ISTANBUL: PART 4

 On our fourth day of touring we visited the Dolmabahce Palace as well as a Bulgarian Eastern Orthodox church.

Dolmabahce Palace.

Apparently not satisfied with the Topkapi Palace, in the 19th century the ruling sultan built a new palace a couple of miles north of the Topkapi Palace on the shores of the Bosphorus.  If anything, the new palace was even more ornate, more opulent than the old.  In some ways this was a last hurrah for the Ottoman Empire, as it was the final abode of the Ottomans until their exile in the 1920s, after which the palace was left empty.  Now it is, in effect, a museum.  Built in 1844, the palace has a much more European feel in terms both of architecture and of furnishings and decor.  Although we took a lengthy (perhaps too lengthy) tour of the palace, which is huge, no photos were allowed of the interior, so my photography was limited to the exterior.

I actually took this first shot of the palace while on our cruise of the Bosphorus on the final day of touring.  I turned it into a black & white to accentuate the architectural lines. (I also darkened the cloudless sky to add a bit of drama to the shot.)

As I mentioned, the only photos I took were of the palace's exterior.  Here is what I got.

 

Bulgarian Eastern Orthodox Church.

While we toured four different mosques, we visited only one Christian church.  All of the mosques were of a size that dwarfed this venue, though it was a lovely little church, both inside and out.

Interesting symbol over the main entrance to the church.  

While we were cautioned that each time we entered a mosque we needed to remove our shoes, I was gently reminded that I needed to remove my hat when I entered the church.

Outside the church I was attracted by the leaves of was a small tree, which I was told was a Judas Tree.  Perhaps apropos as a Christian symbol.

John