Gulhane Park

On our last morning in Istanbul we went for a quiet walk in Gulhane Park, which is a large walled park between the Topkapi Palace and the noisy streets of Serkici.  It is very close to our hotel, and free to enter, but we had overlooked it until now.  Inside is a stark contrast to the crowded streets outside.

Gulhane Park, Topkapi Palace walls on the right.

Magpie-like Jackdaws are everwhere.

Old mosaics on the palace above.

This type of floral arrangement is very popular here.

Thousands of new plants delivered from the nurseries.

Serious consequences of climbing the fence!

We walked out to the (NE) end of the park, where there is an outdoor cafe with a fantastic view out over the Bosphorous, to the asian side.  The Bosphorous is the large natural channel linking the Black Sea to the Sea of Marmara, and on through the Dardanelles to the Agean.  Apparently there is a gentle flow from north to south.  You can see from the photo that it is the size of a very large river.  Dozens of ferries buzz back and forth all day, and large ships pass up and down.

Looking across at Asia from Europe! (from the cafe)

The cafe in Gulhane Park has a great view.

Turkish tea (top) and coffee (bottom).

It was very pleasant sitting there sipping our tea or coffee, with a warm breeze off the water.  We sat there for quite a while.