CLICK ON VIDEO BELOW TO SEE BLING BLING’S WHIRLING DERVISH SKILLS!

Wow… whirling dervishes here we come!!! Turkish baths and Turkish Delight!!!…wheres my Turkish coffee!!! Woooooo Hoooo..Jet lag wont’ have a chance!!

CLICK PHOTOS AND LINKS TO LEARN MUCH MORE ABOUT THIS STUNNING COUNTRY WE ARE ABOUT TO EXPLORE!

As soon as we get our bearings later today, we will be updating live on the blog at  https://sandramiller.com in the right hand column (Facebook) and in blog posts every day!!! Stay tuned!!

ABOVE: WHIRLING DERVISHES

ABOVE: TURKISH BATHS

ABOVE: TURKISH DELIGHT CONFECTION

Culture

Interesting facts on Istanbul

Did you know these facts about Istanbul?

1. Istanbul (ancient Byzantium) was founded on Seven Hills like Rome.
2. Istanbul is the only city in the world which is both in Europe and Asia geographicaly.
3. Istanbul is one of the biggest cities in the world, with over 13 million population.
4. Istanbul was the most crowded city of the world in 1502, than London took this title in 1840.
5. Istanbul was the capital city of the Byzantine Empire and than the Ottoman Empire during their rule.
6. Blue Mosque is the only mosque in Istanbul with six minarets. It’s the only one in the city having six of them, which is the maximum number you can have in a mosque.
7. There are two suspension bridges on the Bosphorus Strait connecting Europe to Asia. And now a third one is planned.
8. Istanbul has the third oldest subway in the world, built in 1875. It’s 573 meters long and located in Tunel neighborhood at Beyoglu district. London subway was built in 1863 and New York subway in 1868.
9. Grand Bazaar is the biggest old covered bazaar in the world, with over 3.000 shops.
10. Hagia Sophia was the largest church in the world for about 900 years.
11. Istanbul will be European Cultural Capital City in 2010.
12. Biggest light house of Turkey is in Sile district on the Black Sea coast. It’s 19 meters (62 feet) high and 1,1 meters (3,6 feet) wide.
13. Four bronze horses which are decorating today San Marco Cathedral in Venice, were taken from Istanbul (Constantinople back than) by the Crusaders in the 13th century.
14. First traffic accident occured in 1912 at Sisli district, when the driver of the Italian Embassy hit a pedestrian and tried to run away from the scene.
15. Is Kule skyscraper at Levent district is the tallest (181 meters – 594 feet) building between Dubai – Frankfurt on the world map.
16. During the Middle Ages in the Ottoman Empire, Istanbul had over 1.400 public toilets in the city meanwhile there weren’t any even at the palaces in France and other European cities.
17. Agatha Christie wrote her famous novel “Murder on the Orient Express” at Pera Palas Hotel in Istanbul.