October 8 - 21, 2009.

Blue Mosque at dawn - Istanbul

Tiled domes inside Blue Mosque

Blue Mosque at night.

Haiga Sophia - Istanbul

Bascilica Cistern - Istanbul

Roman God used as a base of a pillar in Bascilica Cistern

Another God used as base of pillar in Bascilica Cistern

Decorative Window Bars - Istanbul

Busker - Istanbul

Bread seller - Istanbul

Patterns in New Mosque (300 yrs old) - Istanbul

Lamps for sale at Spice Market - Istanbul

The Victim - Boys in Turkey are circumcised just before they start school and for a couple of days before the procedure they are treated like (and dress like) princes.

Roman Library facade - Ephesus

Roman Ruins - Ephesus

Statuary on Library facade - Ephesus

Looking back from Agora to Library - Ephesus

Damaged fresco now under cover - Ephesus

Mosaic floor in Roman home - Ephesus

Wall painting in Roman home - Ephesus

Mineral springs - Pammulke

Mineral springs at sunset - Pammulke

Cappodocian landscape

High-rise housing - Cappodocia

Rock formations - Cappodocia

Turkish folk dancers

Whirling dervish in mid-whirl

The flaming knife - Dancer balances a knife with the sharp end in his mouth and the handle on fire(!)  With a snap of his head, he sends the knife flying down to a board where the flaming knife sticks.  You have to see this to believe it.

The early Christians hid from Roman persecution in Cappodocia and live in caves hollowed out from the soft tufa rock.  They also dug out caves to be used as churches.  This is the entrance to one of them.

The churches were often decorated with frescoes painted directly on the rock, but many have been defaced by Muslims who believe that no representations of humans or animals should be in a place of worship.

Apparently too high to be defaced

Defaced and damaged

Frequently the faces are the targets of the damage

More rock formations from Cappodocia

Balloons over Cappodocia - we counted 40 in all

They call this "Love Valley".  Get it?  Check out the fourth formation from the left. There are two doors in the base. It gives some idea of the scale of these formations.

The head of Hercules on top of Mt. Nemrut.  We began the climb up to this site after leaving the hotel at 2 AM and driving about 2 hours. The stars were still out...

The line-up of the gods on the east side of Mt. Nemrut.

Hercules and Antiochus

JR and the head of a god

The king shakes hands with Hercules. The king was evidently dressed for the occasion.  Hercules, not so much...

Roman bridge still in use carrying a highway over a stream.  Built in the second century AD.

Ablutions area at Blue Mosque - Istanbul.  Before going into a Mosque, Muslims must wash their feet, their hands and forearms to the elbow, their head and their mouth.

Inside the harem in Topkapi Palace - Istanbul

Palatial chandelier

Palm tree dome - Topkapi Palace harem

Christ Mosaic - Chora Church - Istanbul