"The reason birds can fly and we can't is simply because they have perfect faith, for to have faith is to have wings." - JM Barrie _ The bird man. Outside New Mosque (Yeni Cami) in Istanbul, Turkey. _ When I saw him it seemed like a Turkish version of the similar scene from Mary Poppins: "Feed the birds. Tuppence a bag. 🎶" _ Construction of this mosque started in 1597 at the orders of the Sultan's mother. The area was populated largely by Jewish people at the time and her hope was to to extend the influence of Islam within the city. But it drew criticism and construction stopped after the Sultan's death, where it sat in disrepair. After being ravaged by the Great Fire of Istanbul in 1660, it was finally rebuilt and completed 3 years later. I love historical buildings like this which have such a fascinating story behind them. _ Travel tip: While I toured around Istanbul I was able to stay online thanks to my magic little black box @tepwireless. Check out the sidebar of travelwithbender.com for a link to the full review and exclusive discount code. _ #istanbul

via Instagram