On our last day in Istanbul we took a ferry out to one of the sleepy islands in the Sea of Marmara. It takes about an hour and offers a great view of the city.
On the way back in the late afternoon we could see black smoke bellowing from the Asian side of the bay. As we neared the shore the sight of a huge Victorian-era building in flames came into focus. Researching afterwards we discovered it is the old train terminal for the Asian side. Called Haydarpasha terminal it was built in 1908 by two German architect in a solid neo-classical style and is usually the busiest station in the middle east.
No one was hurt in the fire and I think only the roof was affected so hopefully they should be able to restore it to its former glory. It was worrying watching the flames to think if anyone was trapped inside but another part of me was just mesmerised by the power of the fire. Does that make me a pyromaniac?
Anyway I thought the photos were quite dramatic and worth posting. The scene reminded me of the dramatic paintings of the haze of smoke with ships on fire by Turner.
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