Constantinople - Byzantine Turkey

Istanbul is one of THE great cities of the world. It was the Roman port of Byzantium, then Constantinople, capital of the Byzantine Empire. From 330 to 1453 AD it was fabulously wealthy, with its hippodrome, palaces and churches becoming the stuff of Byzantine legend. Chief among its monuments was the Hagia Sophia, the Church of Holy Wisdom, still standing after 1500 years, one of the enduring monuments of Christendom. Many early churches survive and bring this period vividly to life.

Istanbul - Ottoman Turkey

For a further 400 years, from 1453 to 1919, Istanbul also was the capital of the Ottoman Empire, the Sublime Porte, which during the reign of Sultan Suleyman the Magnificent outshone its predecessor Constantinople, with its towering mosques and oriental bazaars. This was the Istanbul created by that superb architect, Sinan, whose mosques and minarets grace the present skyline of the city.

There are great hotels in the Old City (Sultan Ahmet), some of them converted from Ottoman houses and others, like the Sultan Ahmet Palace newly built in the Ottoman style. They are all within walking distance of the Hippodrome, Topkapi Palace, Ayia Sofia, Blue Mosque, Archaeological Museum etc..

Take a boat ride on the Bosphorus from which you can see the famous skyline of the Old City. Along the waterfront are some of the finest fish restaurants in the world