A park in Istanbul. 

The room in which the great decisions of the Ottoman Empire were deliberated for centuries. Topkapi Palace. 

The entrance to Topkapi Palace, the seat of Ottoman power for centuries. 

A courtyard at Topkapi Palace. 

View of Istanbul from Topkapi Palace. 

View of Istanbul from Topkapi Palace. 

An Istanbul mosque by night. 

Shops in the Grand Bazaar of Istanbul, the largest market in the Arab world. 

Turks like apple tea, and it is served in these small glasses, much different than in Egypt. 

An antique shop in the Grand Bazaar. 

A nightclub with live Turkish folk music in Istanbul. 

Turkish alcoholic beverage called Raki (pronounced Raka). Similar to Ouzo and other mediterranean drinks, it tastes like black liquorice. Here we mixed one shot of the clear Raki and water, which turns the drink a cloudy white color. It is about as potent as vodka. 

Hagia Sophia. (according to Wikipedia is) The Church of the Holy Wisdom, commonly known as Hagia Sophia in English, is a former Greek Orthodox church converted to a mosque, now a museum, in Istanbul (Constantinople), "is universally acknowledged as one of the greatest buildings of the world and the Eighth Wonder of the World." 

Steep street in Istanbul. 

Back of Hagia Sophia, which was converted into a Muslim prayer area. 

Path in Istanbul. 

Old house in Istanbul. 

Manti (pronounced Mantah) is a traditional Turkish dish of pasta, yoghurt and spices. 

Jeremy, Brian and I decided to take a few days to travel to a region of south-central Turkey called Cappadocia. It is known for its unusual rock formations, in which people built homes, churches, and caves centuries ago. 

Well preserved frescoes in a Cappadocia cave church. 

Cappadocia 

Cappadocia 

Look closely. 

The underground city. 

Cappadocia is known for its underground cities, which were used by Christians to hide from the Romans and later from the Muslims. This particular cave network could hold about 20,000 people for three days.