ISTANBUL A mix of Bizantyne and Ottoman Empires

I booked the Walton hotels Sultanahmet ,within walking distance to major touristic attractions. In 15min, you reach the Blue Mosque –Sultanahment (remember to be dressed in a proper way – shoes must be removed before entering the prayer hall so best to carry with you a plastic bag rather than leaving them on the shelves).

When entering, you can see the perfect proportions of the building, with a cascade of domes and six minarets. Thousands of blue Iznik adorn the walls and give the building the unofficial name ‘Blue Mosque’.

After visiting the Blue Mosque , make your way to Aya Sofya and the Aya Sofya Tombs. This monument commissioned by the Byzantine Emperor Justinian, was firts consecrated as a church in 537 and then converted in mosque in 1453 (since 1935 declared a museum). The main entrance into the nave (enormous) is crowned with a beautiful mosaic of Christ as Pantocrator. The chandeliers hanging low above the floor are Ottoman additions. 

Don’t miss the Basilica Cistern, commissioned by Emperor Justinian, was built in 532 and composed by 336 columns(9m high) arranged in 12 rows – one column is described as tears , to pay tribute to the hundreds of slaves died during the construction of the cistern. There two columns that give the building an element of mistery (Medusa heads) one is upside down , the other on its side.The reason is still unknown but it seems that the heads were brought to the cistern after being removed from a building of the late Roman period. The cistern was built to store water for the Great Palace of Byzantium but after the Turkish conquest , it was used to irrigate the gardens of Topkapi Palace.