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Ottoman Empire

Ottoman Imperial Mosques – Istanbul (part 1)
Sane MindTurkey

Ottoman Imperial Mosques – Istanbul (part 1)

Of all Ottoman heritage in Istanbul, monumental Ottoman imperial mosques are the most important and most visible. The biggest and most impressive complexes are from the 16th and 17th century, although mosques built in the 18th and 19th century are equally significant and beautiful.



OTTOMAN IMPERIAL MOSQUES

These historic structures were commissioned by ...
Mihrimah Sultan
Sane MindTurkey

Mihrimah Sultan

The story of Sultanate of Women continues with Mihrimah Sultan. This fascinating period of time in Ottoman history started in approximately 1533, when Suleiman the Magnificent married the love of his life - Hurrem 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 ...
Hürrem Sultan
Sane MindTurkey

Hürrem Sultan

Sultanate of Women is a fascinating period of time in Ottoman history. It started in approximately 1533, when Suleiman the Magnificent married the love of his life - Hurrem 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 Suleiman ...
Yedikule Fortress – Sultan Mehmed’s Treasury and Prison
Sane MindTurkey

Yedikule Fortress – Sultan Mehmed’s Treasury and Prison

I didn't know anything about Yedikule Fortress before I went to see it. In fact, I've never heard of it despite the fact that I've been to Istanbul many times in the past. I went there because that's where I started my tour of Theodosian Walls. I thought that it was part of the Byzantine heritage, but I was wrong. Fatih Sultan Mehmed ordered construction of this fortress immediately after the conquest of ...
Tekfur Theodosius Defends Constantinople
Sane MindTurkey

Tekfur Theodosius Defends Constantinople

When we talk about the Byzantine heritage in modern-day Istanbul, certainly magnificent Hagia Sophia immediately comes to mind. But there are also former Christian Orthodox churches that you can see in the city, which are all mosques now. However, the Byzantine legacy doesn't end there. The Theodosian Walls protected the city for 1000 years, while the only remaining Byzantine imperial palace is the Tekfur ...
Magnificent Chora
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Magnificent Chora

Imagine a city that was a centre of the Christian Orthodox faith for 1000 years, which then became a centre of the Islamic Caliphate for 400 years. Sultan Selim I conquered Mamluk Egypt in 1517 and claimed a title of the Caliph. Then, try to imagine a Christian Orthodox church with some of the finest late Byzantine mosaics and frescoes that remained untouched by the Ottomans despite the fact that it became ...
Little Hagia Sophia
Sane MindTurkey

Little Hagia Sophia

Do you know that, apart from the famous Byzantine wonder that everyone knows, there is also Little Hagia Sophia? Certainly, I didn't know anything about it, but that's because I never really explored the Byzantine heritage in Istanbul before. It was on the occasion of my latest visit that I decided to see and write about this aspect of the city. Despite the fact that 571 years passed since Constantinople ...
Byzantine Wonder – Hagia Sophia
Sane MindTurkey

Byzantine Wonder – Hagia Sophia

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 ...
Byzantine Churches in Istanbul
Sane MindTurkey

Byzantine Churches in Istanbul

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 ...
Istanbul – Imperial City
Sane MindTurkey

Istanbul – Imperial City

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 ...
My Forever Travel

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