Nov 1 Thursday – our last day in Istanbul. We explored the Dolmabahce Palace. It was the palace of the Sultans in the 19th and early 20th century. It contains 285 rooms, 44 halls, 6 Turkish baths and 68 toilets. It sits on an 11 acre estate right on the Bosphorus. It was forbidden to take photos inside but I managed to sneak a few.
The gate for guests coming by ship.
The ceramic stoves were priceless.
The marble in the sultan’s bathing chamber was exquisite.
We also visited two Orthodox Churches. The Aya Irini is the only major church in the city that was not turned into a mosque. It was built in the late 1400s.
By contrast we also spent time in the Aya Triada which is also an Orthodox Church built in the late 1800s and is still in use today with a congregation of around 150 people.
BeverleyandJohn's2018Travels 