Istanbul in bloom

During the week in the Istanbul office, I was very lucky to have been able to see the old Sultanahmet quarter of the city on a sunny day. One of the things I found surprising is the huge number of blooming flowers throughout the city. Here is a sampling of photos, showing tulips arranged in a pattern in front of the Hagia Sophia. This UNESCO World Heritage site is nearly 1500 years old. Hagia Sophia has been a Greek Orthodox Church, a Roman Catholic cathedral, an Imperial mosque, and is now a museum.

Photo by Patrick Jones. Hagia Sophia, 16 Apr 2015

Photo by Patrick Jones. Tulips on display.

Photo by Patrick Jones. Flowers near Topkapi Palace.

The next photo shows the famous Sultan Ahmed Mosque, also known as the Blue Mosque. I'll have many more photos from the interior, but this one captures the flowers blooming in the gardens between the Blue Mosque and the Hagia Sophia. This is a beautiful place.

Photo by Patrick Jones. Blue Mosque, 16 Apr 2015