Istanbul
08 AUGUST 2007 -- ISTANBUL, TURKEY: Men in a "hamam" (Turkish steam bath) in Istanbul, Turkey. Hamams were once common in Istanbul and served as bathing, gossip and social centers but the modernization of Istanbul since World War I has reduced the use of hamams among Turks, except for on special occasions or social networking, but they are still popular among tourists. Istanbul, a city of about 14 million people, and the largest city in Turkey, straddles the Bosphorus Straits between Europe and Asia. It is one of the oldest cities in the world. It was once the center of the Eastern Roman Empire and was called Constantinople, named after the Roman Emperor Constantine. In 1453, Mehmet the Conqueror, Sultan of the Ottoman Empire, captured the city and made it the center of the Ottoman Turkish Empire until World War I. After the war, the Ottoman Empire was dissolved and modern Turkey created. The capitol was moved to Ankara but Istanbul (formerly Constantinople) has remained the largest, most diverse city in Turkey. Photo by Jack Kurtz
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