We were hoping to go to the largest cistern, the Basilica cistern, but unfortunately it was closed for maintenance work. That left the second largest, the Binbirdirek (cistern of Philoxenos) to explo.

There is a lot to see in Istanbul, and there is a lot to see in Istanbul's Grand Bazaar. The 560 year old tourist shopping mecca is home to over 4000 individual stores and sees hundreds of thousands .

After reading the description ... "Topkapı Palace and Harem are likely to have more colourful stories than most of the world's museums put together. Libidinous sultans, ambitious courtiers, beautiful.

Hagia Sophia ('Holy Wisdom' in English a reference to the second person of the Holy Trinity, Jesus Christ) is one of Turkeys (and the Worlds) most iconic landmarks. It was Emperor Justinian who built.

Looking at the Blue Mosque from outside, you may start wondering why its called that. Do you need to wait till dusk when all of the colors turn a shade of blue as twilight approaches? Was it blue at .