Browsing tag:
Istanbul
So, which one was the church for Ottoman sultans in Istanbul? Clearly, Ottoman sultans didn't need a church, they built and went to pray in mosques. It's therefore remarkable that Hagia Eirene, located within the first courtyard of the Topkapi Palace, never suffered the same fate as almost all other Byzantine churches after the fall of Constantinople in 1453. In other words, these other former churches are ...
The last time I visited Hagia Sophia was in 2019, when I travelled around Turkey. I started that particular trip in Istanbul where I stayed for a week, before departing for Bursa. Regardless of the fact that I had already seen this Byzantine wonder many times in the past, I went again.
Hagia Sophia was a museum in 2019. The ticket to enter was 6o Turkish liras, which was approximately 10 euros at that ...
It's almost impossible to talk about Byzantine churches in Istanbul. After the conquest of Constantinople 571 years ago, Ottomans converted almost all Christian Orthodox religious temples into mosques. The only Byzantine church that still retains its original function is the Panagia Mouchliotissa church in Fener. I went to see this church, unfortunately it was closed. But I'm not too bothered because, when ...
I went to Istanbul after nearly 5 years. It was the most obvious destination that I could choose after a hiatus in my travel. I spent 5 weeks in Turkey in 2019, Istanbul was my first stop at that time. Afterwards, I went to Bursa, Izmir, Kusadasi, Aydin, Antalya, Konya and Ankara. I'm planning to see the eastern part of Turkey in the near future but, before that, I wanted to continue exploring the ...
Sultanate of Women is a fascinating period of time in Ottoman history. It started in approximately 1533, when Sultan Suleiman the Magnificent married Hürrem Sultan. It ended with the death of Turhan Hatice Sultan in 1683.
WHAT IS SULTANATE OF WOMEN?
It was the time when wives and mothers of sultans ruled the empire. From 1566, when Sultan Suleiman the ...
WHAT IS SULTANATE OF WOMEN?
It was the time when wives and mothers of sultans ruled the empire. From 1566, when Sultan Suleiman the ...
Topkapi Palace, the imperial court and centre of Ottoman power for 375 years, is possibly the most famous of all Ottoman heritage in Istanbul. Approximately 30 sultans ruled the empire from there. The palace is a huge complex, meticulously designed to protect and impress. Sultans lived there in an utmost Ottoman imperial opulence, together with their families and concubines.
<br ...
<br ...
Without any doubt, Topkapi Palace is probably the most famous of all Ottoman heritage in Istanbul. Fatih Sultan Mehmed commissioned its construction shortly after the conquest of Constantinople in 1453. It was an imperial court and residence of Ottoman sultans and their families for 375 years. The harem within the palace is probably its most fascinating part. A mysterious place where many people lived ...
In my previous article, Back in Riccione, I mentioned that the main reason for my recent travel to Italy was to attend my friend's 50th birthday party. A month earlier, my friend's brother asked me to send him some photos of places that my friend and I visited together. He wanted to make a photo album, a retrospective of my friend's life. It was a wonderful idea, to step back in time and revisit past ...
April was a strange month. That was one of the reasons why I posted only one article at the end of April. It was also a month in which I asked myself: Where next? But, let me explain what happened.
As I wrote in my previous post, the UK had to come out of the EU at the end of March. However, no exit deal had been agreed between the UK and the EU. So, the UK government asked for extension until the 12th ...
