Your Cheap Holidays to Istanbul Take You to Historic Places

by Daisy Wilkinson Travel Guides

Istanbul is a transcontinental Turkish city that attracts plenty of tourists every year. It has its commercial and historical centre on the European side and one-third of its population on the Asian side. It is truly a cultural delight for its visitors. The city was declared a European Capital of Culture in the year 2010 and has become one of the most popular tourist destinations in the world ever since. This city was established as 'Byzantium' by the Greek settlers who came from a historic town called Megara. It became 'Constantinople' under the rule of the Roman Empire and came to be known as 'Istanbul' when the Ottoman rulers took over.

You can explore some magnificent historic attractions while enjoying your Istanbul holidays, which were built during the times of its great rulers. Among the most prominent ones is Aya Sofya, which is also known as Hagia Sophia. It was constructed as a church in the 6th century on the orders of Justinian I, an Eastern Roman emperor. In the 15th century, the city was conquered by the Ottoman forces and the church got converted into a mosque. Mustafa Kemal Ataturk, the first president of Turkey, transformed it into a museum. However, it was again converted into a mosque by the ruling Turkish president Recep Tayyip Erdogan following the demands of reconversion from the members of Anatolia Youth Association.

The Sultan Ahmed Mosque is yet another renowned attraction in the city and is a magnificent mosque constructed in the 17th century under the rule of Sultan Ahmed I. It is also called the Blue Mosque owing to the blue shades of its domes and interior walls. During your cheap holidays to Istanbul, you'll get the opportunity to witness this charming mosque, which has 5 main domes, 8 secondary domes, and 6 minarets. One of the most important elements of the mosque’s interiors is the finely carved and sculpted 'mihrab', which is a niche in the wall that indicates the direction of the Kaaba.

Built by Sultan Mehmed II, popularly known as Mehmed the Conqueror, the Topkapi Palace is yet another fascinating attraction worth exploring during your cheap holidays to Istanbul. This palace complex has beautiful courtyards lined with hand-painted works on tiles that extend to the elegant and decorated rooms. You can also visit the vast palace kitchens while in its Second Court. The Third Court has the Sultan's private rooms and the Sacred Safekeeping Room that contains a rich collection of Prophet Muhammad's relics.

Near this palace is a large museum complex called the Istanbul Archaeology Museums. It brings together a vast array of artefacts from the country as well as different places of the Middle East region. The museum complex has three separate sections, namely the Museum of the Ancient Orient, the Museum of Islamic Art, and the Archaeological Museum. This museum was founded by Osman Hamdi Bey, an Ottoman intellectual, art expert, and administrator. A section of the museum you must not miss during your visit is an exhibit room known as ‘Istanbul Through the Ages’, which is located in the main Archaeology Museum.

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