Western fascination with the exoticism of the Ottoman world is whetted by calligraphy and kilims, eunuchs and hammams, belly dancers and dervishes, concubines and harems, sultans and Turkish delights ...
The view from Galata Bridge–my first of the heart of Istanbul–visually embraced me, lifting up weary jet-lagged spirits and sending them sailing toward glittering, purple-painted, incense-scented ...