CITY GUIDE

Dolmabahçe Palace was built by the thirty-first Ottoman sultan, Sultan Abdülmecid (1839-1861). The palace, whose construction started on 13 June 1843, was opened to use on 7 June 1856 with the completion of the surrounding walls.

Topkapı Sarayı, Osmanlı sultanlarının ikametgahı, devletin yönetim ve eğitim merkezidir. İstanbul fatihi II. Mehmed tarafından 1460-1478 tarihleri arasında yaptırılmış olan ve zaman içerisinde bazı ilavelerin yapıldığı Saray’da, Osmanlı padişahları ve Saray halkı 19. yüzyıl ortalarına kadar ikamet etmiştir.

Hagia Sophia (Greek: Αγιά Σοφιά, full name: Ναός τῆς Ἁγίας τοῦ Θεοῦ Σοφίας, Latin: Sancta Sophia or Sancta Sapientia) is a historical museum in Istanbul. It is a basilica planned patriarchal cathedral built by the Byzantine Emperor Justinian I in the old city center of Istanbul’s historical peninsula between AD 532 – 537, and after Istanbul was taken by the Turks in 1453, it was converted into a mosque by Fatih Sultan Mehmet. It has been serving as a museum since 1935.

The foundation of the Grand Bazaar was laid in 1461. Like a giant sized labyrinth, the Grand Bazaar, with its 66 streets and 4,000 shops on 30,700 square meters, is a unique and must-see center of Istanbul. This site, which resembles a city and is completely covered, has developed and grown over time. Until recently, there were 5 mosques, 1 school, 7 fountains, 10 wells, 1 fountain, 1 fountain, 24 gates, 17 inns. It was built by Fatih Sultan Mehmet. The two old buildings with thick walls from the 15th century, covered with a series of domes, became a shopping center in the following centuries by covering the developing streets and making additions.

Galata Tower is a tower built in 528, located in the Galata district of Istanbul and one of the most important symbols of the city. The Bosphorus, Golden Horn and Istanbul can be viewed panoramically from the tower. Coordinates: 41°1′32″N, 28°58′27″E Galata Tower is one of the oldest towers in the world and was built by the Byzantine Emperor Anastasius in 528 as the Lighthouse Tower. IV in 1204. The tower, which was extensively destroyed during the Crusades, was later rebuilt in 1348 by the Genoese in addition to the Galata walls, using masonry stones under the name “Jesus Tower”. When it was rebuilt in 1348, it became the largest building in the city.

The Galatasaray Hamam is located within the Galatasaray Complex and was built by Sultan II. It was built by Beyazıt in 1481 together with the complex. The construction of Galatasaray Hamam is based on a mysterious story. While walking around the plot where the current Galatasaray High School and Galatasaray Hammam were located at that time, Sultan Beyazıt caught his eye on a hut. This hut belongs to Gül Baba, one of the respected personalities of the time. Sultan Beyazıt met this person and asked, “Gül Baba, do you have a wish?” He commands, and Gül Baba in response demands that a complex that will dominate this land for centuries will be built in which there will be a large school and a large domed bath. Sultan Beyazıt accepted this wish and had the complex built in 1481.

The Sultan Ahmet Mosque was built by the architect Sedefkar Mehmet Ağa on the historical peninsula in Istanbul by Sultan Ahmet I between 1609 and 1616. The mosque is called the “Blue Mosque” by Europeans because it is decorated with blue, green and white Iznik tiles, and because its half domes and the inside of its large dome are also decorated with blue-grained hand-drawn works. With the conversion of Hagia Sophia from a mosque to a museum in 1934, it became the main mosque of Istanbul.

İstanbul Rum Ortodoks Patrikhanesi (Yunanca: Πατριαρχεῖον Κωνσταντινουπόλεως, Patriarhion Konstandinupoleos) 6. yy’dan itibaren Hristiyanlık alemindeki din tartışmalarının önemli bir kesimini oluşturan Ortodoksluk’un da merkezidir. İstanbul’un fethinden sonra, gayrimüslim olan toplumların yaşayışına dair düzenlemeler, Fatih Sultan Mehmet’in çıkardığı fermana bağlanmış, böylece Fener Rum Patrikhanesi de denilen Rum Ortodoks Patrikhanesi’nin yasal statüsü süreklilik kazanmıştır.