Latest news with #MehmettheConqueror
Scottish Sun
17 hours ago
- Scottish Sun
The unique city that straddles two continents and is a must-visit for shopping, food and culture
Click to share on X/Twitter (Opens in new window) Click to share on Facebook (Opens in new window) the name evokes intoxicating images of incense-filled mosques, historic palaces and bustling bazaars, air filled with exotic aromas. I've been desperate to visit the city for years to experience everything it has to offer, including its fabulous food, and here I was finally - smack-bang in the middle of it all. Sign up for Scottish Sun newsletter Sign up 8 The streets of Istanbul are a colourful delight Credit: Supplied 8 Gerry was captivated by the Blue Mosque in Istanbul Credit: Supplied 8 The landmarks are a true Turkish delight Credit: Supplied Istanbul is a place like no other, the only city in the world to straddle two continents. But it's unique for many reasons. Not long after my Turkish Airlines flight had landed, I was checking in at the Marmara Pera in the vibrant Beyoglu district where I found streets packed with bars, cafes and kebab shops to investigate. My hotel was a stone's throw from the Istiklal Street, the city's shopping hub, a one-mile stretch from Taksim Square to Galata Tower, rammed with retail giants and independent stores, and thronged with tourists and local families. But it was the Historical Peninsula I made a bee-line for. It hosts some of Istanbul's most beautiful and ancient buildings, rich in culture. The stunning Topkapi Palace, offers an interesting glimpse into the country's colourful history. The welcoming courtyard and manicured gardens lead into the museum, packed with artefacts from the Ottoman empire and beyond. I'd heard so much about the beauty of The Blue Mosque, one of the world's most recognisable buildings, but nothing prepared me for just how beautiful it actually is. It's one of those places you really do need to see with your own eyes. Built in 1609, it's stunning blue interior tiles, six minarets, and impressive size left me literally open-mouthed. To this day the Ottoman-era mosque is place of worship from Muslims and a draw for tourists. The nearby Hagia Sophia grand mosque is equally as stunning. Built in 360AD, it was the largest cathedral in all of Christendom before it was converted to an Islamic holy base by Sultan Mehmet the Conqueror. One in three travellers admit they have no idea how to pack a suitcase efficiently It was turned into a museum in 1934 before reverting back to a mosque in 2020 and has been a UNESCO world heritage site since 1985. The incredible structure includes columns brought in from the Temple of Artemis in Ephessus used in the naves, as well as eight columns brought from Egypt that support the domes. No matter what religion you are, or if you're not interested in any faith, it's absolutely worth visiting. After a morning and afternoon of visiting the various attractions, it was time to sample Istanbul's famous gastronomy and where better than at Galeyan restaurant. As soon as the Turkish 'balloon' bread was dished out with salads, I knew that I wasn't going to be hungry. The table was soon heaving with dishes of hot and cold meze, and I devoured the delicacies. Eggplant dip and pitta breads packed with cheese soon vanished, followed by various lamb dishes and the freshest veg possible. 8 Gerry soaked up all the culture, food and shopping that Istanbul had to offer Credit: Supplied 8 Gerry stayed at the Marmara Pera hotel 8 The hotel is smack bang in the middle of Istanbul Needing to walk off my over-indulgence, my pals and I took a stroll through a few of the many neighbourhoods in the vast city, stopping off to taste Boza, a fermented drink loved by Turks at the Vefa Bozacisi shop. Then it was time to hit shopping heaven (if you like shopping, that is!) at the city's famous 600-year-old Grand Bazaar, below — the oldest covered market in the world. It was every bit as big and crazy as I'd expected but I absolutely loved the experience. There's just about everything you could possibly think of for sale here, from Turkish Delight to tea and decorative tiles. My nose was quickly hit by the aroma of spices, soaps and leather items and my eyes literally popped out of my head at the crazy amount of jewellery stores. It was crazy, chaotic and totally sensational but boy, was I glad to get a bit of peace and quiet back in my lovely, cool and comfortable room at the Marmara Pera hotel. GO: INSTANBUL GETTING THERE: Turkish Airlines flies from Edinburgh to Istanbul twice daily with baggage-inclusive round trip fares starting from £265. See STAYING THERE: Double rooms at the The Marmara Pera start from around £130 per night. See MORE INFO: For more on visiting Turkey see Rested and revived, it was time to experience Istanbul after dark and what better way then cruising along the Bosphorus as the sun set. Our luxurious yacht dropped us directly in front of the Ruby restaurant which even has its own mooring spot. It's definitely one of the THE places to be, loved by the great and good of Istanbul. With locally produced red wine flowing, we were soon sampling the tastiest kebabs, sensational seafood and endless side plates, laden with delicious local delicacies. Although Istanbul is renowned for stunning past, the city has many contemporary attractions and many can be found in the trendy Galataport area. The nearby Istanbul Modern Museum has art displays over several floors, including wacky interactive exhibitions. But it was the cool vibe of the nearby Karakoy district I loved most. It's got tonnes of bars and cafes all nestled in packed little streets, bustling with local life. 8 Istanbul draws visitors back again and again to explore its magical historical sites Credit: Supplied 8 The shopping quarter is a true highlight Credit: Supplied The fancy Octo restaurant there was an ideal place to have lunch. Its slow-cooked beef rib was just sensational, as were the views over the port and the Bosphorus. Next on the menu was a look at Istanbul's food but from the perspective of various artists. The Is Sanat museum was showcasing an exhibition called 'Taste and Art: Delicious Paintings', which went down a treat with everyone. And looking at all those fabulous food paintings and pictures made us hungry for the real thing and we were lucky enough to bag ourselves a table at the acclaimed Michelin-starred Neolokal — a fitting place to have our last meal. It's set in a former bank building and the food is fancy — very fancy — but it doesn't compromise on taste. There's everything from seafood to vegetarian and meat dishes, as well as stunning deserts which wouldn't look out of place in that 'Taste And Art' show back at the Is Sanat museum or one of the city's many art galleries. My first visit to Istanbul was a real Turkish delight — and I'm already planning a return.
Yahoo
14-04-2025
- General
- Yahoo
Turkey to begin restoration work on dome of Hagia Sophia
ISTANBUL (Reuters) - Turkey is set to begin restoration and reinforcement work on the dome of the Hagia Sophia, in one of the biggest repair projects carried out on the 1,486-year-old structure, experts said on Monday. Hagia Sophia was the largest cathedral in the world for 900 years until its capture by Ottoman Sultan Mehmet the Conqueror in 1453, after which it was one of Islam's most exalted mosques for nearly 500 years. The building was converted to a museum by Turkey's secular republic more than 70 years ago but turned back into a mosque by President Tayyip Erdogan in 2020. The process will be difficult and will "open an important page in the book of Hagia Sophia," said Asnu Bilban Yalcin, a Byzantine art historian, adding that restoration of other parts of the structure has been under way for 10 years. "It is truly a structure full of surprises because sometimes things develop in a way we do not expect. That is, you design and plan it, but when you open it, things may develop differently," she told Reuters outside the Hagia Sophia. The dome will first be covered to protect it during the repair process, said Ahmet Gulec, a cultural property conservation and repair expert, adding that the existing lead cover will then be removed for the restoration and reinforcement project to continue. The reinforcement project will focus on weak structural points determined during simulations of a large earthquake, in a country criss-crossed by fault lines. The real structural problems will become more apparent when the lead cover is lifted, said Hasan Firat Diker, a professor of architecture at the Fatih Sultan Mehmet Vakif University. The Hagia Sophia is expected remain open to worshippers and visitors during the restoration process, which makes the repair process more difficult, said Gulec, the cultural property conservation and repair expert. The experts did not specify a date for the completion of the restoration of the dome, given potential setbacks due to weather conditions and unforeseen additional works.
Reuters
14-04-2025
- General
- Reuters
Turkey to begin restoration work on dome of Hagia Sophia
ISTANBUL, April 14 (Reuters) - Turkey is set to begin restoration and reinforcement work on the dome of the Hagia Sophia, in one of the biggest repair projects carried out on the 1,486-year-old structure, experts said on Monday. Hagia Sophia was the largest cathedral in the world for 900 years until its capture by Ottoman Sultan Mehmet the Conqueror in 1453, after which it was one of Islam's most exalted mosques for nearly 500 years. The building was converted to a museum by Turkey's secular republic more than 70 years ago but turned back into a mosque by President Tayyip Erdogan in 2020. The process will be difficult and will "open an important page in the book of Hagia Sophia," said Asnu Bilban Yalcin, a Byzantine art historian, adding that restoration of other parts of the structure has been under way for 10 years. "It is truly a structure full of surprises because sometimes things develop in a way we do not expect. That is, you design and plan it, but when you open it, things may develop differently," she told Reuters outside the Hagia Sophia. The dome will first be covered to protect it during the repair process, said Ahmet Gulec, a cultural property conservation and repair expert, adding that the existing lead cover will then be removed for the restoration and reinforcement project to continue. The reinforcement project will focus on weak structural points determined during simulations of a large earthquake, in a country criss-crossed by fault lines. The real structural problems will become more apparent when the lead cover is lifted, said Hasan Firat Diker, a professor of architecture at the Fatih Sultan Mehmet Vakif University. The Hagia Sophia is expected remain open to worshippers and visitors during the restoration process, which makes the repair process more difficult, said Gulec, the cultural property conservation and repair expert. The experts did not specify a date for the completion of the restoration of the dome, given potential setbacks due to weather conditions and unforeseen additional works.
Arab News
14-04-2025
- General
- Arab News
Turkiye to begin restoration work on dome of Hagia Sophia
ISTANBUL: Turkiye is set to begin restoration and reinforcement work on the dome of the Hagia Sophia, in one of the biggest repair projects carried out on the 1,486-year-old structure, experts said on Sophia was the largest cathedral in the world for 900 years until its capture by Ottoman Sultan Mehmet the Conqueror in 1453, after which it was one of Islam's most exalted mosques for nearly 500 building was converted to a museum by Turkiye's secular republic more than 70 years ago but turned back into a mosque by President Tayyip Erdogan in process will be difficult and will 'open an important page in the book of Hagia Sophia,' said Asnu Bilban Yalcin, a Byzantine art historian, adding that restoration of other parts of the structure has been under way for 10 years.'It is truly a structure full of surprises because sometimes things develop in a way we do not expect. That is, you design and plan it, but when you open it, things may develop differently,' she told Reuters outside the Hagia dome will first be covered to protect it during the repair process, said Ahmet Gulec, a cultural property conservation and repair expert, adding that the existing lead cover will then be removed for the restoration and reinforcement project to reinforcement project will focus on weak structural points determined during simulations of a large earthquake, in a country criss-crossed by fault real structural problems will become more apparent when the lead cover is lifted, said Hasan Firat Diker, a professor of architecture at the Fatih Sultan Mehmet Vakif Hagia Sophia is expected remain open to worshippers and visitors during the restoration process, which makes the repair process more difficult, said Gulec, the cultural property conservation and repair experts did not specify a date for the completion of the restoration of the dome, given potential setbacks due to weather conditions and unforeseen additional works.
