By now I've had the chance to explore some of old downtown Istanbul, where the great monuments such as Aya Sofia and the Blue Mosque are, as well as the bustling bazaar. I thought that with all the beauty around, it wouldn't be hard to shoot a few beautiful pictures, but actually the circumstances proved quite challenging: harsh middle-of-the-day sunlight outside, dim light inside the mosques, and constant movement in the bazaar. I edited most of the pictures I took, adjusting the contrast and the brightness and sometimes cropping them to get annoying passers-by out of the frame. All in all I can't say I'm really excited about any particular picture - who knew tourist photography could be so challenging?
The Aya Sofia - literally, 'the seat of wisdom'
Inside the Aya Sofia there are several chandeliers hanging quite low from the ceiling, providing an interesting dark contrast to the bright gold domes.
The dome above the altar has a stunning 5th century mosaic of the Virgin Mary with Christ.
The Blue Mosque, seen from the adjoining courtyard. 
The Blue Mosque.
Inside, the Blue Mosque is decorated with inumerous painted tiles, mostly in blue - hence the mosque's popular name. The vertical lines you see are holding up the chandeliers that are suspended relatively low above the ground.
The Egyptian spice bazaar. 
Men washing their feet outside a mosque before Friday prayer.
The late afternoon crowd strolls by in Sultanahmet. An elderly man charges people to weigh themselves on his scale. I observed him for quite some time from a bench across the street, but did not see any customers. I wonder if he makes a lot of money - who would like to pay for what is inevitably bad news anyway? 
