Constantinople, Byzantium, Istanbul. Three names over three millennia. Perhaps the only place on earth with a history richer than Rome. When the Roman empire split into two this became the Rome of the East, and it's rule and civilization lasted a thousand years after the fall of Rome. Ever since I read the Times atlas of world history from cover to cover whilst I was backpacking through Europe I had wanted to come here and finally I had made it. It did not disappoint. Istanbul is a city than lies on two continents, separated by the Bosphorous. The Western part of the city lies in Europe and the Eastern part of the city is in Asia. Our first stop was, of course, the blue Mosque and it was gorgeous. Just look at it.

Please excuse the sheer number of pictures of the Blue Mosque but I found it to be fantastic. I hope you like it too.

This is an ancient aquifier, called the Basillica Cistern. It is so old that it's very existance past out of record or recollection. It was only a Frenchman, in fairly recent history, who began investigating claims of people finding water and even fish in their basements that the aquifier was discovered. It is testimony to the skill of the architects and sculptors who made it that it could survive and continue to work as an aquifier for over a thousand years without any kind of maintenance. I first learnt about it from watching an old James Bond film from the 60's, 'From Russia with Love'. These days it is restored and open to the public and it still has plenty of fish in it. It is extraordinary that something that big could exist just a few meters beneath one of the oldest and busiest parts of the city and no one knew it was there. It makes you wonder what else is buried under the pavement you walk on.

The Aya Sophia. Probably the greatest piece of Byzantine architecture still standing today. Originally a cathedral and then converted to a mosque it is now a museum. It was the worlds largest cathedral for a millennium. It's so strange to see christian idols and extracts from the Koran in the same building. Mosaics depicting Christ can be found in places where the plaster that was placed over them during the conversion has fallen off. It is one of the great buildings of our past the it's form bears evidence to the incredible changes that the city has undertaken throughout it's glorious history. This is a fascinating place.

This is Topkapi palace, the residence of the Ottoman sultans for about four centuries. It's a beautiful place but the highlight of it is easily the Harem. Not so much for it's architecture but for showing what a real harem actually is and how it worked. We tend to think of a harem as being a sort of brothel for the Sultan but the reality was different. The harem played a very significant social role in the Ottoman court and the women (and eunuchs) who lived there had significant political power. The concubines themselves were beautiful girls taken at a tender age and given an education and tutored in etiquette etc. As they grew older the sultan would choose one as a wife. The social structure and hierarchy that existed withing the walls is fascinating and would make an excellent basis for a book or a television series. It ranged from the Queen mother, the mother of the sultan right down to the eunuchs. The concubines chosen by the sultan enjoyed special privilege and rank. The harem was were the female half of the Ottoman dynasty came from. Walking through it's passages and rooms and imagining the lives and events that took place in here is a special experience.

Random images of Istanbul.

A backpacker from the hostel and I enjoyed a few glasses and a sunset next to Gallata tower. I was still savouring the wine after having been without it for such a long time.

There are so many mosques throughout Istanbul. I don't even know the name of this one, I just stumbled across it while wandering around.

Julian has flown to Hong Kong to meet his girlfriend and I have ten days to enjoy Istanbul on my own. We have free and unlimited parking right outside our centrally located hostel and I have decided not to move the car until we leave for Bulgaria in case someone else pinches our parking. It's nice to have the time to really enjoy a place properly. The seeminly incesant push for Paris has meant that we seem to always be on the move. Eva from the hostel and I went on a ferry ride down the Bosphorous which is a must-do for anyone visiting Istanbul. It was one of the highlights of visiting the city which is laid out around a complicated body of water much like Sydney is. There is a great mix of ancient buildings and super expensive contemporary private homes. Huge container ships ply the Bosphorous enroute to the black sea and sail past peoples front door which must make for an interesting sight in the morning.