Hello Istanbul! I had been to Turkey before, but not Istanbul. I spent my time wandering around soaking up the history and I stayed at the Pera Palace Hotel which was on my bucket list. Istanbul is the capital of Turkey and is in both Asia and Europe separated by the Bosphorus Strait. It is the world’s fifteenth-largest city!
Istanbul has been known by many names. The most well known names are Byzantium, New Rome, Constantinople and the current name, Istanbul.
I love meeting new people and everyone was very friendly. A standout memory was walking down to the Bosphorus Bridge because I wanted to walk across it. This bridge connects Asia and Europe. I stopped and asked some police officers which direction to go but they didn’t speak English. We had a great conversation using the Translate app. Unfortunately, pedestrians aren’t allowed on the bridge.
About The Destination (Star Alliance Round The World)
Istanbul owes its historic importance and its amazing cultural and architectural heritage to its perfect strategic location, straddling the Bosphorus straits which separate Europe and Asia Minor. Through most of its 2,500-year-long history, the city (first known as Byzantium, then as Constantinople and since 1930 as Istanbul) was a cultural melting pot.
Today, its population of more than 13 million is almost exclusively Turkish, and many of its people are recent migrants from provincial Turkey, lured by the promise of jobs and careers in this vibrant, fast-growing city. Istanbul is no longer the nation’s capital, but is Turkey’s economic and cultural powerhouse – a status underlined by its role as a European City of Culture in 2010 and the award of UNESCO World Heritage listing to many of its most important landmarks, which range from stunning Ottoman mosques and Byzantine churches and catacombs to the columns of Hellenistic temples and the remains of massive medieval city walls.
But there’s more to Istanbul than Byzantine and Ottoman heritage. A fast-growing economy contributed to a flourishing arts and music scene, with a plethora of new bars, clubs, private art galleries, restaurants and designer fashion outlets.
Hagia Sophia
Hagia Sophia has been a church, a mosque and a museum; the history in this one structure is fascinating. The current structure was built in 537 AD by the Byzantine Emperor Justinian I as the Christian Cathedral of Constantinople for the Byzantine Empire. After the fall of Constantinople in 1453, it was converted to a mosque by Mehmed the Conqueror. The minarets were added in the 15th – 16th centuries after the conversion to a mosque.
Inside Hagia Sophia was surreal.
This whole historic area of Istanbul is on the UNESCO World Heritage List.
Dolmabahçe Palace
Built between 1843 and 1856, Dolmabahçe Palace is the largest and most luxurious palace in Turkey. The Dolmabahçe Palace was home to six sultans between 1856 and the abolition of the caliphate in 1924.
Galata Tower
First built by the Byzantine Emperor Justinianos in 507-508 AD, Galata Tower is among the oldest towers in the world and one of the symbols of Istanbul. Galata Tower was used as a long-term fire watchtower and was named Galata Fire Tower.
Bosphorus Strait
The Bosphorus is a natural strait connecting the Black Sea to the Sea of Marmara and forms one of the continental boundaries between Asia and Europe.
The Waterfront
Can you see me?
Out & About
Where I Stayed ~ Pera Palace Hotel
A Modern Style Of Life Meets Belle Epoque Charm At Pera Palace Hotel!
There are some places on earth that not only witness the history they live in but also become history itself. Pera Palace Hotel is undoubtedly among those places. The story of Pera Palace Hotel, which was opened in Pera, the heart of Istanbul towards the end of the 19th century, is also the story of an ancient history.
The Pera Palace Hotel
Happy Travels!
Jackie is “Mom” to one amazing son, an IT professional and an obsessed traveller. She spends her time reading, golfing at Ladies League and implementing software projects. Jackie has travelled to 7 continents, 5 oceans and 103 countries and she is always planning the next destination and adventure!