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The ferry from Yalova actually brought me to the Yenikapi port on the other side of town but it could have come here at Eminonu which is Istanbul's most important transport hub.
Ferries, trains, tramways, busses, dolmus and taxis, all meet at Eminonu, next to the Galata bridge across the Golden Horn to Beyoglu.
That's the train station behind the grey streetcar.
Here is the western side of the new 1992 Galata bridge where Istanbul's main market used to be. The fruit, vegetable, fish and meat markets have been moved to the outskirts but some merchants still remain in this traditional trading place.
In Beyoglu, I went up the Galata Tower to take the panoramic view of Istanbul that comes next. The Galata Tower was first built in 1348 as part of Genoese fortifications but it was rebuilt several times since. It was also visible on the previous photo.
It was cold, windy and raining when I circled the upper parapet of Galata Tower to take the four photos I used to build this panorama of Istanbul on the other side of the Golden Horn. On the extreme left you can glimpse Uskudar on the other side of the Bosphorus. Aya Sofya and the Blue Mosque (Sultan Ahmet Camii) are easy to identify in the centre below and the large Suleymaniye Camii can be seen to the right of the slender Beyazit Tower in the area between the two bridges.
Sancta Sophia, the church of the Divine Wisdom was built by Emperor Justinian in 537. That's almost fifteen centuries ago! After 9 centuries of being the greatest church in the world, it was transformed into a mosque in 1453 and turned into a museum five centuries later in 1935. It has been reinforced and restored many times but it is still standing!
Below, the outer narthex on the left and the inner on the right. The photos are not very good because I only had 100 ASA film.
Further down, a composite of the mihrab and minbar on the left and a close up of the mihrab on the right.
The original mosaics of Sancta Sophia were covered with plaster during the time it served as a mosque. Here, a fine 10th century mosaic over the southern exit of the inner narthex shows Constantine on the left offering Constantinople to the Madonna and Child while Justinian offers them the Sancta Sophia church on the right.
The numerous faucets around this sardivan fountain provided water for faithful Muslims to do their ablutions before prayers when Aya Sofya served as a mosque.
Separated from Aya Sofya by a park, stands the beautiful Sultan Ahmet Camii, also known as the Blue Mosque. It was erected from 1606 to 1616 by Sultan Ahmet I who wanted to surpass the glory of Aya Sofya built more than 1000 years earlier.
The presence of a group of visitors on the right helps to grasp the great size of the mosque's courtyard.
Below left, a composite image of the half dome over the mihrab. The central dome soars over where I'm standing, between four huge pillars like the one seen here.
Below right, the high minbar from the top of which which prayers are said on Fridays. The mihrab in the wall is said to hold a fragment of the black stone of the Kaaba in Mecca.
Some Muslim legends claim that the "black stone" fell to earth from Venus while others advance that it was brought down from heaven by the archangel Gabriel. Whatever it's true origin, it is the most holy of all objects and it has been touched and kissed with great reverence in its gold lined niche in the corner of the holy cube Kaaba by millions of devout Muslim pilgrims. It is said that the black colour comes from having been touched so much and that the stone under the patina is reddish brown.
I took this composite picture of the Beyazit Tower on my way down Fuat Paça Caddesi to the great Sulemanyie mosque. The 85 metre watch tower in the garden of Istanbul University is visible from most of Istanbul, making it one of the city's major landmarks.
Another great mosque that must be seen in Istanbul is the Sulemaniye Camii built between 1550 and 1557 by... you guessed it, Sultan Suleyman I "the Magnificent".
This picture, taken from the north-east gardens shows two of the four elegant minarets that frame the courtyard at the north-west end of the mosque.
Here is the entrance to the courtyard, seen from the inside.
I have managed to show the main dome in this composite image made from two photos.
And of course, here are the holy mihrab and the minbar.
I should have had a second camera loaded with very high speed film, 800 or 1200 ASA to take the interior of these mosques. I console myself however by telling myself that I'm only an amateur photographer and that my little Olympus Epic is the smallest camera using regular film that I could find. That's important for me because I choose to travel light.
