23rd Annual Smithsonian Magazine Photo Contest Travel
Silent Protector

A crow stands before one of Istanbul’s historic mosques, a fleeting silhouette guarding centuries of devotion. In its stillness lies the balance between the sacred and the mundane, between the city’s pulse and its eternal watchfulness.

Photo Detail
Date Taken: 04.2025
Date Uploaded: 11.2025
Photo Location: istanbul, Türkiye
Camera: iPhone 14 Pro
Copyright: © Cristina Sampaolesi