Dome in the Sultan’s Harem
A shot of the dome inside the Harem. This one shows off more of the blue tile work in a brighter light, along with the gold accents around the dome.
Sultan’s Harem
A photo of the inside of the Sultan’s Harem at the Topkapi Palace. I intentionally kept it dark to show off the light and how stunning the blue tile work was. I also learned quite a bit about what the actual function of the Sultan’s Harem actually was. I had a misconception that they were full of beautiful women who lazed around to tend to the Sultan’s whims and desires when in reality the...
Slums in Turkey
Our tour guide pointed out some slums in Turkey to give us a perspective on how we often take the things we have in life for granted. He mentioned how most were not safe for living and the police would often harass the people living there even though most had no other choice.
Medieval Architecture Oil Drops
I can’t remember which building this was, but it’s definitely from a building in Istanbul. From what I remember from the tour guide’s explanation, back in the day, soldiers would drop hot oil on invading enemies using the drops on either side of the wall and then set their enemies on fire. I tried searching for more information on the building and how it was used but I...
Ruins From Turkey in HDR
A photo I took of some ruins and used the in-camera HDR on my Canon 5D Mark III to capture, handheld. I believe this was taken at Ephesus but I can’t be sure.
Sleeping Puppy in the Ruins
I found a adorable sleeping puppy while wandering the ruins.
Temple of Artemis – Archway
Just an archway that framed a doorway which I thought was interesting.
Temple of Artemis – Ruins
Another shot from the Temple of Artemis.
Temple of Artemis
I had a tough time remembering where this photo was taken and had to do a lot of location searching to find it. It turns out that the tour stopped at the Temple of Artemis at Ephesus. I’m embarrassed to admit I don’t remember anything the tour guide said because I was too busy trying to get photos of the mostly empty ruins before the place filled up with other tour groups. I...
Interior of the Hagia Sophia
One of the things I loved most about my trip to Turkey was the fact that I was able to connect two things I love – video games and history. I am a huge Assassin’s Creed fan, especially the Ezio series. Assassin’s Creed Revelations takes place in Constantinople, which later became present-day Istanbul, and I had learned so much about the region from the game. Having played it...