Istanbul Photos -- National Geographic Traveler

Istanbul Ferry
Photograph by Dave Yoder
In Istanbul, ferries zigzag constantly across the Bosporus strait, shuttling passengers from Europe to Asia and back again. Beloved for its complex, layered past, Istanbul is where East meets West—and may also offer a vision of what’s to come for the world's increasingly diverse cities. In Traveler's October issue, author Pico Iyer explores this "City of the Future" with photographs by Dave Yoder.
Istanbul Nightlife
Photograph by Dave Yoder
Visitors lounge outside cafés and bars near the Ortakoy Mosque in Istanbul. "Istanbul is the center of a country that is 98 percent Islamic yet increasingly famous for its watermelon martinis," notes author Pico Iyer. "Foreigners come to Istanbul for what is Turkish about the place. Turks are drawn here by what’s cutting-edge and international."
For more, read “Istanbul: City of the Future” from the October 2010 issue of National Geographic Traveler.
Tram on Istiklal Avenue
Photograph by Dave Yoder
A tram navigates Istanbul’s Istiklal Avenue, one of the busiest shopping venues in Europe. "What really excited me about Istanbul was simply the sense of ceaseless movement, the way the energies of an Asian metropolis pulsed through largely European streets, so that the whole place seemed, intoxicatingly, a work in perpetual progress," writes author Pico Iyer.
For more, read “Istanbul: City of the Future” from the October 2010 issue of National Geographic Traveler.
Bookstore
Photograph by Dave Yoder
Used books cushion a cat nap in the Beyoglu neighborhood of Istanbul.
For more, read “Istanbul: City of the Future” from the October 2010 issue of National Geographic Traveler.
Hippodrome
Photograph by Dave Yoder
Rain glistens on the pavement around the spiral Serpent Column in the Hippodrome, once a huge stadium for chariot racing. The Serpent Column, which was originally topped with three snakeheads, was brought to Constantinople from Delphi, and has stood in the same spot since the founding of the city in A.D. 330. This bronze column, and the carved Egyptian obelisk standing behind it, are some of the few remnants of the Hippodrome stadium, which could hold 100,000 spectators.
For more, read “Istanbul: City of the Future” from the October 2010 issue of National Geographic Traveler.
Tomb of Abu Ayyub al-Ansari
Photograph by Dave Yoder
Pilgrims and tourists visit one of the holiest sites in Istanbul, the tomb of Abu Ayyub al-Ansari, friend of the Prophet Muhammad. The tomb is near the Eyup Sultan Mosque in old Istanbul.
For more, read “Istanbul: City of the Future” from the October 2010 issue of National Geographic Traveler.
Boys in Sultanahmet Park
Photograph by Dave Yoder
With the massive Hagia Sophia in the background, boys in traditional sultan circumcision ritual costumes have their photos taken in Sultanahmet Park.
For more, read “Istanbul: City of the Future” from the October 2010 issue of National Geographic Traveler.
Nisantasi Neighborhood
Photograph by Dave Yoder
The Nisantasi neighborhood of Istanbul caters to high-end shoppers with modern boutiques and sidewalk cafés. "[Istanbul] can be in tune with the future precisely because it has so rich a sense of the past and such seasoned wisdom about the cycles of culture and history," writes author Pico Iyer.
For more, read “Istanbul: City of the Future” from the October 2010 issue of National Geographic Traveler.
Stuffed Chard Leaves
Photograph by Dave Yoder
Stuffed chard leaves are served on the rooftop restaurant of the Seven Hills hotel in the Sultanahmet district of Istanbul.
For more, read “Istanbul: City of the Future” from the October 2010 issue of National Geographic Traveler
Vosvos Cafe Bar
Photograph by Dave Yoder
Students dance to Turkish music at the Vosvos Cafe Bar in the Beyoglu district of Istanbul. "Nothing had prepared me for the flash and glitter of it all," Pico Iyer writes about Istanbul.
For more, read “Istanbul: City of the Future” from the October 2010 issue of National Geographic Traveler.