My first view of the minarets of the mosques of Istanbul was from the plane, thousands of feet above land. The lights shining at them shone bright against the moonless sky.
The greys and blues of the mosques, mixed with their rich history and breathtakingly beautiful architecture was a sight worth seeing. Whether it be Hagia Sophia, with its mixture of Roman and Islamic culture, or the Blue Mosque with its twirling ceiling patterns, or a random mosque in Sultanahmet dating back to the twelfth century, each was classical in its own unique way.
The backside of Hagia Sophia
The interior of Hagia Sophia
Dazzling patterns inside the Blue Mosque
The cobblestone floors of Istanbul with restaurants serving steaming Turkish delicacies on each side made me want to stay there forever, exploring this historic city with its never ending history, as I sipped on Turkish tea and had a sis kebab for a snack every now and then. But, like all good things, our time in Istanbul came to an end as we left for Bursa. Stay tuned.