It�s one of the dozens of reasons I keep returning to Istanbul. It�s as if some mystical force keeps pulling me back in; or maybe it�s simply the pure beauty of the Bosphorus.
Whatever the reason, I�ve decided to make another visit to Istanbul later in September. Yesterday, I booked my tickets and then started looking through three years worth of photos since it was a chilly, rainy day here in Warsaw. I realized how much photo editing still remains to be done.
One of the recurrent images in these photos is the city�s bridges � the Bosphorus Bridge, Fatih Sultan Memhet Bridge (the second bridge), Galata Bridge and the lesser known ones that span the Golden Horn. At night, the first two suspension bridges always are lit up with colorful lights ranging from solid colors to a full rainbow. (Hmm...I wonder if the Turkish government will end up banning the bridge�s rainbow colors after the recent debacle around the rainbow-painted steps in the Findikli-Cihangir nieghborhood.)
Anyway, you�ll find hundreds of restaurants with prime locations along the water or on the city�s hilltops where you can gaze at the bridges while you eat your Turkish mezes. We often took visitors to Reina and the manmade island of SuAda for their views when we lived in Istanbul. Last year, we also enjoyed a splendid dinner at Ulus 29 for our second wedding anniversary and watched the lights change on the Bosphorus Bridge.
 |
| Looking out from SuAda to the Bosphorus Bridge in Istanbul. |
It�s interesting to think about how many of my memories end up revolving around the city�s bridges. I never realized it until I started looking through all our photos yesterday.
Vapur rides.
Visits from family and friends.
Special dinners.
Turkish breakfasts on the weekend.
Goodbyes.
So I hope you enjoy my trip down memory lane. Soon, I�ll have some new memories from Istanbul to share with you.
 |
| The Bosphorus Bridge at dusk as seen from a park just north of Ortak�y. |
 |
| The rainbow colors displayed on the Fatih Sultan Memhet Bridge. |
 |
| Looking out over the Golden Horn from Mikla's rooftop bar. |
 |
| View of Fatih Sultan Memhet Bridge from Tapasuma Restaurant on the Asian side. |