The old Sultanahmet area of Istanbul winds along cobbled streets around the promontory overlooking the Sea of Marmara. The ancient Aya Sofya Mosque, once a Byzantine church in the old Constantinople and now a museum, sits across a huge public landscaped plaza from the beautiful and dominating Blue Mosque. Here too, were flowering chestnut trees, a lake and fountain and along the main street,cobbled too, but with a super swift and silent tram/light rail, were crowds of people enjoying the vibrant restaurants, sweet shops, cafes, handicrafts, and vendors in colourful costume with their colouful carts.

We spent our time here, viewing the mosques, at the Topkapi Palace, once home of the old Ottoman Sultanate and now open to the public, walking the bridge over the Bosphorous, spellbound by the Grand Bazaar and Spice Market and exploring the hilly streets and lanes with their fascinating hives of activity.

I indulged in a Hamam (Turkish Bath) - a quintessential experience at the old (1741) and beautiful Cagaloglu Hamam in the Sultanahmet area, while Philip had a haircut and shave at the barber shop next door. See my blog

A revisited gallery since recent events in Istanbul, recalling a very happy visit to a wonderful city.