Istanbul – the ancient, rich in historical vicissitudes of the city in Turkey. During its thousand-year history it was many times burnt down, conquered and defeated, but all this time Istanbul remained the capital of the world, the largest historical and cultural sights of humanity.
Dolmabahce Palace – Istanbul pride
Dolmabahce Palace – elegant landmark on the shores of the Bosphorus pleases the eye with an unusual combination of traditional Ottoman architecture with traditional European: neoclassical, baroque and rococo. The magnificent fa?ade and stunning detail of decorations will delight even seasoned travelers. His luxury it is not inferior to even the Palace of Versailles. Few people know, but in the construction of places of interest 14 tons of gold leaf were used. Home decoration has become a chandelier of Bohemian glass (a gift from Queen Victoria herself) and a new collection of paintings by Aivazovsky. At the moment, the palace serves as the residence of the Prime Minister of Turkey.
Suleymaniye Mosque – Istanbul spiritual shrine
Suleymaniye Mosque – the pearl of Islamic and Byzantine architecture, one of the main religious monuments of Turkey and a popular tourist destination city. Each year, the mosque is visited by hundreds of thousands of tourists, leaving a delightful one. Many called it an amazing source of spiritual peace and tranquility. The mausoleums of the mosque rests himself Sultan Suleyman and his wife Roksolana. This attraction of Istanbul is situated on a hill, so it is clearly visible from many parts of the city. A special guide for the tourists are the four minarets that rise tens of meters above the city. The mosque is obligatory to visit.
Grand Bazaar – Istanbul Landmark
Perhaps this is one of the most vivid and memorable tourist spots of the city. Grand Bazaar – the largest covered market in the world with more than 4,000 shops and arcades. Every day it is visited by more than 500 thousand people! This is the most popular and visited attraction of Istanbul. The greatest demand here enjoy jewelry, carpets, which “can fly”, spices, antiques and famous hand-painted ceramics.
Grand Bazaar dates back in 1461 with a few shops and stores. Now it is the largest shopping complex, including 2 mosques, 4 fountains and even a 2 hammams (Turkish steam bath). You just have to visit this wonderful place in his tour of Istanbul.
Topkapi Palace – Istanbul’s historical landmark
Currently Topkapi are Historical Museum, which contains valuable artifacts of the Ottoman Empire. However, in the XV century, the palace was closed from prying eyes, he was the official residence of the Sultan, and was one of the largest in the world! Today, this attraction allows everybody to see the harem of the Sultan, a collection of ancient weapons, the palace cuisine, unique items made of porcelain, as well as collections of jewels and watches Sultan. So take a look and you all beauty Topkapi Palace.
The Blue Mosque in Istanbul – immense wealth
The Blue Mosque was built in the early XVII century, it has survived many difficult historical events, but services are held to this day. For tourists it brings some disadvantages as well as a tourist attraction close 5 times a day for service, all visitors must remove their shoes and women must cover their hair. However, this is small price to pay for what you see. The main wealth of the Blue Mosque is a wonderful decoration, a 20,000 ceramic tiles of various shapes, some 200 stained-glass windows with intricate patterns and much more. This Istanbul mosque built by Sultan Ahmet and takes its name from the blue tiles on the dome and in the interior of the upper levels.
Galata Tower. Istanbul attraction
Galata Tower – a mandatory participant of any tour as part of the Top 10 best monuments of the city. It was built back in 1348, but to this day dominates the Istanbul, taking thousands of tourists. At the time point of interest was used as a lookout tower to detect enemies and fires. But hard times have passed and now the tower is a beautiful area with a breathtaking panoramic view of the old town and the surrounding area. At the top of Galata is a cozy cafe, a restaurant and even a nightclub.
Attraction of Istanbul. Saint Sophie Cathedral
Hagia Sophia was once the house of worship and ancient history managed to serve multiple religions. It was built in the year 537, for the needs of the Greek Orthodox basilica, which later became home to the Patriarch of Constantinople. After 6 centuries, the Cathedral has served the Roman – Catholic Church, and from 1453 to 1931 he was a mosque. Starting in 1935 decided to make the attraction of a museum, open to visitors from around the world.
Hagia Sophia – a great example of Byzantine architecture, which was equal to creating the Blue Mosque in Istanbul and other reminders throughout Turkey. The main feature of the cathedral is a huge mosaic, which depicts different religious scenes.
