And we're back to the beginning again. The Fantastical City of Istanbul from the bridge

But first, here is the tower that led us home every evening. Some people believe it was built by an emperor around 518AD but most evidence points to its construction by the Genoese when they ruled the Northern shores of the Golden Horn, where our hotel was. Yip, for those of you wondering, even the powerful Genoese trading city had an outpost here, trading with the Byzantiums in the old city. Yes, Genoa in Italy.

And back we go to the Topkapi Palace and the Harem section where the royal family lived. The Sultan's Mother was the most influential person in the palace and thus the second most influential in the land (so it goes) These were her bathing quarters. With cleanliness being next to godliness and all that she had an entire marbled room at her disposal for ablutions. This is simply one corner of it.
This is simply an example of the opulence of the quarters of those living in the Harem. Everything is cushions and couches, drapes and carvings. But remember the carvings are never of people or animals, simply patterns allowed by Islam
There are still many buildings kept in their traditional form in the rest of the Palace, outside of the Harem. There are basically 3 courtyards leading into one another with buildings surrounding them and pavilions dotting them. Only certain people were allowed into each courtyard, the first reserved for the governing of the Empire (throne room, reception room etc), the second for the running of the Palace (kitchens, stables etc) and the third seems to have been designated for healing including the pavilion (home) of the chief healer, and the pavilion below used for circumcision...who said you cant be in pain surrounded by opulent splendour?
I am still trying to reduce the size of the videos so they will load. Hopefully they will be posted soon