Istanbul has a few modern gems to complement all the historic and traditional features as we discovered.

Thanks to Capital of Culture funding Istanbul has new pieces of public art, one of which can be seen above. It's called 'The Morning Line' by Matthew Ritchie a British artist who now lives and works in New York.  It has already been erected in other cities around the world so presumably Istanbul has 'rented' it for a while.

According to the blurb displayed by the work it “explores the disciplinary interplays between art, architecture, mathematics, cosmology, science and music.”  Speakers are hidden inside the ironwork and no less than 17 different contemporary composers have written music to be played in the work.

In Istanbul it can currently be found in the big square at Eminonu, just outside the Spice Bazaar.  It was silent when visited by this writer and, in the close up view below, you can see the minaret of a mosque which will be our next port of call.