Photo We Love: Black and Blue in Istanbul

Travel Blog  •  World Hum  •  07.06.09 | 5:26 PM ET

REUTERS/Finbarr O’Reilly

Muslim women look out on the Golden Horn in Istanbul.

 



17 Comments for Photo We Love: Black and Blue in Istanbul

Sev 07.06.09 | 7:24 PM ET

Where is the picture of Golden Horn???????I have been to Istanbul many times. I have not seen that many women wearing the veil. Plus all you see in the woman and the water???? How do I even know It’s Istanbul other than the fact you just say so.

JohnD 07.07.09 | 12:49 AM ET

Sev…..don’t be so lame.  The Golden Horn is the name of the waterway adjacent to the Bosphorous which runs thru Istanbul.  It is not really a “golden horn” if that’s what you are looking for.  Besides, the point of the picture is NOT the Golden Horn per se, but rather, the group of Muslim women…whether you’ve seen that many together or not in Istanbul is quite besides the point.

finx 07.07.09 | 12:55 AM ET

R u sure this picture was taken in Istanbul?
Why we do not see any caracteristics of the city ?instead we only see 5 muslim women covered in black!
This picture could be taken anywhere,maybe in Saudi Arabia?

johnD 07.07.09 | 1:02 AM ET

Or…......it could have been taken in Istanbul!  Lighten up…what would have been the point of lying re where the pic was taken?  Trust me…it’s Istanbul -  I recognize the bench.  Subject closed.

Accommodation in Dublin 07.07.09 | 6:39 AM ET

Where is it in Istanbul? I never came across such a place there…

sev 07.07.09 | 8:33 AM ET

I know what the golden horn is. That’s the whole point.  This is travel web site. Why would anyone take picture of some women sitting on a bench and name it ” Women stting on a bench in Istanbul”? Why not take a picture of the scenery with the women sitting on a bench than name it?
By the way, BRAVO JohnD, I travelled all over the world and I can’t recognize the chairs, tables and benches once I sat on. LOL

Grizzly Bear Mom 07.07.09 | 9:18 AM ET

I think its a fabulous picture that shows the women’s ?burkas? blowing in the wind.  You can almost feel the women’s chill.  I liked the surprise and expecitng one thing from the photo’s title and seeing another. 

I recongize that bench too.  That’s my gum on the far right bottom of it.

sev 07.07.09 | 9:47 AM ET

I am not surprised that you might stick your gum under a bench or a table. Most people usually wrap them up in a piece of paper and throw it into trash.

Sermin 07.07.09 | 10:05 AM ET

Green money captured our country even our secular constitution is under attack along with its protectors.  The recent government is the one who let it run in Turkey, as they have been supported with that sources also their mind attached to radical Islam.  Bush Adm. support them as well to be able to navigate in the middle East.  Who cares what citizens will have with this sick religious minded people over head and systems.  Systems in Turkey corrupted as because of one mind set up on all attacked democracy and court system, they do whatever they can to manipulate everything as their source to grow bigger and bigger financially to increase their ability to attach to bottom what makes us worry that they attempt to make major changes to make their stay sure for longer, there is a court term called Ergenekon has been for 2 years used to kept people (scientists, high level army, authors, profs. media who else would have a strong word against them) in prison still no evidence and no claim to support any quilt, but fascist approaches in everything, calls are under watch, offices searched, police is their hand to run this facism, so worked as people stop talking about gov. corruption, even media turned out as their supporter to not risk their life in prison.  It is a shame for this age of world, putting women in black shits can not be explained with democracy, it is against human rights, it is against to block them from any social life as because of what they believe.  No logical explanation for their slavery, men pressure what they can not fight with..

sev 07.07.09 | 11:27 AM ET

This is not a political web site. That was my point all along. Whoever posted that picture had a different agenda since it was a picture of women dresses in burka. People should be free to wear whatever they’d like and we should not judge them based on that. However, It should be their choice and not inflicted on them by men, governments or because of lack of financial independence etc. Istanbul is a beautiful historical site, a city which is located in two continents conquered by different civilizations and has been a home for different religions many years. More importantly, it has been a home for much diversified groups of people. Its rich culture and diversity made Istanbul so attracted to many and one of the most beautiful cities in the world. By the way, that diversity also includes people who still stick their gums under the benches and tables. Keep the world and your mind clean

Jennifer 07.07.09 | 11:59 AM ET

Lighten up people!

This is a travel WEBSITE and not an Encyclopedia or a peer reviewed scientific publication so IF the picture is misslabled it shouldn’t be such a big deal unless you believe everything that you see on the Internet?  Move on!

Re Sev: gum under the bench—have you ever heard of sarcasm?  I have to truddle along now, I think there MAY be a picture of me that is mislabled floating around somewhere in the Universe that I need to freak out about.  Just a heads up, that was sarcasm too!!!

sev 07.07.09 | 1:00 PM ET

under or bottom. You got the picture. take care. I request that the site take down the picture. That picture doesn’t belog there. I am sure there are other sites in the internet they can post it.

Sermin 07.07.09 | 10:11 PM ET

You seem right, I didn’t know what this website is as I got this as news and of course feeling something after seeing a picture like this, it is our country and there are things happening that we worry.  Sorry for misunderstanding about this website, thank you..

sev 07.07.09 | 11:09 PM ET

Sermin,

Don’t be sorry. I don’t even understand why a travel web site would post a picture like that. There is nothing wrong with the picture itself but naming it black and blue in Istanbul is inappropriate. The golden horn has spectacular views, but they choose to show only the women ( assuming that the picture is really taken in Istanbul) .  Clearly, their agenda has nothing to do with travel. They are supposed to remove inappropriate material from their web site.

Jim Benning 07.08.09 | 12:10 AM ET

Thanks for all your comments. We posted the photo because, as we suggested in the headline, we think it’s an intriguing, interesting image. We don’t believe that all photos on a travel website should look like tourist postcards. It’s true that we take a very broad view of travel. If you’re uncomfortable with that, you’ll find no shortage of travel websites that take a very narrow view.

How do we know it was taken in Istanbul? On this point, we’re trusting Reuters news agency, which supplied the photo and its location to us. Reuters supplies the New York Times and countless other media outlets.

Finally, if you’re looking for slightly more conventional photos of Istanbul, check out a recent slideshow we published:

http://www.worldhum.com/photos/slideshow/istanbul-turkey-life-on-the-bosporus-20090217/

sev 07.08.09 | 12:58 AM ET

What is so interesting about seeing some women covered from head to toe. Your web site is a travel site. Posting some women covered from head to toe watching a spectacular view would have been intriguing. Posting pictures of women covered from head toe only is inappropriate.  They are not from Mars.. They are human being. So what are you saying to people who would like to visit Istanbul?  Hey, people don’t forget to visit the sites where the women in burka hang out or don’t forget to see the women in burka. So don’t insult my intelligence.

As far as finding another travel site,  I have news for you I only look up your site because of the mentioned pictures.

Zerge 07.08.09 | 3:31 PM ET

Whatīs the big deal?  Itīs a beautiful photo!  Open your minds, and travel ! Weīve been enjoying traveling benefits with Royal Holiday, and got the chance to take holidays in Istambul, Israel, SouthAfrica and Egipt…where tons of this kind of images came to our encounter !!!  we didnīt necesaarily take pictures, but brought them back home in our heads…

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