TravelMorgan Stone GretherTurkey, Istanbul, Come See Turkey 2014, travel

Come See Turkey, Day 2: Istanbul

TravelMorgan Stone GretherTurkey, Istanbul, Come See Turkey 2014, travel
Come See Turkey, Day 2: Istanbul

In April 2014, I flew to Turkey with a group of fellow Instagram influencers for a two-week exploration of that amazing country, so beautiful, so full of history. Sponsored by Come See Turkey, the trip was designed to boost tourism to the area, and it was led by wonderful human, Mustafa Seven and his team.

See all my Turkish posts.

After recovering from day one (which was focused mostly on traveling to Turkey and lasted a lot longer than a day), the trip kicked into high gear here on day two. We started things off with a press conference with reporters from across the area. Many of us were then interviewed individually after the conference. (Additionally a crew from Turkish television would then accompany us on nearly the whole rest of the trip.)

Next we explored the Dolmabahçe Palace museum, which sadly did not allow interior photography. It was built to replace the Topkapı Palace (which I would visit on day three) and served as the central administrative office complex for the Ottomans till the nation of Turkey was formed and the capital moved to Ankara.

After Dolmabahçe, we got a wonderful boat ride up the Bosphorus, all the way past the Fatih Sultan Mehmet Bridge and back again to the little Maiden's Tower lighthouse. After that, we climbed the Galata Tower for views of all Karaköy and beyond, caught a great sunset on Galata Bridge, and then explored the İstiklal Avenue shopping district, with its famous little trolley cars. 

None of these photos is edited.

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 GretherTopkapi Palace, Turkey, Come See Turkey 2014, tourism, Istanbul, travel

Come See Turkey, Day 3: Topkapİ Palace

In the middle of day three of my Come See Turkey trip, we visited the Topkapi Palace. When the Ottomans conquered the city 500 years ago, they rebuilt the ruined Roman imperial palace and administration complex into what would eventually become called Topkapi. Though renovated over the centuries, much of the original complex remains. And to my delight, they grow many, many tulips...

TravelMorgan Stone GretherTopkapi Palace, Turkey, Come See Turkey 2014, tourism, Istanbul, travel
Come See Turkey, Day 3: Topkapİ Palace
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