Year of the Dragon

Dolmabahçe Palace with seagull

May - Himal

Dolmabahçe Palace in Istanbul seen from the waterside on the Bosphorus. Seagull in foreground just above palace with wings raised. Positioning and distance makes it appear gigantic in relation to palace.
Dolmabahçe Palace in Istanbul. Administrative centre of the Ottoman Empire 1856 -1922. Apparently cost $2bn in today's money and caused the Ottoman government to default on its loans. 285 rooms!

Photographed on a Bosphorus boat tour with a seagull caught just at the right moment.
And a little footer