Magic summer nights and days in Istanbul, roaming amidst the teeming markets, tourist hordes and cultural monuments of the so-called European Capital of Culture 2010. Smart stores and shiny new tramcars are juxtaposed against the medieval beauty of Aya Sofya, the Byzantine church turned mosque and its majestic rival, the Blue Mosque.

To any unreconstructed Seventies overlanders out there, I have to report that the original Pudding Shop in Sultanahmet has become just another tourist cafeteria. Rice pudding... what did you expect? It’s a trifling price to pay for the experience of revisiting a city which has become one of Europe’s most rewarding destinations.

These images were taken with Nikon D300 using RAW format, and are available for licensing.