BY Damien Roué, All rights reserved
FISHERMEN ON GALATA BRIDGE
The first Galata Bridge at the mouth of the waterway was constructed in 1845 by Valide Sultan, the mother of Sultan Abdülmecid (1839–1861) and used for 18 years. The Galata Bridge was a symbolic link between the traditional city of Istanbul proper, site of the imperial palace and principal religious and secular institutions of the empire, and the districts of Galata, Beyoğlu, Şişli and Harbiye where a large proportion of the inhabitants were non-Muslims and where foreign merchants and diplomats lived and worked.
PHOTO BY Damien Roué, cbn Some rights reserved
Hagia Sophia is one of the greatest surviving examples of Byzantine architecture. Its interior is decorated with mosaics and marble pillars and coverings of great artistic value. The temple itself was so richly and artistically decorated that Justinian proclaimed, "Solomon, I have outdone thee!" (Νενίκηκά σε Σολομών). Justinian himself had overseen the completion of the greatest cathedral ever built up to that time, and it was to remain the largest cathedral for 1,000 years up until the completion of the cathedral in Seville in Spain.
PHOTO BY Damien Roué, cbn Some rights reserved
SULTAN AHMED MOSQUE FROM HAGIA SOPHIA
The Sultan Ahmed or Blue Mosque has one main dome, six minarets, and eight secondary domes. The design is the culmination of two centuries of both Ottoman mosque and Byzantine church development. It incorporates some Byzantine elements of the neighboring Hagia Sophia with traditional Islamic architecture and is considered to be the last great mosque of the classical period. The architect, Sedefkâr Mehmed Ağa, synthesized the ideas of his master Sinan, aiming for overwhelming size, majesty and splendour.
PHOTO BY Damien Roué, cbn Some rights reserved
İSTIKLAL STREET
Istiklal Street is one of the most famous avenues in Istanbul, visited by nearly 3 million people in a single day over the course of weekends. Located in the historic Beyoğlu (Pera) district, it is an elegant pedestrian street, 1.4 kilometers long, which houses exquisite boutiques, music stores, bookstores, art galleries, cinemas, theatres, libraries, cafés, pubs, night clubs with live music, historical patisseries, chocolateries and restaurants.
PHOTO BY Damien Roué, All rights reserved
GRAND BAZAAR
The Grand Bazaar is a thriving complex, employing 26,000 people, and one of the major landmarks of Istanbul. It must fight the competition of the giant malls built everywhere in Istanbul, but its beauty and fascination represent a formidable advantage for it. A restoration project starting in 2012 should renew its infrastructure, heating and lighting systems.
PHOTO BY Damien Roué, All rights reserved
FRESH JUICE
The rich and diverse flora of Turkey means that fruit is varied, abundant and cheap.
PHOTO BY Damien Roué, All rights reserved
KUMKAPI FISH MARKET
Up to recent times, Kumkapı was mostly inhabited by Turkish Armenians, who still have a community school and several churches there. The quarter is famous for its many fish restaurants; therefore attracting many local and foreign tourists round the year.
PHOTO BY Damien Roué, cbn Some rights reserved
ON THE ASIAN SIDE
The Bosphorus divides the city into a European, Thracian side—comprising the historic and economic centers—and an Asian, Anatolian side. The city is further divided by the Golden Horn, a natural harbor bounding the peninsula where the former Byzantium and Constantinople were founded. The confluence of the Sea of Marmara, the Bosphorus, and the Golden Horn at the heart of present-day Istanbul has deterred attacking forces for thousands of years and still remains a prominent feature of the city's landscape.
PHOTO BY Damien Roué, All rights reserved
FAST SEAFOOD
Turkey is surrounded by seas which contain a large variety of fish. Fish are grilled, fried or cooked slowly by the buğulama (poaching) method. Popular seafood mezes include stuffed mussels, fried mussel and fried kalamar (squid) with tarator sauce.
PHOTO BY Damien Roué, All rights reserved
STREETS OF OLD ISTANBUL AT NIGHT
Approximately 11.6 million foreign visitors arrived in Istanbul in 2012, two years after it was named a European Capital of Culture, making the city the world's fifth-most-popular tourist destination.
PHOTO BY Damien Roué, cbn Some rights reserved
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