HISTORY

HAGHIA SOPHIA

Hagia Sophia was built in AD 537 by the Byzantine Emperor Justinian and had the largest dome constructed in the following centuries. When Istanbul was conquered by the Ottomans, Hagia Sophia was converted into a mosque and four minarets were added.

In 1934, the building was turned into a museum. The main features of Hagia Sophia that leave visitors in awe are its dome and magnificent interior mosaics. Nowadays, Hagia Sophia is once again being used as a mosque and is known as the Hagia Sophia Grand Mosque (Ayasofya-i Kebir Camii).

The distance to Hagia Sophia from here is a 10-minute walk (750m)

TOPKAPI PALACE

The construction of Topkapı Palace began in the 1460s upon the request of Sultan Mehmed II after the conquest of Istanbul in 1453, and it was completed in 1478. Built on an area of 700,000 square meters on the Eastern Roman acropolis located on the Sarayburnu, Topkapı Palace served as the administrative, educational, and artistic center of the empire for approximately four hundred years from Sultan Mehmed II to the 31st Sultan, Sultan Abdülmecid, and was also the residence of the sultans.

The distance to Topkapı Palace from here is a 12-minute walk (850m)