Istanbul, the city of contrasts

It's been a a year since my trip to Istanbul. I was there in May 2013, before the protests at Gezi Park started. To be correct, i left 2 days before the protests started and my hotel was in Taksim square which was like 2min walk from the Gezi Park. May, itself, was kinda of a stressful month - so only looking at the photos now am i reminiscing about the few days i get to spend there.
Istanbul. They have the sea and the city, the colorful areas and the grey ones, bazaars, where everyone is running around and Mosques, where everyone is quiet. It's a constant struggle to balance it out. We visited the Blue Mosque and the Ayasofya the first few days, then we took a boat&bus ride around the city on the 2nd visiting some of the bazaars and tried some of the delicious deserts (my area of expertise). I have this void in my heart towards Moscow (which nothing will ever be able to fulfill) - so whenever i am visiting a new place - it reminds me of those first few years of Moscow. Just weird old me.

Inside the Blue Mosque

View on the Blue Mosque from afar

The Blue Mosque (Called Sultanahmet Camii in Turkish) is an historical mosque in Istanbul. The mosque is known as the Blue Mosque because of blue tiles surrounding the walls of interior design.Mosque was built between 1609 and 1616 years, during the rule of Ahmed I. just like many other mosques, it also comprises a tomb of the founder, a madrasa and a hospice.Besides still used as a mosque, the Sultan Ahmed Mosque has also become a popular tourist attraction in Istanbul. (More Info Here)

Hagia Sophia (Ayasofya)

Hagia Sophia is a great architectural beauty and an important monument both for Byzantine and for Ottoman Empires. Once a church, later a mosque, and now a museum at the Turkish Republic, Hagia Sophia has always been the precious of its time. (more info HERE)

Ride with the boat

Turkish Delights ;)

Bazaars

The golden necklace with the heart to the left from the butterfly pin (a bit blurry in the pic) is the Chopard necklace. The rent those to A-list celebrities during Cannes Festivals and so on ^_^ The guys knew what they were selling so there was no option to bargain ;)

And now i let the shiny photos talk for themselves!:)