"Old Roman Capital, now cultural center... " a Istanbul Travel Page by mrclay2000

Istanbul is a fabulous place for those with senses for rich history and gorgeous architecture. It is not the mild setting that Rome is, nor Roman any longer, except that marble capitals are still to be found in the Sea of Marmara off the edges of old Stamboul.

This is a bustling, living, breathing place, where the cares of millions yield all that is wonderful and terrible of so much congestion. Activity is at break-neck pace. Pollution ruins the air and fouls the sea. Construction and decay sit not far from modern and ancient opulence. Look closely. There is an enormous skeleton of history here overstretched by a thin modern fabric of commercial and industrial vitality.

Like Rome, Istanbul divides its space among Seven Hills, each crested by a major mosque. Hundreds of smaller mosques (often with only a single minaret) crowd the lanes and avenues in between. Like Rome, its ancient protection still stands in the form of walls, both on land and on sea, though those of Istanbul are not uniformly intact or even extant around the entire city. Still, there is enough left in the walls themselves to tell the final tale of the last hour of the Roman city. It is precisely there we will begin our journey.

Expect the Turks to welcome you, as the city has ever welcomed visitors. Enjoy the mosques between the daily prayers, which itself is perhaps the most memorable feature of this Islamic marvel. When 500 mosques ring aloud with the call to prayer, how else would 15 million hearts beat with the same passion and purpose? There is nothing else quite like this in all the world.