Hagia Sophia
Hagia Sophia, also called Aya Sophia, is a famous church in Istanbul. During Byzantine times the most important church of the city. Later became a mosque and is currently a museum.
The Hagia Sophia is located in the old city center of Istanbul on the western European part, near the Sultan Ahmet Mosque, the Hippodrome and the Sarnici Water Reservoir. The district where Hagia Sophia is located is called Sultanahmet. The building is on the UNESCO World Heritage List because of its special history and architecture.
Streets of the Grand Bazaar
You will find all kinds of products in the Grand Bazaar. One street is filled with leather goods, in the other street you will mainly find jewelry and further on you will only encounter beautiful lamps. Whether you really go there to shop or just to be amazed, a visit to the Grand Bazaar is definitely worth it. Let yourself get lost and discover for yourself what can be found in which street.
Basilica Cisterne
The Basilica Cistern Museum is one of the most important cultural assets where we can trace the traces of glorious Istanbul history. This grand underground cistern, built by Eastern Roman Emperor Justinian I (527-565), is nicknamed “Yerebatan Sarayı” (Sunken Palace) among the public due to its numerous marble columns rising from the water. It is also known as “Bazilika Sarnıcı” (Basilica Cistern) by some, as it was built on the site of the former Stoa Basilica, which was a basilica.
The blue Mosque
The Blue Mosque was built between 1609 and 1616, by the architect Mehmet Ağa, instructed by Sultan Ahmed I. It was designed as an imperial show of strength to complement the imposing Hagia Sophia Mosque, which faces it across Sultanahmet Square. Unlike the Hagia Sophia, however, it is supported by four “elephant foot” pillars and the central dome (23.5m in diameter and 43m high) is flanked by four semi-domes, making it nearly a square in shape. It is dubbed the Blue Mosque because of over 20,000 handmade ceramic Iznik tiles that decorate the interior, featuring many different tulips, rose, carnation, and lily designs, well lit by 260 windows.
Topkapi Palace
Topkapı Palace (Topkapı Sarayı) and Harem are likely to have more colourful stories than most of the world’s museums put together. Libidinous sultans, ambitious courtiers, beautiful concubines and scheming eunuchs lived and worked here between the 15th and 19th centuries when it was the court of the Ottoman empire. A visit to the palace’s opulent pavilions, jewel-filled Treasury and sprawling Harem gives a fascinating glimpse into their lives.