Hagia Sofia (Ayasofya)

An Architectural Masterpiece - Hagia Sophia (Ayasofya)

The Church of the Divine Wisdom in Istanbul is one of the most impressive and important buildings ever constructed.
Its wide, flat dome was a daring engineering feat in the 6th century, and architects still marvel at the building's many innovations.
Called Hagia Sophia in Greek, Sancta Sophia in Latin, Ayasofya in Turkish, it was built on the site of Byzantium's acropolis (map) by Emperor Justinian in 537 AD.
Ayasofya was the greatest church in Christendom, and was meant to be.
Justinian church remained the largest church ever built until St Peter's Basilica was constructed in Rome a thousand years later.
Being the world's most impressive building, it's no wonder that Mehmet the Conqueror proclaimed it a mosque soon after his conquest of the city from the Byzantines in 1453.
It served as Istanbul's most revered mosque until 1935 when Atatürk, recognizing its world-historical significance, had it proclaimed a museum, as it is now.
Although most of the building is still a museum, a room on the east side was opened in 2007 as a prayer-place (Ibadete Açık Kısmı), and the call to prayer is proclaimed from the minaret above it.
Ayasofya is awe-inspiring—one of the first things to see when you're in Istanbul.

Topkapi Palace Museum

Topkapi Palace was home to all the Ottoman sultans for 400 years of their 624-year reign, from 1465 to 1856, until the reign of Abdulmecid I. It is an amazing place to see. It is not only immense in size and structure but also full of history and tales to tell.

Building was first constructed in 1459 by Sultan Mehmet II who had conquered Istanbul in 1453.This was the main Palace that was used by the Sultan, his family and thousands of staff. There are many different areas that helped to run the complex from courtyard, to meeting rooms, harems and much much more...

Egyptian Market (Spice Bazaar) -Mısır Çarşısı

The Egyptian Bazaari, also known as Spice Market, was originally made of wood in mid-17th century by the architect Kazim Aga, and got its final restorations during mid-forties.

The name comes from the fact that Egyptians used to sell their spices here and that it once received income from taxes levied on Egypt. The English name comes from the days when the Bazaar was specialized on selling spices and herbs, medicinal plants and drugs. There are also shops selling stuff other than spices, dried fruits and nuts, oils and essences, sweets, honeycombs, and aphrodisiacs.
It has 86 shops inside. The ceiling is covered with domes.

The Church of St. Savior in Chora

The Church of St. Savior in Chora (Kariye Kilisesi), built in the 16th century, it is considered to be one of the most beautiful examples of a Byzantine church.
The church was converted into a mosque by the Ottoman rulers, and it became a secularized museum in 1948.
Much of its art was simply covered, not destroyed; therefore the interior of the building is covered with fine mosaics and frescoes.

The Basilica Cistern (Yerebatan Sarnıcı)

The Basilica Cistern, is the largest ancient cistern that lie beneath Istanbul (formerly Constantinople), in Turkey. The cistern, located 150 m west of the Hagia Sophia, was built in the 6th century during the reign of Byzantine Emperor Justinian I.
It was buit by Emperor Constantine and was enlarged by Emperor Justinian after the Nika riots of 532. The enlarged cistern provided a water filtration system for the Great Palace of Constantinople and other buildings on the First Hill, and continued to provide water to the Topkapi Palace after the Ottoman conquest in 1453 and into modern times.
Located in the northwest corner of the cistern, the bases of two columns reuse blocks carved with the visage of Medusa. It is thought that the heads were brought to the cistern after being removed from a building of the late Roman period. Tradition has it that the blocks are oriented sideways and inverted in order to negate the power of the Gorgons' gaze.
A visit here is a cool and quiet break from the busy Istanbul streets.