Touring Istanbul

We took a day tour around Istanbul. Our first stop was the Spice Bazaar which is a big market with various shops, mainly spices and lokum (Turkish Delight).
We then went to Dolmabahce Palace which is enormous! It is where the Turkish sultans lived for a while. No expense was spared here - it was one of the most stunningly decorated palaces in the world. It is home to the largest chandelier in the world - it's huge!

In the afternoon we took a boat trip along the Bosphorus (which is the stretch of sea that links Istanbul and the Sea of Marmara to the Black Sea. This is the stretch of water that they were fighting for in World War 1.

The Bosphorus Bridge, which links the Asian side of Istanbul to the European side.