All along I thought I had shown you the pictures from our trip to Istanbul, Turkey in the last days of 2011, and the first ones of 2012… I’ve realized I never did.

I have never shown you the view from the inner side of Topkapı Saray‘s west gate uncovering the Blue Mosque… Or the group of friends strolling down an alley at the Spice Market while laughing at each others’ jokes. Or the many-many mosques that reign on every hill of this enigmatic city. Or the true marvel of Istanbul, which is taking a walk in the small and not frequently visited by tourist streets on the west bank of the Golden Horn. The old houses and their ambiance that seems totally disconnected from the hectic pace the world moves by on the main streets of the old Turkish capital. Or the shoeshiner and his customer who were exchanging pleasantries in an incomprehensible language to me while the former was doing what he does for a living. Or the geometric perspective I have witnessed in probably the greatest temple of God I have ever set my foot in – Hagia Sophia.

I’ve never done any of this. So, now I do.

Istanbul has put a spell on me. I fell in love with it. Wholeheartedly and irreversibly. I want to go back.

Until then, I have my photos and memories to remember you by, Istanbul!

Copyright © 2014 Borislav Kiprin. All Rights Reserved.