Chronicles part II

Aya Sophia. 

 Other highlights from my trip included :

• Visiting the famous Saint Sophia mosque (Aya Sophia) as well as its twin, the Little Aya Sophia
• Hanging out with Istanbul's friendly cats
• Gazing up at the beautiful domes of several mosques - favourites include the New Mosque next to the Spice Bazaar, as well as the Suleymanye Mosque
• Spending the day at Topkapi Palace and running into 5 fellow students from the LSE
• the Istanbul museum of Modern Art- I got a much better appreciation of how influential Europe has been to Turkish artists, and vice-versa. 
• Wandering around the residential neighbourhoods of Fatih and Eyüp. Taking the téléphérique up to the Pierre Loti café. 
• Becoming fluent in "urban planning speech" thanks to my fellow travelers, who spent the week examining processes of gentrification in Istanbul. I met so many wonderful people involved in the LSE-MSGSU field research project and wish I'd had the chance to spend more time with all of them. 

There are cats EVERYWHERE in Istanbul. 

Blue Mosque

Fish Market in Karaköy

Topkapi Palace (Circumcision Pavillion)

Tiles. Detail from the Circumcision Pavillion.

Laundry Day in Fatih neighbourhood