Turkey

If you want to see the ruins of Ephesus, a good place (and the closest town) to stay is Selcuk. I like this small town.

Selcuk is just nice. It is a good place to hang out. It was just that I did not have the chance to do any hanging out on this whirlwind tour.

There is only one wall left of the Library of Celsus. It is a famous landmark of the ruins of Ephesus.

These are the ruins of the living quarters of Ephesus. The Ephesian house church could have met in one of these rooms.

The ruins of the Church of Mary is off the main sites in Ephesus and somewhat neglected.

The market in Izmir is very crowded and full of local character.

Nuts are apparently hot items in Turkey (Izmir).

If you don't have a shop front, you can still sell. This man was selling bags of onions in the middle of the street (Izmir).

It is probably my most favorite picture of this trip. A family was sorting chestnuts for the market.

Izmir is the modern site of the ancient city Smyrna--the location of one of the seven churches mentioned in Revelation.

Sunset as viewed from the Castle in Izmir.

It was my first time trying Turkish borek which is pastry filled with cheese or meat (Izmir).

People probably have taken 100 million photos of the Blue Mosque already. However every photo is a little different because the photographer and the setting are different (Sultanahmet).

The inside of the Blue Mosque is quite a sight.

Everyone takes pictures of Aya Sophia. I like to think that this one is different from all the others (Sultanahmet).

It is the entrance to the second level of Aya Sophia and is always busy. You have no idea how long I waited to get this shot without no one in it.

Aya Sophia was once a church, then a mosque and is now a museum.

The Galata Tower is a major landmark of Istanbul. You can see if from the Palace Museum if you don't want to bother to cross the Galata Bridge to see it (Istanbul).

The Palace Museum is always super-packed with tourists. It is good to see different kinds of creatures there from time to time (Sultanahmet).

This group of school kids all said hi to me as they walked by. One turned around for the camera. Not sure how this girl knew that I was taking a picture of them behind their backs.

Harem used to be the quarters of the emperor's harems (Topkapi Palace).

The Basilica Cistern is basically a giant underground pool with a few fish swimming in it (Sultanahmet).

The candy man--Turkish style (Sultanahmet).

Divanyolu Cad is probably the busiest street in Istanbul where the old and the new collide (Sultanahmet).

The column of Constantine constructed in 330 AD commemorated the dedication of Constantinople (nowadays Istanbul) the new capital of the Roman Empire (Beyazit).

Divanyolu Cad is very crowded but also full of photo opportunities (Beyazit).

The Grand Bazaar is a famous landmark in Istanbul.

Lots of photo opportunities inside the Grand Bazaar.

Outside the Grand Bazaar is also full of photo opportunities if you see things the right way (Beyazit).

People who live in Istanbul really like the place. Indeed the city is full activities, lights and colors---but to me, unfortunately, also lots of people and cigarette smoke (Sultanahmet).

Dawn at Sultanahmet Square.

Istanbul used to be called Constantinople which was the capital of the Byzantine Empire. The Hippodrome used to be the sporting and social center of Constantinople (Sultanahmet).

Turkey is also a good place for food. The price is actually surprisingly cheap even in the tourist centers because of a lot of competitions (Sultanahmet).

Istanbul is the mosque capital of the world. There is a majestic historic mosque every few blocks (Aksaray).