Istanbul 3 - Strait, Dolmabache, Bazaar

Still with Hanifi and our small group of six. This morning we took a boat ride up the Strait of Bosphorus (a natural strait connecting the Black Sea to the Sea of Mamara and out to the Mediterranean). It is a boundary between Europe and Asia and separates the 20 million person city of Istanbul in two.

Then on to Dolmabache Palace, the main administrative building during the Ottoman Empire. Impressive architecture.

After lunch at a neighborhood restaurant, we went to the Grand Bazaar (where I bought Turkish beach towels). It was a long day.Read more