Ulus

Yesterday, the three of us headed out to Ulus, the old and traditional part of the city. It's a religious area where most women cover their heads, and some even wear burqas (only eyes showing). We traveled there by bus and got off in an area we were unfamiliar with. We wandered up the hilly, broken streets, in and out of markets in search of cheap goods. We saw beautiful pashminas & cloths, smelled incredible lamb meat that was skewered and sizzling on food carts, and heard the Imam's (Islamic leader) message via loud speakers from the Mosque. I will apologize in advance for the poor quality of my pictures. I don't like to be an "obvious foreigner" so I did many "quick snap and goes" in Ulus.

Dead chickens on the sidewalk - for sale.

There are many small, old homes in Ulus that are built very close together. The smell of coal fills the air as they heat their houses. Pigeons...literally hundreds of them...being fed by older folks.More pigeons.An awesome covered bazaar! As soon as we stepped in we were entranced by the constant call from sellers marketing their goods.

I'm in love with the produce at the bazaars! Whole Foods has nothing on these places!
Fresh fish (that I've never purchased because I just don't know how to cook it).
Meat displays! I couldn't get a picture of the sheep hooves and heads (yes, full skinned sheep heads, teeth still in:) as, again, I was trying to be inconspicuous.Finally, a statue of Turkey's great leader, Ataturk.