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Turkey
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 573 years have passed since Constantinople fell ...
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 ...
I am not very lucky with the Pammakaristos Monastery. I went to see this former Byzantine chuch in 2019, at the very start of my travels around Turkey in Istanbul. I remember the entire structure being covered in scaffolding. It seemed that they had just started major restoration works and I couldn't see anything at all.
I returned to Istanbul in June 2024. Naturally, the Pammakaristos Monastery was on ...
You may ask what the connection between Christ Pantokrator and Molla Zeyrek is. I am sure that everyone knows who Jesus Christ is, but I suspect that far fewer people have heard of Molla Zeyrek.
The second largest surviving Byzantine religious structure in Istanbul, the Christ Pantokrator Church, is what links these two figures. This historic building is now known as the Molla Zeyrek Mosque.
But let's ...
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, ...
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 ...
PERTEVNIYAL VALIDE SULTAN MOSQUE
Situated in bustling Aksaray, the ...
Of all the Ottoman imperial mosques that I've written about, the Sultan Mustafa Iskele Mosque may be the one that you don't need to see. It's a small structure, far removed from the monumental mosques that define Istanbul's historic core. Visiting it also requires a certain amount of effort. It is tucked away in Kadiköy, on the Asian side of the city, well beyond the most central areas.
Yet, that may be ...
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 ...
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 Nusretiye Mosque also holds a significant place in Istanbul’s rich Ottoman heritage.
OTTOMAN IMPERIAL MOSQUES
Ottoman sultans and members of the dynasty commissioned ...
OTTOMAN IMPERIAL MOSQUES
Ottoman sultans and members of the dynasty commissioned ...
