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The first time I heard the name "Istanbul," I was fascinated by the sound. There was an air of intrigue and mystery in the movies I saw during the 1940's and 50's, with spies in every dark corner of the old city.
After nearly a year of training, the U.S. Air Force sent me to Turkey. What was a nightmare to most Americans in the military was a dream come true for me. I loved being there in the crossroads of the world.
We made weekly trips to "The Bull," fascinated by this city that was the capital of the world for more than a millennium. If there were spies, they looked like everyone else and I didn't see a single murder, but the reality was more interesting than the fiction.
The name of this great city changed from Byzantium to Constantinople in the 4th century. The name changed to Istanbul after World War I.
I took my wife Nancye with me to Turkey thirty years after my military tour there. The New Mosque (Yeni Camii)was as new as ever. One of the more recent buildings, it was completed in 1663. Not far away is the famous church Hagia Sophia, which was built by the Emperor Justinian in 537AD. The dome is more than 180 feet high. For centuries it was the largest and most beautiful church in the world. Marble and columns used in Hagia Sophia were salvaged in part from ancient pagan temples. Some were quarried from the ruins of the Temple of Diana in Ephesus.
ANOTHER GREAT LINK: Constantinople Home Page
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This Istanbul Istanbul Webring site is owned by Robert "Danny" Ricketts. Want to join the Istanbul Istanbul Webring?? |
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