Travel To Istanbul
Istanbul is Europe's most populous city (the world's 4th largest city proper and 20th largest urban area) and Turkey's cultural and financial center. .In this video clip, we showcase all that Istanbul has to offer. Get acquainted with the most important treasures of this enchanting city.
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Travel To Istanbul
Istanbul is the only metropolis in the world which is situated on two continents, Europe and Asia. In this city you can walk the streets where crusaders and janissaries once marched; admire mosques that are the most sublime architectural expressions of Islamic piety; peer into the sultan's harem; and hunt for bargains in the Grand Bazaar.
Istanbul is situated near the North Anatolian fault line, which runs from northern Anatolia to the Marmara Sea. This fault line has been responsible for several deadly earthquakes in the region throughout history. Most recently, a devastating earthquake in August 1999 left 18,000 dead and many more homeless. Seismologists predict another earthquake, possibly measuring 7.0 on the Richter scale, occurring before 2025.
There are several buildings in Istanbul that are steeped in history. Hagia Sophia was built as a Byzantine cathedral by Emperor Justinian I nearly 1,500 years ago and converted into a mosque after the Ottoman conquest of Constantinople in 1453. Don't be fooled by its dull brick exterior: Its soaring dome is breathtaking, as are what's left of the original mosaics upstairs on the balcony level. Urban legend has it that the Hagia Sophia might not withstand Istanbul's supposedly "imminent" huge earthquake, so get there while you can.
Directly opposite the park outside Hagia Sophia is the majestic Blue Mosque, also known as the Sultan Ahmed Mosque, a relatively more recent structure built in the 17th century and still in use for worshippers at ordained prayer times. This structure is one of Istanbul's finest, with its stacked shining gray domes and piercing minarets.
Throughout the Byzantine period, the Hippodrome was the centre of the city's social life. Huge amounts were bet on chariot races, but these races were not simple sporting events. They also provided some rare occasions during which the Emperor and the common citizens could come together in a single venue. Political discussions were often made at the Hippodrome, which could be directly accessed by the Emperor through a passage that connected the Emperor’s loge with the Great Palace of Constantinople.
One of the oldest monuments still surviving from antiquity is the Serpentine Column. The column was moved from Greece by Constantine the Great when Constantinople became the new capital, and has stood at the Hippodrome ever since. The serpent heads that once adorned the top of the column were damaged in the year 1700, and are now preserved at the Archaeological Museum in Istanbul.
The Walled Obelisk, also known as the Column of Constantine, is situated near the Serpentine Column at the southern side of the Hippodrome of Constantinople. The 105 foot-high obelisk was constructed of roughly cut stones, and was originally decorated with gilded bronze plaques and a sphere at the top. However, reportedly these bronze plaques were stolen in the early thirteenth century. And later, since young Janissary soldiers liked to use the obelisk to climb and show their prowess, the obelisk stone suffered further damage to its surface.
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