In ancient Greek times, a town called Byzantium occupied the site. But in the 4th Century AD, the Roman Emperor Constantine, having converted the Christianity, founded the city of Constantinople to be the capital of the newly Christianized Roman Empire. Even after the Western Empire fell to the barbarians, Constantinople thrived as the capital of the Eastern or Byzantine Empire. It was the largest, most civilized city in Europe.

Byzantine Constantinople’s decline began when the knights of the 4th Crusade took and sacked it. Two and a half centuries later, the Ottoman Turks took the city and put an end to the remains of the Byzantine Empire. For four and a half centuries, Constantinople was the capital of the Ottoman Empire. With the fall of the Ottoman Empire, Constantinople was renamed Istanbul. It remains a major city in the Turkish Republic and an often visited place for people with the wish to see first hand on of history’s great cities.

Hagia Sofia

The Hagia Sofia is translated as “Church of the Divine Wisdom.” It was completed in the year 537 by the Emperor Justinian. Hagia Sofia was considered the greatest church in Christendom until the Turkish conquest on 1453 whereupon it was turned into a Muslim mosque. In 1935 it became a museum.

The dome is supported by 40 massive ribs constructed of special hollow bricks made in Rhodes from a unique light, porous clay, resting on huge pillars concealed in the interior walls. A visitor, entering the church through the Imperial Door and down the steps, will experience both a gradual sense of being drawn upwards and a sense of gloomy darkness being dispelled by the inner light of 30 million gold tesserae or mosaics. Forty windows around the parameter of the dome let in more light.

After the conversion to a mosque, Islamic additions were made inside and outside. The minarets, a mihrab, mimber, muezzin's lodge, sultan's lodge and library are all from this period.

The Blue Mosque

The Blue Mosque was intended by the city’s Turkish conquerors to rival the Hagia Sofia in magnificence and many believe that they succeeded. Approach the mosque from the front and notice the small dome surmounting the front gate, meant to draw your eyes heavenward. Beyond is a flight of stairs to another gate surmounted by another dome and beyond that gate another dome covering the mosque courtyard and the ablutions fountain in the center. A large dome covers the entire mosque and is surrounded by minarets. The interior is beautifully decorated with blue İznik tiles, from which the mosque takes its name.

The Hippodrome

The Hippodrome was the venue of chariot races between the two sporting factions of the Byzantine era, the Blues and the Greens. The race fans had a tendency to riot when feeling discontented with a ferocity that would put some modern soccer uprisings to shame. Many of the statues that once adorned this edifice have long since disappeared, particularly during the sack of 1204 by the 4th Crusaders. But the ancient Egyptian obelisk, carved in the 15th Century BC and brought to the city by the Emperor Theodosius in the 4th Century remains. Also note the Serpentine’s Column, taking for the Temple of Delphi, and the Column of Constantine, erected in the 10th Century.

Grand Bazaar

The Grand Bazaar was founded in the mid 15th Century and has been a shopping Mecca ever since. There are plenty of tourist trap places in the confusing labyrinth of streets, called after the types of shops there (Street of the Jewelers, Street of the Mirror Makers, etc.) But it is possible for the careful shopper to find bargains for jewels, rare coins, and precious gems. There are also good buys to be had for fur, leather, and a wide variety of handicrafts.

Topkapi Palace

Mehmet the Conqueror built the first Topkapi Palace shortly after the conquest of the city. The palace has been altered and expanded throughout the ensuing centuries. It was the home of the Turkish sultans until the 19th Century. Much drama and intrigue occurred within these walls during those four or so centuries.

There are four courtyards in the palace. The first is called the Courtyard of the Jannisaries, named after the slave-soldiers who were the shock troops of the Ottoman Empire. In this courtyard there are three important buildings: Aya Eirine (the Church of Divine Peace), the mint / outer treasury of the Ottoman Empire and the Istanbul Archaeological Museum. The second courtyard contained the kitchen, bakery, storehouse, and chambers of the Grand Vizier. The third courtyard opens with the main audience hall for visitors to the Sultan, as well as the palace school, along with a library and treasury. Court garb of the sultans are on display here. The fourth courtyard is a garden decorated with kiosks and pavilions. There is a small mosque here.

It’s best to get there early, before the massive crowds, and start with the Harem. Other must see places to visit at the Topkapi Palace are the Imperial Council Chamber, the Imperial Treasury, the Sacred Safekeeping Rooms, Baghdad Kiosk, and the Tower of Justice.

Basilica Cistern

The Basilica Cistern was built by the Emperor Justinian in 532 AD and was designed to store the city’s water supply. It has 336 columns and a high, vaulted ceiling. Two columns in the northwest corner are surmounted with blocks carved with Medusa heads. The sense of eerie blackness and the constant dripping from the ceiling is fascinating. Clever spotlighting makes the water shimmer with colored dancing lights and the water ripples from an occasional fish swishing its tail in exuberance.

Mevlevi Monastery

The Mevlevi Monastery was the original home of the famous whirling dervishes and now contains a Museum of Court Literature. The Mevlevi order was founded in during the 13th century, taking its name from the great Sufi mystic and poet, Celaleddin Rumi, called Mevlana or Our Leader by his disciples. Sufis seek mystical communion with God through various means. For Mevlana, it was through a ceremony involving chants, prayers, music and a whirling dance. The order was banned during the early days of the Turkish Republic due to their fundamentalist religious beliefs. Though subsequently restored, there are only a handful of dervish lodges in Istanbul, including this one.

The building consists of a central area for the whirling ceremony and galleries above that were once for visitors and the orchestra. These days the upstairs is solely for the musicians. Display cases around the central area contain exhibits of Mevlevi calligraphy, writing and musical instruments.

Fortress of the Seven Towers

The fortress started as a triumphal arch in the late 4th Century which were then incorporated with great land walls surrounding the city and four huge towers. The other three towers were added by Mehmet the Conqueror. The towers not only served as a fortress, but as a treasury, a prison, a place of execution, and the lodgings for ambassadors of less favored countries. The best view of the city walls and fortress is from the Tower of Sultan Ahmet III, and in some places it's even possible to walk along the land walls.

Visiting Istanbul

The best time to visit Istanbul is during the spring or fall months, when the temperature and humidity are mild and the crowds not as large. The city is served by two major airports, though it is also possible to get there by road or rail. Istanbul has a very good and very cheap transit service, including buses, trams, and a partially completed metro system.