Putting in words how much I enjoyed my time in Istanbul is quite difficult. But since this is the last post I'll write about the city, I'll give it my best shot.

I believe that we are the sum of all the things we have experienced in our lives. The places we visit, the music we listen to, the moments that we cherish as life-changing; these experiences are constantly in our minds to remind us who we are and what we could become.

Amongst the most influential events in my life, I have to mention the trip to Istanbul as a highlight. Simply because there are few cities in the world that are as diverse as Istanbul. In this vibrant metropolis you'll not only find traces of extinct empires and civilisations that once ruled the world, such as the Byzantine and Ottoman; you'll also witness the evolution of a city that constantly reinvents itself through the dynamic action of its young and creative inhabitants. Without forgetting the traditional and inherent aspects of daily life that open a door for us to understand the wonderful heritage of Turks.

Istanbul has its own language and its own code of architecture, art, lifestyle...It is the place where two continents meet and where you can see the best of two not so distant worlds. Edmondo de Amicis said about Istanbul that it is the place where people from all over the world scream with the same admiration. Perhaps because once you get there, you feel like you are in the very centre of the world.
In Istanbul you'll discover new sides of your soul. I can tell you that there is no other place in the world that awakens the poet we all have inside like this city.

...With the last light of day you'll listen to Sufi songs in a soft whisper of the winds while the sun sets over the seven hills adorned with elegant silhouettes of mosques... It's time to cross the bridge...

But once you've caught a glimpse of Istanbul, you'll be forever bound to return...

Interior of the New Mosque, Yeni Camii.

This view though...

Galata tower.

Fishermen and Ayasofya.

Work.

Skating with the awesome backdrop of an Ottoman mosque.

Street market in Beyazit.

I loved this view of Rüstem Paşa mosque.

Taksim-Tünel tram on Istiklal street.

Street food in Istanbul <3.

Art gallery in Sultanahmet.

One of my favourite shots ever: Yeni Camii during prayer time.

Bosphorus blues.

Messages in neon.

Hoş geldiniz in Kapadokya, Central Anatolia, Asia.

More about Kapadokya and my time in Anatolia coming soon on the blog!
Xx,
Astrid