Tag: Turkey

Istanbul

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 […]

Ephesus

Ephesus was an ancient Greek city on the coast of Ionia, three kilometres southwest of present-day Selçuk in İzmir Province, Turkey. It was built in the 10th century BC on the site of the former Arzawan capital by Attic and Ionian Greek colonists. During the Classical Greek era it was one of the twelve cities […]

Hierapolis

Hierapolis was an ancient city located on hot springs in classical Phrygia in southwestern Anatolia. Its ruins are adjacent to modern Pamukkale in Turkey and currently comprise an archaeological museum designated as a UNESCO World Heritage Site. The hot springs have been used as a spa since the 2nd century BC, with many patrons retiring […]

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 […]

Göreme

Göreme, located among the “fairy chimney” rock formations, is a town in Cappadocia, a historical region of Turkey. It is in the Nevşehir Province in Central Anatolia and has a population of around 2,000 people. Among Göreme’s historically important sites are Ortahane, Durmus Kadir, Yusuf Koc and Bezirhane churches, in addition to the richly decorated […]