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Little colourful light trinkets lights up the spice spice bazaar.

One of my favourite sights in Istanbul.

The Spice Bazaar or Egyptian Bazaar in Istanbul, Turkey is one of the largest bazaars in the city. Located in Fatih, in the neighborhood of Eminönü, it is the second largest covered shopping complex after the Grand Bazaar.

The Spice Bazaar is an “L”-shaped building, consisting of 88 vaulted rooms, almost all of which are now divided into an upper and lower story. Monumental gateways are at the ends of both halls, with chambers above each entrance way. The main entrance is in the southwest corner, facing the Yeni Mosque.

The Blue Mosque or the Sultan Ahmed Mosque given the monochrome treatment with Silver Efex Pro.

The Sultan Ahmed Mosque is a historical mosque in Istanbul, the largest city in Turkey and the capital of the Ottoman Empire (from 1453 to 1923). The mosque is popularly known as the Blue Mosque for the blue tiles adorning the walls of its interior.

It was built from 1609 to 1616, during the rule of Ahmed I. Like many other mosques, it also comprises a tomb of the founder, a madrasah and a hospice. While still used as a mosque, the Sultan Ahmed Mosque has also become a popular tourist attraction.

Istanbul March 2012

The large Gate of Salutation (Arabic: Bâb-üs Selâm), also known as the Middle Gate, leads into the palace and the Second Courtyard. This crenelated gate has two large octagonal pointed towers. The date of construction of this gate is not clear, since the architecture of the towers is of Byzantine influence rather than Ottoman. It is speculated that the gate emulates the Gate of St. Barbara (Cannon Gate), which used to be the royal seaside entrance to the palace gardens from the shore of the Bosphorus. An inscription at the door dates this gate to at least 1542. In a miniature painting from the Hünername from 1584, a low-roofed structure with three windows above the arch between the towers is clearly visible,probably a guards' hall that has since disappeared.The gate is richly decorated on both sides and in the upper part with religious inscriptions and monograms of sultans.
No one apart for official purpose and foreign dignitaries were allowed passage through the gate. All visitors had to dismount by the Middle Gate, since only the sultan was allowed to enter the gate on horseback.This was also a Byzantine tradition taken from the Chalke Gate of the Great Palace.
The Fountain of the Executioner (Cellat Çeşmesi) is where the executioner purportedly washed his hands and sword after a decapitation, although there is disagreement if this is indeed that particular fountain. It is located on the right side when facing the Gate of Salutation from the First Courtyard.

A typical sight every morning in Cappadocia. Hot air balloons ferrying tourist to enjoy the magic of Cappadocia from the air.