- What to visit and in which districts of Istanbul
- Meeting place of religions
- Istanbul symbol
There is one amazing city on the world map, it is the meeting point of the West and the East, two parts of the world, two completely different cultures. What to visit in Istanbul, mysterious, fabulous, majestic and beautiful, each tourist determines it independently, taking into account their interests and finances.
Over the centuries, the city has changed its names more than once, belonged to the greatest empires, including the Roman, Byzantine, then Ottoman and, finally, Latin. And at the same time, it has always remained in the center of attention of tourists who came here for peaceful and not very purposes.
What to visit and in which districts of Istanbul
The so-called Greater Istanbul is subdivided into 39 districts, each of which, in turn, consists of districts. Not all districts of the former Turkish capital are equally interesting for city visitors, leaders and outsiders stand out. In the first list, you can see the following quarters:
- Sultanahmet, it is also appreciated by specialists from UNESCO;
- Eminenu - an old quarter that delights guests with mosques, oriental bazaars and museums;
- Galatasaray with the Galata Tower, the symbol of Istanbul, and old Genoese buildings;
- Karakoy is a relatively new area that welcomes travelers with art galleries and coffee shops.
The old part of the city is the most famous sights and monuments, they are located in the European part, the new quarters belong to the Asian part.
Meeting place of religions
When asked what to visit in Istanbul on their own, the native immediately sends guests to the famous square, the main attraction of which is the Orthodox church and the mosque. Two legendary monuments of Turkish history meet the inhabitants of Istanbul and travelers on a daily basis: Hagia Sophia, the cathedral consecrated in honor of St. Sophia; Blue Mosque.
St. Sophia Cathedral has experienced different times and events over the centuries. The initiator of the construction was the Emperor Justinian, who dreamed of leaving a mark on himself in the form of the most majestic and beautiful temple. He invited the best architects; valuable building materials were used in the work, which were very expensive. Marbles of different shades (white, red, pink and green) were chosen for the walls and floor, ivory, gold leaf, pearls and precious stones were also used.
For a millennium, the temple was a shrine for Christians around the world, but in 1453, after the capture of Istanbul by the Ottomans, it became a mosque. The witnesses of this sad story are ancient mosaics, art panels, supplemented with Arabic script, the surviving remains of minarets. Thanks to the great ruler of Turkey - Ataturk, St. Sophia Cathedral from the mosque became the property of all citizens of the world. Now it is a temple-museum, accessible for visiting by any person (the entrance fee is symbolic), it is interesting for tourists both as a monument of Byzantine architecture, and as an object of worship of Christians and Muslims.
The Sultan Akhmet Mosque, also known as the Blue Mosque, remains an active religious building for Muslims. And at the same time, it is of interest to tourists who celebrate the external beauty of the building and the interior decoration. During the construction, a unique marble was used, for example, a niche for prayers was carved from a solid block of marble, inside the niche is a black stone that was brought here from Mecca. It is interesting that the chief architect who supervised the construction of the mosque was nicknamed "the jeweler", since he was very careful about every detail of the future temple. In the decoration of the building, tiles were used, decorated with painting in white and blue paints, which makes the mosque seem sky-blue.
The structure has more than 250 windows arranged in a certain way, so it is very light and sunny inside, the floors inside the mosque are covered with carpets, all of them are made to order, by hand, by the most skilled craftsmen of Turkey. The peculiarity of this building is that it has six minarets, and not four, as is usually the case. The architectural ensemble, in addition to the building for prayers, also includes other structures in which the primary and theological schools, and a charitable organization are located.
Istanbul symbol
If the time of stay in the city permits, then the Galata Tower, which belongs to the oldest monuments of Istanbul, requires a mandatory visit. It was built in the XIV century, has an impressive height and at the same time is located on the top of a hill. Therefore, the main symbol can be seen from anywhere in the city, and accordingly, a huge number of tourists gather.
Anyone can climb to the top of the Galata Tower, the top offers stunning, dizzying views in the literal and figurative sense. At the same time, the ascent will be quite easy, since there are two elevators, several entertainment establishments are located in the tower building, including a cozy restaurant and cafe at the very top and a nightclub at the foot.
