Istanbul, formerly known as Constantinople, is the largest city in Turkey, serving as the country’s economic, cultural and historic hub. The city straddles the Bosporus strait, lying in both Europe and Asia, and has a population of over 15 million residents. The city was founded as Byzantium in the 7th century BCE by Greek settlers […]
Tag: Istanbul
Sultan Ahmet Mosque
The Sultan Ahmet Mosque is a historic mosque located in Istanbul,Turkey. A popular tourist site, the Sultan Ahmed Mosque continues tofunction as a mosque today; men still kneel in prayer on the mosque’slush red carpet after the call to prayer. The Blue Mosque, as it ispopularly known, was constructed between 1609 and 1616 during therule […]
Hagia Sophia
Hagia Sophia, “Holy Wisdom”; is the former Greek Orthodox Christian patriarchal cathedral, later an Ottoman imperial mosque and now a museum in Istanbul, Turkey. Built in 537 AD at the beginning of the Middle Ages, it was famous in particular for its massive dome. It was the world’s largest building and an engineering marvel of […]
Topkapi Palace
The Topkapi Palace is a large museum in Istanbul, Turkey. In the15th century, it served as the main residence and administrativeheadquarters of the Ottoman sultans. Construction began in 1459, ordered by Mehmed the Conqueror, six years after the conquest of Constantinople. Topkapı was originally called the “New Palace” to distinguish it from the Old Palace […]
The State Visits - World Heritage Site 