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Kayseri, in Cappadocia region of Turkey (click on images for enlargements) Decamped from Istanbul and wandered off to the city of Kayseri 400 miles to the southeast, in the Central Anatolian region of Cappadocia. The flight, which took just little over an hour, was sold out. There were at least twenty-five Chinese tourists on board, most if not all bound for the famous nearby tourist towns of Urgup, Göreme, Guzelyurt, Uchisar, and others famous for their cave houses, fairy chimneys, and balloon rides. These and most other tourists were met by shuttle buses and whisked off to the tourist destinations. I caught a cab to downtown and was soon esconsced in a hotel a five minute walk from the Citadel in the middle of the city. Kayseri has a population of about 850,000 people. It is located at an altitude of 3482 feet. Fifteen miles to the south looms 12,847-foot Mount Erciyes, the eroded cone of a now dormant volcano. 12,847-foot Mount Erciyes There has probably been some sort of settlement...

 The iconic Süleymaniye Mosque above the shores of the Golden Horn in Istanbul (click on photos for enlargements) Another view of Süleymaniye Mosque, with Rustem Pasha Mosque in foreground, lower right Süleymaniye Mosque Courtyard of Süleymaniye Mosque Roses at the tomb of Sultan Süleyman  The likewise iconic Hagia Sophia , originally a church, then a mosque, now a museum. Another view of Hagia Sophia Interior of Hagia Sophia.  Sultan Ahmed Mosque , a.k. a. Blue Mosque Another view of the Sultan Ahmed Mosque Entrance to  Sultanahmed Mosque Entrance to Sultanahmed Mosque Courtyard of Sultanahmed Mosque  Interior of Sultanahmed Mosque