This is the first of a series of blog posts in which we will travel through the rich, varied and cultural places of Türkiye! Our first stop is İstanbul.
Since there are many beauties, historical and cultural places in Istanbul, we will share Istanbul in two parts.
Hagia Sophia Mosque – Ayasofya Camii
Hagia Sophia is a mosque and major cultural and historical site in Istanbul, Türkiye. The cathedral was originally built as a Greek Orthodox church which lasted from 360 AD until the conquest of Constantinople by the Ottoman Empire in 1453. It served as a mosque until 1935, when it became a museum. The interior preserves itself with the beautiful harmony of Christian and Islamic elements.
In the 6th century, this architectural marvel was a bold feat of engineering when it was built, with 30 million gold tiles inside and a large, flat dome. Around the dome you can see Christian and Islamic elements.
Basilica Cistern – Yerebatan Sarnıcı
The Basilica Cistern is the largest of several hundred ancient cisterns beneath the city that provided a water filtration system for the buildings nearby. The ceiling is supported by 336 marble columns. Today it is kept with little water, for public access inside the space.
Inside the cistern you can see a crying column and two medusa heads. You can see various light plays and sculptures in the recently renovated cistern.
Fun fact about medusa heads: the medusa heads were placed upside down so that those looking at the column bases would not be stoned.
Obelisk - Dikilitaş
The Obelisk or Theodosius Obelisk is an Ancient Egyptian obelisk located on the south side of Sultanahmet Square. This obelisk was then placed in the center of the hippodrome. Now the hippodrome is no longer in this area, but the obelisk is still there. You can see the traces of the hippodrome when you visit this area.
The Grand bazaar - Kapalıçarşı
The Grand Bazaar is the world's largest bazaar and one of the oldest covered bazaars, located in the center of the city of Istanbul. There are approximately 4,000 shops in the Grand Bazaar. The Grand Bazaar is often referred to as the world's first shopping center.
Today, there are still jewelry stores, spice shops, coffee shops and shops selling various kinds of clothes.
Blue mosque - Sultanahmet Camii
The mosque is called the "Blue Mosque" because it is decorated with blue, green and white colored Iznik tiles and its half domes and the interior of the large dome are also decorated with blue pen works. The design of the Blue Mosque is the culmination of a 200-year synthesis of Ottoman mosque architecture and Byzantine church architecture. It is Türkiye’s first mosque with six minarets, with some Byzantine influences from the neighboring Hagia Sophia, but with a strong emphasis on traditional Islamic architecture. It is part of the area added to the UNESCO World Heritage list.
Stay tuned for more articles about cultural and beautiful places to visit in İstanbul!