Click on the pictures to enlarge them.

Saint Sophia, built in 545 A.D. during the reign of Justinian

is next to the Sultanhmet Mosque (Blue Mosque.)

Both are extremely impressive. Below are pictures

showing Hagia Sophia.  It was converted to a Mosque

when the Ottoman Turks conquered the area in 1453 A.D.

The Sultanhmet Mosque.

Istanbul is also a modern European city, mixed in with the old.

The bridge across the Bosporus linking European

Turkey with the Asian part.

The walls built by Justinian in the 4th century still stand.

In places people have incorporated parts of them into their homes.

People watching in Istanbul is interesting.

Hagia Sophia and the old city are within the walls built

by the Byzantines to protect them from invaders. Today

the invaders are legions of tourists seeking bargains of

food and souvenirs.

The palace grounds of the Topkapi Palace, the residence

of the Ottoman rulers, is open to the public.

Note the picture on the right is of the same place.

It shows the Sultan in ceremony receiving notables.

The Topkapi Palace area has several excellent museums

which encompase artifacts from Greek and Roman times

through the Byzantine and Ottoman Empire periods.

In the old section of Istanbul is a huge covered Bazaar with hundreds

of shops selling any good imaginable.

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