Favorite Touring Destinations in Istanbul Turkey Part I

Hagia Sofia (meaning Holy Wisdom in Greek) in Istanbul is considered one of the 8 miracles of light, a most important architectural structure of peace, as the best monument of Byzantine epoch, & also the epitome of Byzantine architecture. The Hagia Sofia was ordered built by the Byzantine emperor Justinian in 532 & 537 AD. It has 107 columns from colored marble, on the walls ancient mosaic frescoes, & many unique relics. The building served two religions: first was to Christianity, namely for the Eastern Orthodox Church.

After the invasion of Constantinople (now Istanbul) in 1453 by the Ottoman Turks, the Hagia Sophia served Islam. The Hagia Sophia was removed of its Christian elements (The bells, altar, iconostasis, sacrificial vessels, & many of the mosaics were eventually plastered over) & was added the Islamic features like the mihrab, the minbar, & the four minarets outside it, thus altered the Byzantine church into a Majestic Islamic mosque. By the 30th year of the 20th century this temple became a museum for the secular Turkish republic, after preserving in its walls the characteristic features of two religions. The Hagia Sophia is a historic & beautiful place! Very impressive in scale! You will want to visit it!

Panoramic Views atop Camlica Hill, Istanbul

On the Asian shore of Istanbul, Camlica Hill will give to you possibility for a splendorous panorama of Istanbul from the height of a bird's flight. It is recommended that one compulsorily make several photographs of the panorama of Istanbul as the view is staggering & worth the climb! Camlica Hill is about four kilometers east of Uskudar, reachable by car. It is the taller of the twin peaks, the highest point in the vicinity of Istanbul, 267 meters above sea level on Mount Bulgurlu. A small teahouse at the top of the hill gives the peak its name.

Morning view: panoramic sight of the whole city, illuminated by the easterly sun rising. View includes the Bosphorus almost as far as the Black Sea, the Marmara Sea with the Princes Islands, the great snow covered ridge of Uludag in the background, & the Bithynian Olympus. Evening view: The evening sun sets almost directly behind Istanbul, silhouetting Istanbul's architecture; the domes & minarets on a drape of flames. Spring season make the hills & valleys most beautiful when most varieties of wildflowers thrive & many unusual birds frolic.

Dolmabahce Palace Grandeur on the Bosphorus

Sultan Abdulmecid I wanted to out do the luxury of European monarchs. In 1856 he moved to the new palace, Dolmabahce (name of which indicates filled garden), completed with the western splendor, through & throughout the palace. Armenian architects Garabet Amira Balyan & his son Nigoayos Balyan built the palace. The Ottoman Sultans after Abdulmecid I lived in the Dolmabahce Palace because the Topkapi Palace was too old fashioned for them.

The facade of palace was lengthened by 600 meters along the European shore of Bosphorus. Its waterfront looks calm with a distinctive line separating the land & the sea. The 3 part palace includes the Mabeyn-i Hümâyûn (or Selamlik, the quarters reserved for the men), Muayede Salonu (the ceremonial halls) & of course; the Harem-i Hümâyûn (the Harem, the apartments of the family of the Sultan & his concubines too). The spacious hall has 56 columns & an enormous Bohemian crystal chandelier (A gift from Queen Victoria of England) with a weight of 4.5 tons strikes the discerning eye of tourists.

A wealth of interior decoration adorns the rooms which used 14 tons of gold and 40 tons of silver. In Dolmabahce Palace is also assembled the large collection of pictures done by artists of the different countries. Also to be seen is the crystal staircase built of Baccarat crystal, brass, & mahogany. One more attraction of the Dolmabahce Palace Museum is the room where the founder and first president of Turkey, Mustafa Kemal Atatürk spent his dying days on his death bed. Excursion through the Dolmabahce Palace is one of the most popular excursions in Istanbul.

Dolmabahçe Palace Museum is open to public on weekdays from 9:00am to 15:00pm, except Mondays & Thursdays. It is necessary to note that the half day afternoon excursion through the Dolmabahce Palace is priced at $30 per person from Ephesusguide which also includes a trip to Bosphorus Brigde & Camlica Hill for the best panoramic view of Istanbul & Bosphorus.