Istanbul is a distinguished city, and it has an outstanding history which witnessed a lot of cultural and religious clashes from different civilization. Tourists who come to visit Istanbul would enjoy visiting a diversity of tourist places, which reflect its religious history via all eras. Moreover, there are so many events and activities that visitors can enjoy during their tour in Istanbul. In this article, I would write about one of the most beautiful and famous tourist place in the European part of Istanbul, Sultan Ahmed District.
Sultan Ahmed District
The Sultan Ahmed district is considered one of the best and most beautiful tourist areas in Istanbul. It is famous for its mosques and churches, and it consists many historical monuments showing the succession of civilizations that have passed through Istanbul. Here’s a list of the most important landmarkss worth your visit at Sultan Ahmed district.
Mosques and Churches
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Hagia Sophia Mosque: At the beginning, the Hagia Sophia was a cathedral planned by the Byzantine emperor Justinyanus in 532-57, and was converted into a mosque in 1453 by Fatih Sultan Mehmed (Mehmed the Conqueror). Then, it became a museum during the Turkish Republic. Finally, it returned to be a mosque in 2020. Hagia Sophia means the “Holy Wisdom”.
- Sultan Ahmet Mosque: it is also known as the Blue Mosque, because of its spectacular blue tiles. It sits next to Hagia Sophia Mosque and can hold 10,000 worshipers at one time!
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Hagia Irene or Hagia Eirene church: it is the first church of Byzantium in the first courtyard of the Top Kapi Palace. It is also known as Saint Irene. It is one of the few churches in Istanbul that has not been converted into a mosque, as it was used as an arsenal for storing weapons until the 19th century. The Hagia Irene today operates as a museum and concert hall.
Historical Places
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Hippodrome Square: It still retains many of the monuments known in the Byzantine era as Serpentine Column and fountains. It was a center of sport and culture and a field of horse racing in the 3rd century. Moreover, It has The Obelisk of Theodosius or the Obelisk of Thutmose III, which was transported from Egypt to Istanbul by Theodosius emperor.
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Top Kapi Palace: a large museum in the east of the Fatih district of Istanbul in Turkey. In the 15th and 16th centuries, it served as the main residence and administrative headquarters of the Ottoman Sultans. In the palace, you can see various art collections, jewels, and Islamic objects like few hairs belong to Prophet Muhammed and Sahaba Swords.
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Basilica Cistern: it was built in the 6th century by Byzantine Emperor Justinian I. It is located in the southwest of Hagia Sophia. It is a large underground cistern covering 9,800 sqm area in total, the cistern has an estimated water storage capacity of 100,000 tons. The Basilica Cistern has many different names: Yerebatan Sarnıcı or Yerebatan Saray, “Subterranean Cistern” or “Subterranean Palace”.
Parks
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Gülhane Park: it is the oldest public park in Istanbul and it means the House of Roses. It is adjacent to the Top Kapi Palace. The park is very beautiful where you can wander among the rose gardens and enjoy the natural sounds of birdsong. Some trees were planted in the 18th century.
Museums
- Turkish and Islamic Arts Museum : it is the first museum in the country and it includes Turkish – Islamic art works together. The core collection of the museum comprises Islamic artworks collected from across the Ottoman Empire at the beginning of the 20th century. These works include carpets, manuscripts, metalwork, glassware, ceramics, woodwork and ethnographic materials.
- Istanbul Archeology Museum: is one of the world’s largest museums and it is located close to Gülhane Park. The museum contains over one million works from different cultures.