The weather is at some strange place; it's stuck between to-cold-for-anything-but-a-coat and so-hot-you-want-to-shed-your-pants. In between these two phases, of course, there's rain. Needless to say, when the time presents itself where the wind isn't whipping in your face and the heavens aren't dumping buckets of rain on your head, it's an opportunity to be seized. That is exactly what a few friends and I did this past weekend. On Friday, we headed over to Topkapı Sarayı - the governmental hub of the Ottoman Empire before Dolmabahçe began to be used.
Beautiful Islamic architecture.
On going up keep
Cabana by the pool
On Saturday, we decided to check out a more local gem of Turkish history - Rumeli Hisarı. It's a fortress built along the Bosphorus at its narrowest point. The place is amazing - countless stairs that wind to the sky at unimaginable angles make this place look like a Dali painting come to life. One word of wisdom, though - this is definitely not the place to explore if you're afraid of heights. The staircases soar high above sea level and are not secured with any rails or safety devices. Tread wisely.
Stairway to heaven. Someone should write a song about that...
