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The Blue Mosque
The Blue Mosque, known as Sultan Ahmed Mosque (or “camii”) in Turkish, is a historic mosque located in Istanbul, Turkey. Commissioned by Sultan Ahmed I and completed in 1616, this masterpiece stands as a testament to Ottoman craftsmanship and artistic finesse. The mosque’s architect was Sedefkar Mehmed Agha, who based it on an earlier design…
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Galata Tower
Galata Tower has been one of the landmarks of Istanbul for centuries. Built in the 14th century by Genoese merchants to replace an older Byzantine tower, the tower is around 67 meters tall and has a diameter of 16.5 meters. Galata Tower was originally named “Christea Turris” or Tower of Christ. During the 18th century…
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Maiden’s Tower
Maiden’s Tower is built on a small rock around 200 meters from the shores of Uskudar (Scutari or ancient Chrysopolis) on the Bosphorus. The first use of the tiny island goes back to 300-400 BC when Byzantion was an ancient Greek colony, used as a customs station for ships passing through the Bosphorus strait. The…
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Hagia Sophia
Located on the historic peninsula in the Sultanahmet region, Hagia Sophia is one of the oldest and most important landmarks of Istanbul. Originally built in the 6th century as a Greek Orthodox cathedral of the Byzantine Empire, the building was converted into a mosque during the Ottoman years and later into a museum in modern…
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Bosphorus
If we had to pick out just one feature of Istanbul that had the most influence on the city from its ancient history to present day, we would undoubtedly say that it is the strait of Bosphorus. This unique natural waterway divides Istanbul into its Asian and European sides, connected today by three suspension bridges,…