AYA YORGI GREEK MONASTERY
Address: Büyükada-Nizam, Büyükada, Adalar/İstanbul
* On the highest hill of Büyükada, the largest and perhaps the most beautiful of the Istanbul islands, is the Agios Georgios Greek Orthodox Monastery, popularly known as Aya Yorgi. This monastery takes its name from A.D. It is named after St. Georgios, an Anatolian (Cappadocian) officer in the Roman army, who was martyred by pagans for his Christian faith in the 3rd century and whose tomb is in Palestine today. According to existing rumors, the monastery has a history of more than a thousand years and dates back to A.D. It was built in 963 during the reign of Byzantine Emperor Nikephoros Phocas. The miraculous icon of Hagia Yorgi was given as a gift by the Women's Monastery of Empress Irene in Büyükada. In the gold-sealed decree of Byzantine Emperor Manuel Komninos dated 1158, Istanbul Islands and the monasteries there are mentioned, and the name Kodono is also mentioned among them. According to the 19th century historian Manuel Gedeon, this name is none other than the Aya Yorgi Kudunas (Çıngırakçı) Monastery in Büyükada.
HAGIA SOPHIA KEBIR MOSQUE
Address: Sultan Ahmet, Ayasofya Meydanı No:1, 34122 Fatih/İstanbul
* Hagia Sophia Mosque is among the most important monuments of world architectural history that have survived until today. Structure; It holds an important place in the art world with its architecture, magnificence, size and functionality. This magnificent work is the largest church built by the Eastern Roman Empire in Istanbul and was built three times in the same place. When it was first built, it was called Megale Ekklesia (Great Church), and from the 5th century until the conquest of Istanbul, it was called Hagia Sophia (Holy Wisdom). Megale Ekklesia, built by Emperor Konstantios in 360, and Emperor II. The church, which was rebuilt by Theodosis in 415, was destroyed in public uprisings. Today's Hagia Sophia Mosque was built by Emperor Justinianos by two important architects of the period, Anthemios of Tralles (Aydın) and Isidoros of Miletos (Balat). From the records, it is understood that a hundred architects working together with two chief architects and a hundred workers under each architect completed the construction of the building in a short period of 5 years and 10 months. The building, which was open for worship as a church for 916 years, was converted into a mosque after Fatih Sultan Mehmed conquered Istanbul in 1453. Immediately after the conquest, the building was strengthened and preserved in the best possible way and continued its existence as a mosque with additions from the Ottoman Period. In the 16th and 17th centuries, mihrabs, pulpit, muezzin's gatherings, sermon pulpits and maksures were added to the mosque. Hagia Sophia Mosque, with its minarets, madrasah, primary school, muvakkithane, fountain, water fountains, sundials, board of trustees room, which were built outside the building in different periods, was transformed into a complex structure during the Ottoman Period. Hagia Sophia Mosque was converted into a museum in 1934 and served as a museum until 2020. In 2020, it gained mosque status again. The most important feature of the Hagia Sophia Mosque's architecture is that its dome is larger than usual and dominates the central space. While the mosque was being built, marble, stone and brick were used by the architects in the construction of the building; Specially produced, light and strong bricks were used to prevent the dome from collapsing easily during earthquakes. Within the scope of the repairs carried out by the Swiss Fossati Brothers between 1847 and 1849 upon the order of Sultan Abdulmecid (1839-1861), Kazasker Mustafa İzzet Efendi, one of the most important calligraphers of the period, inscribed 35 verses of the An-Nur Sura of the Holy Quran on the 11.3 meter diameter area of the main dome. The 'th verse was written. It is decorated with many mosaic decorations with and without figures from different periods. The most important examples of mosaic decoration that have survived from the time it was made are the mosaics without figures that can be seen in the nortex area. It is thought that all the figured mosaics in the building were removed during the anti-depiction period. With the end of this period in 843, the first figured mosaic made in the building was the Apse Mosaic. There are figured mosaics made at different dates in many parts of the building, including the gallery floor, Tympanon Wall, narthex, vestibule entrance, and priest's rooms. One of the most important Ottoman additions to the building is the library built by Sultan Mahmud I in 1739. The library consists of the Reading Hall, the Treasury-i Qutb (the room where the books are preserved) and the corridor between these two sections. The Reading Room is separated from the main space of the building by a glass window carried by six columns with diamond-shaped capitals and a bronze grid covering it. The two-winged door that provides entrance to the library is covered with a bronze grid decorated with flowers and curved branches and has two handles with 'Ya Fettah' carvings. The walls of the reading room are decorated with tile inscriptions and inscription friezes. On the wall opposite the door is the porphyry monogram of Sultan Mahmud I, bordered with green tiles. In the reading section of the library, there are wooden lecterns decorated with mother-of-pearl inlay technique in the form of low, small tables on which books can be read and written, some of which can be opened and closed, and two mother-of-pearl, ivory-coated Quran cases in which the Holy Quran is preserved. Iznik, Kütahya and Tekfur Palace tiles from the 16th, 17th and 18th centuries were used together in the library. The 16th century Iznik tiles in the Treasure-i Kutub and the composition of spring blooming branches in the corridor from the same century are the most beautiful examples of Turkish tile art. After the library was completed, Sultan Mahmud I sent the books from Galata Palace-ı Hümayun here; He also had the valuable books in the Imperial Treasury of the Topkapı Palace sealed with his own seal and moved here. Approximately 5 thousand manuscript books in the library were moved to the Suleymaniye Library in 1969.
BEYAZIT TOWER
Address: Beyazıt Mah İstanbul Üniversitesi Rektörlüğü, 34452 Fatih/İstanbul
* Located within the Central Campus of Istanbul University, Beyazıt Tower was built in 1749 in the Beyazıt district of Istanbul to monitor and report fires. The tower, which has a height of 85 meters, was originally built of wood but burned down in the Cibali fire in 1756. The tower, which was rebuilt in 1826, burned again during the Janissary uprising. Beyazıt Tower was built for the third time in 1828 during the reign of Sultan Mahmud II.
BEYLERBEYI PALACE
Address: Beylerbeyi, Abdullahağa Cd., 34676 Üsküdar/İstanbul
* Beylerbeyi Palace, the main structure of the group of buildings, is a two-storey masonry building on a high basement. Built on an area of approximately 2,500 square meters, the building sits on a rectangular floor area. The southern part of the palace was organized as Mabeyn-i Hümâyûn, and the northern part was organized as Valide Sultan's Office. There are a total of 6 living rooms, 24 rooms, 1 bath and 1 bathroom on both floors. Beylerbeyi Palace, built by mixing Western and Eastern styles, has the characteristics of a Turkish house plan with its Harem and Mabeyn sections. The roof of the building is hidden from above with a parapet that hides all the edges of the facade. The plan of the palace has a plan composition based on the central hall motif with iwan. The scheme in Beylerbeyi Palace consists of three parts. These sections; Mabeyn-i Hümâyûn, Bedroom (Sultan's Office) and Valide Sultan's Office. The main Harem section, which belongs to the ladies and women, which was built parallel to the sea, right after the Valide Sultan Office, was built separately from the main building; This structure has not survived to the present day. The entrance façade of Mabeyn-i Hümâyûn shows an arrangement in which the Neo-baroque emphasis is more evident. The interior arrangements of the palace, such as its masses and facades, were also shaped with a selective approach.
BOZDOGAN ARCH
Address: Kalenderhane, 34083 Fatih/İstanbul
* Information about the first construction of the Bozdoğan Aqueduct is not certain. It is known that some water facilities were built in Istanbul around 123 during the reign of Roman Emperor Hadrian, but it is not clearly understood to what extent the Bozdoğan Aqueduct is related to these. After the city was re-established by Constantine I in 300, the facilities were also renewed. It is generally accepted that the arch was built by the Roman Emperor Valens (364-378) and for this reason it is also known as the "Valens Aqueduct".
TILED MANSION
Address: Cankurtaran Mahallesi, Gülhane, Osman Hamdibey Yokuşu, 34122 Fatih/İstanbul
* The two-storey building opposite the Archaeological Museum is the first building built by Mehmet the Conqueror in Topkapı Palace. The summer mansion, dated 1472, is an early Ottoman example with Seljuk influence, with its facade enlivened with columns, iwan terrace and cut tile decoration. There is a long inscription on the entrance wall. The entrance section is a domed space, and there are vaulted rooms on the sides. Ceramics and tiles from the 13th-19th centuries Seljuk and Ottoman periods are exhibited in chronological order. 16th century Iznik tiles are important works of the museum. The mansion, built by Fatih Sultan Mehmet in 1472, is one of the oldest examples of Ottoman civil architecture in Istanbul. It was used as Museum-i Hümayun (Imperial Museum) between 1875 and 1891. It was opened to visitors in 1953 under the name of Fatih Museum, where Turkish and Islamic works were exhibited, and was transferred to the Istanbul Archaeological Museums in 1981 due to its location. The entrance of the mansion is single-storey and the rear side is two-storey. There is a marble portico with 14 columns at the entrance. The entrance iwan is decorated with mosaic tiles. Various tiles and ceramics from the Seljuk and Ottoman Periods are exhibited in the mansion, which consists of 6 rooms and a central hall. There are approximately 2000 works in the museum and warehouses. There are around 2 thousand works from the Seljuk and Ottoman periods, dating back to the 11th-early 20th centuries, in the Tiled Kiosk Museum collections. The Museum's collections consist of works that existed when it was affiliated with the Istanbul Archaeological Museums Directorate in 1981 due to its proximity to the museum, and works found during archaeological excavations, acquired through purchase, donation and confiscation. Tiles and ceramics selected from these collections; There are Seljuk Period works in the room to the left of the entrance, Slip technique and Miletus works in the iwan on the left side opening to the outside, Iznik works in the five-cornered protruding room with the middle hall, Kütahya works in the right corner room overlooking Gülhane Park, and Çanakkale works in the right iwan opening to the outside. It is exhibited in a layout starting from the left.
DOLMABAHCE PALACE
Address: Vişnezade, Dolmabahçe Cd., 34357 Beşiktaş/İstanbul
* Evliya Çelebi writes that Yavuz Sultan Selim had a mansion built at the current location of Dolmabahçe Palace. During the reign of Ahmet I, the place was filled with stones and the mansion was enlarged. This is where the name of the palace and settlement comes from. In the 19th century, II. Mahmut has a new palace built in the same place. The current structure was built by Karabet Balyan in 1842 by Abdulmecit I. The palace, which was built until 1853, was not only the place where Abdülmecit lived, but also the place where he carried out official business. After Abdulmecit, his brother Abdulaziz also lived in this palace. Dolmabahçe Palace, which became Atatürk's Presidential Residence in Istanbul after the proclamation of the Republic, has a special importance in the history of the Republic as it was the place where Atatürk died on November 10, 1938.
EYÜP SULTAN MOSQUE
Address: Eyüp Merkez, 34050 Eyüpsultan/İstanbul
* Eyüp Sultan Mosque Eyüp Sultan Mosque has a rectangular plan and a protruding mihrab. The central dome leans on arches based on six columns and two pillars, there is a semi-dome around it, the tomb of Eyüp Sultan in the middle, a spring at the foot of the sarcophagus, and a centuries-old plane tree in the middle of the courtyard. The minarets of the mosque, which was repaired many times after 1458, the year it was built, were initially short, but new tall minarets were built in 1733. In 1823, the minaret on the sea side was rebuilt after being damaged by lightning. Sinan Pasha Pavilion in front of the main gate was demolished in 1798. In its place, there is a fenced set and a grass sofa under the shade of a large plane tree. There are four fountains at the four corners of the railing. These are called pilgrimage fountains and kismet fountains. After it was repaired, Sultan III opened the mosque and prayed. Since Selim was a Mevlevi, there are Mevlevi coins on the railings. The outer courtyard has two doors opening to the street. The inner courtyard has 13 domes supported by 12 columns. The middle of the courtyard is a fountain. The tomb has a single dome and 8 corners. At the entrance of the tomb, there is a water fountain to the right.
GALATA TOWER
Address: Bereketzade, 34421 Beyoğlu/İstanbul
* Galata Tower, considered among the oldest towers in the world and one of the symbols of Istanbul, was included in the UNESCO World Heritage Tentative List in 2013. Galata Tower, one of the most important buildings that form the silhouette of Istanbul, was used as a fire watchtower for a long time and was called Galata Fire Tower. It is known that the interest in the tower gradually increased after Hezarfen Ahmet Çelebi completed his flight from the Galata Tower in Üsküdar, where he performed flight experiments by tying wooden wings to his back, in the seventeenth century. Galata Tower was first built by the Byzantine Emperor Justinianos in 507 - 508 AD. The Genoese rebuilt the current tower in 1348 - 49. The tower was raised between 1445 - 46. It was damaged by an earthquake in the 1500s and was repaired by Architect Murad bin Hayreddin. III. After the tower was repaired during the Selim period, a bay window was added to the upper floor of the tower. In 1831, the tower suffered another fire, World War II. Mahmut climbs two more floors above the tower and the top of the tower is covered with the famous cone-shaped roof cover. The tower, which was repaired in 1967, will be restored again in 2020. Galata Tower was built in the masonry rubble stone masonry system. The exterior is stone masonry. In the inscription at the entrance, there is a 16-line eulogy written by II. Since it was built during the reign of Mahmud, it is thought to have been written in his name. The round-arched window above the door was the soldiers' observation post. It is a nine-storey building with a high ground floor. The windows on its cylindrical body have round arches with brickwork. The development of the last two floors just below the cone roof is emphasized by the profiled moldings surrounding the cylindrical body. There is a metal-decorated mesh observation balcony that wraps around the floor below the cone roof. On the lower floor, there are round arches sitting on deep niched pillars and brickwork round arched windows. Today, it is observed that the part of the building up to the third floor has a Genoese character, while the other floors have an Ottoman character. Today, the building is used for social and cultural activities.
ISTANBUL AQUARIUM
Address: Şenlikköy, Yeşilköy Halkalı Cd. No:93, 34153 Florya/İstanbul
* The World's Largest Thematic Aquarium, when compared to aquariums of its kind containing fish species living in the world's seas; It is the newest in the world with its travel route, theming, interactivity, rain forest and new generation technology. Istanbul Aquarium; It has an important position among all aquariums around the world with its volume, the variety of creatures it contains, and the activities on its travel routes. A project with 'firsts' and 'bests' in its field. Visitors follow a geographical route and travel on a route consisting of a total of 16 themes and 1 rainforest, starting from the Black Sea and extending to the Pacific. Thematicization of areas includes the cultural, geographical, historical and architectural features of that area, appropriate decorative elements, interactive games, films and visual graphics that provide detailed information about the area. The sound and lighting systems of the areas are also arranged in accordance with this thematic. Istanbul Aquarium is managed in accordance with international standards in every sense and by experts in their fields. All living things in Istanbul Aquarium live in conditions closest to their natural environments.
GRAND BAZAAR
Address: Beyazıt, 34126 Fatih/İstanbul
* The history of the Grand Bazaar, located in Istanbul, Turkey's largest city, dates back to the mid-15th century, during the reign of Mehmet the Conqueror. According to the foundation system, which was one of the most important practices that kept Ottoman institutions afloat, another income-generating structure was created to meet various needs such as repair and maintenance costs of mosques. The most important of these income-generating structures are the bazaars, and the foundations of the Grand Bazaar were laid in 1461 with the structures built by Mehmet the Conqueror to bring income to Hagia Sophia, and it has gradually grown with the additions made over the years. The Grand Bazaar, which became the most important commercial center of the entire region over time, hosted the richest tradesmen of Istanbul, and where jewels and precious jewelry from all over the world were traded, also served as a bank and financial center during these years. At the same time, the fact that it is seen as one of the places that best reflects Istanbul and Eastern life in the eyes of Europeans, as well as being included in many travel books and paintings by artists, also proves the historical and cultural importance of the Grand Bazaar. Grand Bazaar, defined as not only the oldest but also the largest shopping mall in the world, is built on an area of 45 thousand square meters and contains 3,600 shops. The Grand Bazaar, which was the heart of the economy in the Ottoman Period when it had even more shops than this number and covered a larger area, is today the first stop of those who come to Istanbul and want to shop. The number of visitors sometimes reaches 500 thousand people a day. Here you can find everything from carpets to bags, textile products, gold and silver jewelry, antiques, tiles and souvenirs that will keep your memories alive forever. The Grand Bazaar, which is so large that it would not be possible to explore every part of it even if you spent the whole day just wandering, contains the new and the old, the traditional and the modern, just like the whole of Istanbul. For this reason, some of the products sold can be described as heritage from the Ottoman Period, while others can be described as the legacy of the modern world. There are many places to shop in the immediate vicinity of the Grand Bazaar. The street extending between the Bazaar and Nur-u Osmaniye Mosque is lined with shops selling authentic materials, especially carpet sellers. You can find handmade souvenirs in Arasta Bazaar, located behind the Sultan Ahmet Mosque. Sultanahmet and its surroundings are another place where you can see all different products, apart from handcrafted souvenirs. We recommend old book enthusiasts to visit the Sahaflar Bazaar, located between the Beyazıt Mosque and the Grand Bazaar.
MAIDEN'S TOWER
Address: Salacak Mevkii, 34668 Üsküdar/İstanbul
* One of the indispensable places for the Bosphorus view is undoubtedly the Maiden's Tower. The tower, built on a tiny island off the coast of Salacak, is the subject of many legends. One of these and the most well-known is the Leandros legend, which gave its name to the tower (Leander's Tower). The story of Leondros and Hero, lovers who brave the sea between them, will end in tragedy. On a stormy night, when Leondros sees the light on the tower, he thinks that his lover Hero is calling him and jumps into the sea. However, this time it is not Hero who turns on the light, but someone else who realizes that the lovers meet secretly every night and turns off the light. Leondros is buried in the waves of the Bosphorus; Unable to bear the pain of this, Hero ends her life by jumping from the tower. At the end of the legend, a lighthouse is built on the site of the tower in the name of the lovers. Dating back to 24 BC, the Maiden's Tower has been used as a defense castle, exile station, prison, quarantine room, radio station, tax point and lighthouse throughout its long history.
MINIATURK
Address: Örnektepe, İmrahor Cd. No:7, 34445 Beyoğlu/İstanbul
* Miniaturk, Turkey's first miniature park, the foundation of which was laid on June 30, 2001, was opened to visitors with a grand ceremony by Prime Minister Recep Tayyip Erdoğan on May 2, 2003. Miniaturk, built on a total area of 60 thousand square meters, includes 15 thousand square meters of model area, 40 thousand square meters of green and open areas, 3 thousand 500 square meters of closed area, 2,000 square meters of pool and waterway, and a parking lot for 500 vehicles. Miniaturk, which was completed in a short period of 22 months thanks to the simultaneous project coordination, is the miniature city with the largest model area in the world and was completed in the shortest time. In Miniaturk, where 1/25 scale models of selected works from Turkey and the Ottoman geography are exhibited, a total of 120 fixed works are exhibited, 57 works from Istanbul, 51 works from Anatolia, and 12 works from the Ottoman geography, which is outside the borders of Turkey today. However, reserve areas were also created taking into account later additions. The infrastructure has been arranged taking into account the additions that can be made later. Thus, Miniaturk will, in a sense, continue to grow by setting an example for planned urbanization. The models were produced in a total of 13 workshops, 10 in Turkey and 3 abroad. Apart from the workshops, productions for Miniaturk were also carried out at Yıldız Technical University and Dokuz Eylül University Revolving Fund Enterprises. Plastic-based materials used in the industry and suitable for outdoor conditions were used in model making. Before the models were placed in their places, they were kept in the Miniaturk Test Area and their suitability for outdoor conditions was tested once again. The park brings together the traces of many cultures and civilizations, from Hagia Sophia to Selimiye, from Rumeli Fortress to Galata Tower, from Safranbolu Houses to Sümeli (Sümela) Monastery, from the Dome of the Rock to the Ruins of Mount Nemrut. Works such as the Temple of Artemis, the Mausoleum of Halicarnassus, and the Ecyad Castle, which are no longer in place today, have also been revived. Care has been taken to include every civilization that ruled and left traces in Anatolia and its surroundings in Miniaturk. With Miniaturk, traces of 3 thousand years of experience, from the Ancient Age to the Byzantine, from the Seljuk to the Ottoman, have been brought to the shores of the Golden Horn. The selection of the works to be featured in Miniaturk is made by Prof. Dr. İlber Ortaylı and Assoc. Dr. It was done by a committee under the consultancy of Ahmet Haluk Dursun. In the selection, care was taken to ensure that the works were capable of being modeled, and each of them reflected the technology, art and culture to which they belonged, and in a geography that has witnessed heavy invasions, wars and destruction for thousands of years, the works were protected, repaired and kept alive by no civilization, without attempting to destroy them just because the previous ones did them. It is available with models on Miniaturk.
PIERRE LOTI CAFE
Address: Eyüp Merkez, Karyağdı Sk. No:20, 34050 Eyüpsultan/İstanbul
* 14.January.1850 / 10.June.1923 - Pierre Loti, one of the important writers of recent French Literature, is also a writer in the recent history of Istanbul. He was born in 1850 in Rochefort, France, as the youngest of a Protestant family. He entered the French Navy at the age of 17. After completing his maritime training, he became a captain in 1881 and was promoted to colonel in the following years. Found in the Middle East and Far East. As a naval officer, he had the opportunity to get to know the foreign culture he talked about in his novels by traveling to many places. He later reflected the experiences and observations he gained during these journeys in his books. Following the publication of his first novel, Aziyade, in 1879, which gave sections of the Ottoman Turkey of that period, he published The Icelandic Fisherman in 1886. Loti became a writer who established himself in the literary circle. Pierre Loti, who had been to Istanbul many times, came to Istanbul for the first time in 1876 on a French ship as a commissioned officer. Loti was influenced by the Ottoman way of life and showed this influence in many of his works. It was here that he met the woman who gave her name to her novel Aziyade. He lived in Eyüp when he was in Istanbul. Pierre Loti, who admired Istanbul, always described himself as a Turkish friend. Loti died in Handaye on June 10, 1923. He was buried on Oleron Island next to the graves of his ancestors.
SULTAN AHMET MOSQUE
Address: Binbirdirek, At Meydanı Cd No:10, 34122 Fatih/İstanbul
* Sultan Ahmet Mosque was built by Sultan Ahmet I in the 17th century by Sedefkar Mehmet Ağa, one of the students of Mimar Sinan. Since there are many blue Iznik tiles on the walls of the mosque, the mosque is also known as the Blue Mosque. There are 21 thousand 43 eye-catching Iznik tiles on the walls of the mosque. The wall surfaces are covered with tiles, starting from the tops of the lower row windows to the bottoms of the third row windows. Especially the tiles on the walls of the gallery are placed in a way that does not tire the eyes. Together with the Sultan Ahmet Mosque complex, it is one of the largest building complexes in Istanbul. This social complex consists of a mosque, madrasahs, sultan's mansion, arasta, shops, bath, fountain, public fountains, tomb, hospital, primary school, almshouse and rental rooms. The tomb of Sultan Ahmet I was also built adjacent to the mosque garden.
SÜLEYMANİYE MOSQUE
Address: Süleymaniye, Prof. Sıddık Sami Onar Cd. No:1, 34116 Fatih/İstanbul
* Süleymaniye Mosque, described as a journeyman work by Mimar Sinan, was built between 1551 and 1558 by the order of the Ottoman sultan Suleiman the Magnificent. Süleymaniye Mosque is one of the most important examples of Classical Ottoman Architecture. The dome of the mosque, which has four minarets, two with three balconies and two with two balconies, is 53 meters high. It is rumored that the great scholar Sheikhulislam Ebussuud Efendi laid the first stone on the foundation of the temple, the construction of which started in one of the most beautiful places of Istanbul. The temple has a main dome, two semi-domes, two quarter domes and ten small domes. The main dome has four elephant feet; The dome arches are supported by four large granite columns. The dome with 32 windows is 27.25 meters in diameter and 53 meters above the ground. In order to strengthen the echo of the sound, there are 64 cubes of 50 cm in length placed inside the dome and in the corners, with the mouth open on the inside, thus creating a sensitive acoustic. The mosque, which has an internal area of approximately 3,500 square meters, is 59 meters long and 58 meters wide and receives light from 238 windows. The sultan and muezzin's gallery, pulpit and mihrab, based on granite and marble columns, attract attention with their workmanship. The section to the right of the muezzin's gallery, surrounded by metal networks, was used as a library until 1918; The existing books were transferred to the General Library established in Suleymaniye Madrasas on the same date. There are colored windows above the mihrab at the front of the mosque, which has five doors. The windows in question, which are the work of the well-known master of the period, İbrahim Usta, make the sunlight entering through their windows resemble Mimar Sinan Şehper-i Cibril (Wings of Gabriel). There are four very valuable large granite columns in the mosque, and they were taken from Alexandria, Baalbek, Kıztaşı and Saray-ı Amire in Istanbul and brought to the mosque. Mimar Sinan compares these four columns, each 9.02 meters high, 1.14 meters in diameter and weighing 40-50 tons, to the Four Caliphs. The temple has a large inner courtyard with three gates, the floor of which is paved with marble and surrounded by porticoes with 28 domes. The mentioned dome arches are based on 24 columns, 12 of which are granite, 10 are marble and two are porphyry marble columns. The mosque has four minarets and ten balconies built in a style appropriate to its majesty. Two of the minarets have three balconies each and the other two have two balconies each. The minarets, called "Mosque Minarets" and "Harem Minarets", were built by Suleiman the Magnificent, the fourth sultan, with the conquest of Istanbul; The ten cheers indicate that he is the 10th sultan of the Ottoman Empire. Minarets rising towards the sky resemble a person praying with both hands raised. The writings in the mosque are the work of the famous calligrapher Ahmet Karahisarî and his student Hasan Çelebi. Later, Kazasker Mustafa Efendi also added some writings. Except for a few of the articles, the text of all of them is taken from the Holy Quran and processed masterfully. The inscription written on the door entering the mosque from the inner courtyard is divided into three parts: right, middle and left. In the first part, the qualities of Suleiman the Magnificent are listed, in the second part, his genealogy (lineage) is stated in series, and in the third part, after praying for the continuation of the sultanate and the souls of the past, the superior qualities of the temple are stated, with what intention and when it was built. The tomb in front of the mihrab belongs to Suleiman the Magnificent, who had the mosque built with his own money, and the tomb next to it belongs to his wife Hürrem Sultan. The mosque garden, which has an area of approximately 6 thousand square meters, has 11 gates. Seven madrasahs, known as Suleymaniye Madrasahs, were established around the garden, five of which are at high school level, one is a faculty and one is a specialized department. The buildings on the right side of the mosque were the Evvel and Sani madrasahs and the Sibyan School, and were later transformed into the Suleymaniye Library, and part of them became a children's library. The medical madrasah on the corner serves as a maternity home, and the bimarhane across from it used to be a military printing house and now serves as a Quran course for girls. The buildings on the northern side of the mosque were previously an almshouse, then they were used as a museum of Turkish-Islamic Works, and were transferred to the Suleymaniye Library in 1984.
TOPKAPI PALACE
Address: Cankurtaran, 34122 Fatih/İstanbul
* Topkapı Palace is the residence of the Ottoman Sultans and the administrative and educational center of the state. Sultan II, the conqueror of Istanbul. Ottoman sultans and palace people resided in the palace, which was built by Mehmed II between 1460 and 1478 and some additions were made over time, until the mid-19th century. Topkapı Palace was converted into a museum by the order of Mustafa Kemal Atatürk on April 3, 1924, after the Ottoman monarchy was abolished in 1922. After the conquest, Fatih Sultan Mehmed had a palace built in Beyazıt, where today's Istanbul University is located, which would later be known as the "Old Palace". After this first palace, Fatih built first the Tiled Pavilion and then the Topkapı Palace, where he would settle when its construction was completed. Fatih gave this palace the name "Saray-ı Cedid", which means "New Palace" in Ottoman Turkish. The reason why the New Palace was called Topkapı Palace was as follows: When the large wooden coastal palace, built by Sultan Mahmud I near the Byzantine walls and called "Topkapusu Coastal Palace" because of the salute cannons in front of it, was completely destroyed in a fire, the name of this palace was given to the new palace. Ottoman state philosophy and Palace-subject relations played a major role in determining the plan of Topkapı Palace, which developed and grew for centuries. In addition, when Topkapı was first built, Sultan Mehmed the Conqueror's father, Sultan II. It is known that Murad was inspired by the plan as well as the magnificence of the Edirne Palace, which was built by the Tunca River and only ruins of which survive today. Topkapi Palace is a modest palace; The major expenditures of the empire were mostly made for magnificent mosques, barracks, bridges, caravanserais and accommodation facilities. Even Mimar Sinan, the famous architect of the 16th century, built only one section in this palace. But the palace's unique buildings, exquisite tiles and structure intertwined with nature, as well as its location in Sarayburnu, give it a natural beauty and magnificence. The extraordinarily rich collections of Topkapi Palace and its history woven with extremely interesting stories make this palace one of the most worth-seeing palaces in the world. Imperial Treasury, European Porcelains and Glasses, Copper and Tombac Kitchenware, Chinese and Japanese Porcelains, Silverware, Mantle of Saadet and Sacred Relics, Istanbul Glass and Porcelains, Sultan Clothes, Sultan portraits and painting collection, Weapons are among the valuable collections exhibited in the museum. .
VIALAND THEME PARK
Address: Yeşilpınar, Şht. Metin Kaya Sk. No: 11/1, 34065 Eyüpsultan/İstanbul
* Vialand is located on a land of approximately 600 acres in Eyüp, on the European side of Istanbul; With its theme park, shopping mall consisting of shopping streets, concept stores and large event areas, it is Turkey's first world-class theme park and one of the most popular places to visit in Istanbul, especially for families with children.
BASILICA CISTERN
Address: Alemdar, Yerebatan Cd. 1/3, 34110 Fatih/İstanbul
* Built by Emperor Justinianus in 532, the Basilica Cistern is also known as the Basilica Cistern because it is located under the Stoa Basilica. The cistern is a giant structure that covers a rectangular area of 140 meters in length and 70 meters in width. There are 336 columns, each 9 meters high, inside the cistern, which can be accessed via a 52-step stone staircase. These columns, erected at intervals of 4.80 meters from each other, form 12 rows, 28 in each row.
* Kaynak: T.C. Kültür ve Turizm Bakanlığı