Among Istanbul's many Ottoman landmarks, the most famous are its monumental imperial mosques, such as the Blue Mosque and the Süleymaniye Mosque. But, in my view, the Pertevniyal Valide Sultan Mosque also holds a significant place in Istanbul's rich Ottoman heritage.
PERTEVNIYAL VALIDE SULTAN MOSQUE
Situated in bustling Aksaray, the ...
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Ottoman Empire
Much like the iconic Yeni Mosque near the Galata Bridge, the Dolmabahce Mosque stands as one of the most recognisable Ottoman imperial mosques, familiar to almost every visitor to Istanbul. Its striking presence along the Bosporus ensures that anyone embarking on a scenic cruise or simply crossing between the European and Asian sides of the city will inevitably catch sight of its elegant ...
Among Istanbul's many Ottoman landmarks, the most famous are its monumental imperial mosques, such as the Blue Mosque and Süleymaniye Mosque. But in my view, the Tesvikiye Mosque also holds an important place in Istanbul's rich Ottoman heritage.
Let me say a word about the correct spelling of this mosque's name. In Turkish, it is the Teşvikye Mosque. However since the letter "ş" does not exist in ...
The Sultanate of Women represents a fascinating period that began around 1533, when Sultan Suleiman the Magnificent married Hurrem Sultan. It concluded with the death of Turhan Hatice Sultan in 1683. Mihrimah Sultan firmly belonged to this chapter of Ottoman history.
WHAT IS SULTANATE OF WOMEN?
This era was marked by the political dominance of wives and ...
WHAT IS SULTANATE OF WOMEN?
This era was marked by the political dominance of wives and ...
The Sultanate of Women represents a fascinating period in Ottoman history. It began around 1533, when Sultan Suleiman the Magnificent married Hurrem Sultan. It concluded with the death of Turhan Hatice Sultan in 1683.
WHAT IS SULTANATE OF WOMEN?
This era was marked by the political dominance of wives and mothers of Ottoman sultans. From 1566, following the ...
WHAT IS SULTANATE OF WOMEN?
This era was marked by the political dominance of wives and mothers of Ottoman sultans. From 1566, following the ...
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 ...
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 ...
Imagine a city that served as a centre of the Christian Orthodox faith for a thousand years and later became a centre of the Islamic Caliphate for four centuries. When Sultan Selim I conquered Mamluk Egypt in 1517, he assumed the title of Caliph. Now, imagine a Christian Orthodox church adorned with some of the finest late Byzantine mosaics and frescoes, masterpieces that remained untouched by the Ottomans ...
Do you know that, apart from the famous Byzantine wonder that everyone knows, there is also the Little Hagia Sophia? Certainly, I didn't. But that's because I had never really explored Istanbul's Byzantine heritage before. It was during my visit in June 2024 that I finally decided to explore and write about this fascinating aspect of the city.
Even though 571 years have passed since Constantinople fell ...
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. Even though 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 time.
However, ...
