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John Elkington

John Elkington

A world authority on corporate responsibility and sustainable development.

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All Roads Lead Back to Haghia Sophia

John Elkington · 26 September 2009 · Leave a Comment

Mecidiye Mosque Mecidiye Mosque Mosque through the windows of the ferry terminal Mosque through the windows of the Ortakoy ferry terminal Early morning scene Early morning scene Mosque interior Mosque interior Door Door Fishing boat frenzy Fishing boat frenzy Rumeli Castle 1 Rumeli Castle 1 Rumeli Castle 2 Rumeli Castle 2 Rumeli Castle 3 Rumeli Castle 3 Rumeli castle 4 Rumeli castle 4 Martin sketches at Rumeli Castle Martin sketches at Rumeli Castle Dam Dam We leave dock We leave dock Bridge from our boat Bridge from our boat Mecidiye Mosque and Bosphorus Bridge from boat Mecidiye Mosque and Bosphorus Bridge from boat The journey ends The journey ends Bread on the dock Bread on the dock Cob boiler by Haghia Sophia Cob boiler by Haghia Sophia Haghia Sophia through fountains Haghia Sophia through fountains Haghia Sophia Haghia Sophia

Day starts with a visit to Mecidiye Mosque on the waterfront, at the foot of the Bosphorus Bridge – delightfully feminine. Other treats include Rumeli Castle, built by Mehmet the Conqueror as a first step in the conquest of Constantinople. With different viziers responsible for building different towers and the sultan in charge of the walls, the structure went up in an unbelievable four months. The fortress was soon nicknamed ‘Throat-cutter’, as it rapidly strangled the flow of ships through the Bosphorus.

We also see a dam which supplies water through a viaduct system to the city, where I found a profusion of lizards and a froglet: extraordinary feeling to have such a tiny, complex life-form in the palm of one’s hand, as Mehmet eventually held fate of Constantinople in his. Then a Bosphorus boat trip, seeing many of the mosques, castles and palaces we have visited from the water. 

In the evening, Elaine and I head back to Haghia Sophia, walking in the calm of the evening – and absorbing the magic of this 1,400-year-old structure that has held such an important place in millions of hearts as it transitioned from church to cathedral to mosque to museum.

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Introduction

I began this blog with an entry reporting on a visit to the Woods Hole Oceanographic Institution on Cape Cod, on 30 September 2003. The blog element of the website has gone through several iterations since, with much of the older material still available.

Like so many things in my life, blog entries blur the boundaries between the personal and the professional. As explained on this site’s Home Page, the website and the blog are part platform for ongoing projects, part autobiography, and part accountability mechanism.

In addition, my blogs have appeared on many sites such as: Chinadialogue, CSRWire, Fast Company, GreenBiz, Guardian Sustainable Business, and the Harvard Business Review.

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About

John Elkington is a world authority on corporate responsibility and sustainable development. He is currently Founding Partner and Executive Chairman of Volans, a future-focused business working at the intersection of the sustainability, entrepreneurship and innovation movements.

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john@johnelkington.com  |  +44 203 701 7550 | Twitter: @volansjohn

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