TravelMorgan Stone GretherIstanbul, Turkey, Come See Turkey 2014, Hagia Sophia, İstiklal, tourism, travel

One Last Day in Istanbul...

TravelMorgan Stone GretherIstanbul, Turkey, Come See Turkey 2014, Hagia Sophia, İstiklal, tourism, travel
One Last Day in Istanbul...

The Come See Turkey influencer adventure wound to a close as we flew back from Gaziantep and had one last day full of free time in Istanbul. And as usual, I really packed it in: I strolled up famous İstiklal Avenue, one of the great walking/shopping/window-shopping streets in Europe, enjoyed a quick ride on the historic little tram, took one last look at Galata Tower, had a fantastic portrait shoot with model/singer/photographer Sezgi Olgac, then crossed the Golden Horn for final photos of the Blue Mosque and Hagia Sofia -- sigh! -- as the sun set.  Late into the night we all celebrated at the hotel, and then with sunrise I was on a Turkish Airlines flight back to the United States. The crew was wonderful and so of course I snagged a photo of them.

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Nice person in Portland, Oregon, and beyond.

TravelMorgan Stone Gretherhagia sophiaTurkey, tourism, Istanbul, Hagia Sophia, cathedral, church, Come See Turkey 2014, travel

Come See Turkey, Day 3: Hagia Sophia

In the middle of the third day of my Come See Turkey trip, we explored the magnificent Hagia Sophia, aka the Ayasofya. What was once the Romans' first Christian cathedral and then a mosque under the Ottomans, it is now a very popular museum (and deservedly so). And though it stands as an astonishing testament to Roman architecture, it would not be standing at all if not for Ottoman architects maintaining it...

TravelMorgan Stone Gretherhagia sophiaTurkey, tourism, Istanbul, Hagia Sophia, cathedral, church, Come See Turkey 2014, travel
Come See Turkey, Day 3: Hagia Sophia
TravelMorgan Stone GretherTurkey, Istanbul, tourism, Come See Turkey 2014, Karaköy, travel

Come See Turkey, Day 1: Istanbul

The first day of the trip was stretched out to over 36 hours with traveling across the globe from my house in Oregon to Istanbul. On arrival, I was driven to the Karaköy district to the Hotel Gradiva (now I believe named the Purl) to catch my breath.  As the sun set, we then had an orientation meeting at Mustafa's studio a short walk away...

TravelMorgan Stone GretherTurkey, Istanbul, tourism, Come See Turkey 2014, Karaköy, travel
Come See Turkey, Day 1: Istanbul
TravelMorgan Stone GretherBalat, Istanbul, Come See Turkey 2014, Turkey, mosque, cats, travel

Come See Turkey, Day 3: Balat Neighborhood

On the morning of my third day on my Come See Turkey trip, we left the hotel in Karaköy, crossed the Galata Bridge, and explored the Balat neighborhood in Istanbul. I'd say this area is best described as colorful, beautiful decay. Every nook and corner provides another great photo opportunity. I could have stayed there all day, but of course many other adventures awaited...

TravelMorgan Stone GretherBalat, Istanbul, Come See Turkey 2014, Turkey, mosque, cats, travel
Come See Turkey, Day 3: Balat Neighborhood
TravelMorgan Stone GretherKapalıçarşı, Grand Bazaar, Istanbul, Turkey, Come See Turkey 2014, travel

Come See Turkey, Day 3: Grand Bazaar of Istanbul

The Grand Bazaar (Büyük Çarşı or Kapalıçarşı in Turkish) in Istanbul is full of life and sound and wonderful aromas. The sense of history weighs on you everywhere, and more recently it's been the location for a number of fun films, like James Bond Skyfall. The guides from Come See Turkey took us up onto the roof in a few places for some spectacular views of the city...

TravelMorgan Stone GretherKapalıçarşı, Grand Bazaar, Istanbul, Turkey, Come See Turkey 2014, travel
Come See Turkey, Day 3: Grand Bazaar of Istanbul