Istanbul and Fish (but mostly fish)

We went to Istanbul for the weekend so we could finish our Christmas shopping and be out-of-dodge for a while. 

We went to the Mall of Istanbul for the first time. It's HUGE and has lots of English and American stores, plus an indoor amusement park. 

We also went through the Grand Bazaar and the pet market, which is near the New Mosque.  

The pet market was small and crowded. They had pretty much every pet there, fish, mice, rabbits, parrots, puppies, little birds, and even a few heritage chickens. 

I got some good pictures of the fish tanks:

DUDE - The Dolmabahçe Palace

We went to Istanbul last weekend, we visited the Grand Bazaar, and the Dolmabahçe Palace.
The palace was amazing! So much detail, and gold and crystal, just wow! They have a giant crystal chandelier that weighs 4 tons!
We toured the Palace and the Harem, both were neat, but I liked the Harem tour because there was a guy in our group that looked like Andy Serkis. Sadly they don't allow pictures inside, but here are some snaps of the outside.

 The front

 The side

Hey! We were there!

 

What is that on top of the gate??

Oh, hi random seagull!

The palace is only 150 years old (only!), but the beloved Ataturk lived there for five years, and it was also the residence of six Sultans.

The palace is right on the water (you might be able to click on the picture and in large it)