The Bosphorus, Istanbul, TR

The Bosphorus - also Istanbul Strait (Turkish: Istanbul Bogazi) is the strait that forms the boundary between Europe and Asia.  Bosphorus plays strategic significance during early years as it served only passage between Black Sea and Sea of Marmara.  It provided great commercial and strategic importance. It's strategic location was of the main reason for founding Constantinople (Istanbul) by Roman Emperor Constantine the Great...

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Basilica Cistern, Istanbul, TR

Basilica Cistern Yerebatan Sarnici (Sunken Cistern) or Yerebatan Sarayi (Sunken Palace) in Turkish is the largest built ancient cistern that lie beneath Istanbul in 6th century during Byzantine Empire.  The cistern  provided water supply to great palace of Constantinople and other buildings and continued to provide water to Topkapi Palace on Ottoman Empire.  The underground cistern undergo several reconstruction and...

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Blue Mosque, Istanbul, TR

Sultanahmet Mosque, Sultanahmet Camii by Turkish which  is popularly called as Blue Mosque because of its blue tiles interior.   The mosque was constructed facing Hagia Sophia with as many minarets as the great mosque in Mecca causing a major rift between the two.  The Sultan has to donate extra minaret for Mecca. Minarets are the tall slender towers usually situated at one of the corner of the mosque which call...

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Hagia Sophia, Istanbul, TR

Known as "Megale Ekklesia", the Great Church during the first construction of the monument.  Now, Hagia Sophia, Santa Sophia, Ayasofia, the "Holy Wisdom". Constructed during the reign of Byzantine Emperor, Constantine the Great in the year AD360, The first building was a wooden basilica. The church has been reconstructed several times.  In AD537 a major reconstruction of the basilica after it was completely burnt...

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Turkey - Turkiye TR

My third destination on this year's vacation - Turkiye. The word of mouth of my colleagues is shopping - shopping - shopping is all good in there.  Not my intention and not a strong reason for me to visit a country.  Egypt is somehow been long on my list.  However, it's not a  good idea to visit there yet due to the country's shaky stability.  Maybe one day. A colleague of mine is deviling me to go to Europe.  That is honestly unaffordable trip this year since I already made two trips earlier...

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Istanbul At A Glance, TR

Istanbul Point of entry, Sabiha Gokcen International Airport (SAW) is the second airport located on the Asian side of Bosphorus and named after the first female combat pilot in the world.  Time Zone: UTC+3 Currency: Yeni Turkish Lira Exchange: Euro 1 = TL 2.4 There is no bus that runs straight from Sabiha to Sultanahmet.  Had to wait about an hour for the Havas Bus which run from the airport to Taksim.  The...

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