Monday, April 30, 2007
Sunday, April 29, 2007
Sultanahmet Camii
No matter how many times I've seen it, I just love this mosque. The grand architecture and the beautiful location, the gardens in front. It's just such a superb sight, that I can't help but photograph it and then of course post it here!
Horse-drawn Carriages
I saw this horse-drawn carriage at Sultanahmet. I hadn't seen these before, so I'm guessing it's a seasonal thing and only becomes available in the summers. The tourists have hit Istanbul hard this season. I see so many people despite the politically charged situation and the protests being arranged.
Not to stray from the topic, I just missed my fiance and was wondering if we'd get to visit Istanbul together and take a ride in one of these.
Saturday, April 28, 2007
Picture Perfect Maldives!
Saw this pic while randomly surfing the internet, and I just fell in love with the idea of visiting Maldives!
Friday, April 27, 2007
Inside the Grand Bazar
The Grand Bazaar (or Covered Bazaar, Kapalıçarşı in Turkish) in Istanbul is one of the largest covered markets in the world with more than 58 streets and 4000 shops, and has 250,000-400,000 visitors daily.
Technically, the correct translation of the Turkish name Kapalıçarşı is "Covered Bazaar" and not "Grand Bazaar", simply because the Turks do not call it "Grand Bazaar". In Turkish kapalı means "covered" and çarşı means "market" or "bazaar" (as in the Persian 'bazar', where the word originates from and in English we spell it as "bazaar".)
Apart from this info which a traveler can probably find on most travel and tourism websites, the real important thing to know is that bargaining is a MUST if you want to shop here. No matter how reasonable the price seems, the shop-keepers have actually come down to 1/3rd of what they initially asked me for.
After a few shops, one gets the general idea of the price ranges for certain products. My advice is to keep a price in mind, and quote a price lower than that. Some will turn you away, others will negotiate and they will NEVER accept your first offer. This is when you turn to go away from the shop, and then they will suddenly lower their prices. This is when you make your final offer, show them the cash and walk away with what you had in mind!
Thursday, April 26, 2007
Minarets on the coastline
There's something breath-takingly beautiful, undescribably grand and amazingly unique about the skyline of Istanbul. The minarets representing the rich history and culture of the region, seem to be an amazing sight. I never get tired of this sight, no matter how many times I see it!
Love Is In The Air ...
Love is in the air
Everywhere I look around
Love is in the air
Every sight and every sound
Everywhere I look around
Love is in the air
Every sight and every sound
Wallpaper
I guess I need to use some filters on the image to really bring out the true color, the way I saw it!
Another revision of the same images. A little tweaking to enhance the colors.
Dressed up...
I took these pictures, since I was wearing the tie my fiance gave me. First time I tried it on and she wasn't here to see it, so I thought I'd just take this pic, post it up here and let her see it.
Wednesday, April 25, 2007
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