About Istanbul

Hagia Sophia, or Shrine of the Holy Wisdom of God, was built in 537 AD under the direction of Byzantine Emperor Justinian I, and with the exception of 1204-1261, served as an Eastern Orthodox basilica up until the fall of Constantinople in 1453, when the new Ottoman ruler turned it into a mosque. It was later secularized and opened as a museum in 1935. Although the exterior is a sight to behold, it's the jaw-dropping view of the massive dome from the inside that demands your undivided attention. The building is one of the greatest surviving examples of Byzantine architecture, and held the title of largest cathedral in the world for nearly a thousand years - until the completion of Seville Cathedral in the early 16th century.

Topkapi Palace was the primary residence of the Ottoman sultans for nearly 400 years. Hundreds of rooms and chambers comprise the palace complex, which was once home to as many as 4,000 people. Among the collection of Ottoman relics housed in the palace are porcelain, robes, weapons, shields, armor, Ottoman miniatures, calligraphic manuscripts and murals, many of which can now be viewed as part of the museum's permanent exhibit in the Imperial Treasury. Other areas of exceptional beauty include the Imperial Hall, Apartments of the Queen Mother, and the Privy Chamber of Murat III.

The Blue Mosque, or Sultan Ahmed Mosque, fuses Byzantine elements from neighboring Hagia Sophia with traditional Islamic architecture. Built on the site of the former Byzantine palace under the direction of Sultan Ahmet I, the mosque was meant to symbolize Ottoman supremacy at a time when cracks in the armor were beginning to show. Unique features include six minarets - only one other mosque in Turkey has as many - and the iznik-style blue tiles that lend the mosque its name. The Blue Mosque is closed to visitors during prayers, which take place five times a day, each session for 90 minutes, so plan your visit carefully! Head to the park facing the mosque at dusk to hear the call to evening prayers and see the mosque lit up by colored floodlights.