We had to bust out of Alex from the impeding EID holiday...we saw all the animals shuffled into makeshift pens on the streets surrounding our school. The future looked bleak for sheep, cows, goats and camels. Istanbul was our short escape route to where we wouldn't get caught in rivers of blood. We piled into the plane and off we went...the 5 of us.
Instead of staying in Sultanahmet, we ventured over to the antique district below Taksim. While the vibe was slightly more local, it reeked of trendiness. It will be a matter of a short few years before the area totally flips. Tourists have overrun Istanbul, it might be one of last times going there.
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| Outside the Aya Sophia. |
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| Inside the Aya Sophia. |
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| Upstairs in the Aya Sophia. |
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| Guess where this is? |
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| From a window inside of the A _ _ S_ p_ _a. |
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| Instead of riding a boat up the Bosphorus, we decided on one of the Prince Islands, Heybeloada to be exact. |
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| Demonstrating Heybeliada's past and present architecture. The Prince Islands have a history of being a homeland for exiled royalty. An added bonus is the no private motorcars allowed on the islands rule. Bring or rent a bike. |
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| Need to experience Turkey's greatest hits on a small scale in about an hour with the bonus of saving weeks of travel time and thousands of dollars? Don't fret. Minaturk to the rescue. |
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| Minaturk verges on cheesy complete with tacky tourists who roam over obvious fences meant to keep people out. leave your manners at home and don't forget a selfie stick. |
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| It's all about the selfie. |
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| Need a backyard idea for the kids? |
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| The mini airport was one of the best attractions. |
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| Insert a Turkish lira, a push a button, and hear the fan of a football match. |
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| Meow. Even the kittens interacted with attractions. |
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| Three wives, three camera phones, one husband next to an attraction. |
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| In all seriousness, if you've never given up building models or train sets, Minaturk is a must see. |
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| Istanbul Museum of Modern Art was participating in the 14th Istanbul Biennial. |
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| Ana and had a tough time deciding if this would better in the bedroom or dining room. |
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| Bullet holes through glass makes-another great decorating idea. |
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| A police brutality scene over the love seat really ties the room together. |
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| If you've ever visited the Middle East or even a developing country you might just know how prominent this image is. |
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| All that clothes you donated to Goodwill... |
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| Living below the earth's surface kept alive by hydroponic lights while deer, tires, and bullet riddled walls clutter the surface. Modern art. Dig it. |
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| Perhaps a better use for self-help books. |
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| Near our apartment and according to Facebook, the world famous "Objects of Desire" exhibit. This might not be suitable viewing for people suffering with a need to desire objects disorder. |
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| The object are separated in themes categories. |
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| Someone was ready to go home. |
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