The Turks have always loved the open air, presumably inheriting this characteristic from their nomadic tent-dwelling ancestors in Central Asia. Boats were a relatively recent experience but they readily took to them for pleasure trips. This scene shows the head of the Golden Horn where boats could be hired to take passengers as far as the Bosphorus. The large trees are probably plane-trees whose broad leaves provided shade from the hot sun. They are often found planted in centres of ancient towns or in the precincts of mosques.