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The Blog.
I post bi-weekly about writing, editing, teaching, and travel.


Intro to Topkapi Palace
Topkapi Palace is huge, and, as it is Wednesday, I do not have to go over all of it today. Instead, I will provide a brief introduction...
Mar 30, 20232 min read


Hagia Irene
My second day in Istanbul started with a peak inside Hagia Irene. The Eastern Orthodox Church, which sits in Topkapi Palace's outer...
Mar 26, 20232 min read


Old City Sights
Old City Corner I spent three full days in Istanbul. At 8 a.m. each day, I met my tour guide, Gamze, at the Starbucks at Taksim Square. ...
Mar 16, 20233 min read


The Basilica Cistern
To examine the history of a civilization, first consider its water. Ancient civilizations formed on the banks of rivers. The ancient...
Mar 12, 20234 min read


The Hippodrome of Constantinople
Ruins of the Hippodrome, from an engraving by Onofrio Panvinio in his work De Ludis Circensibus (Venice, 1600). The same morning I saw...
Mar 5, 20234 min read


Hagia Sophia
Note: I am no historian or expert on this structure or region. As such, I am referencing History.com for most of the information...
Feb 26, 20236 min read
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