Ortaköy Mosque, alias, Great Mecidiye Mosque, is a Neo-Baroque mosque located just on the bank of Bosphorus. The architects of the mosque are Nigoğos Balyan and his father Garabet Amira Balyan, who were the architects of numerous important buildings of the late Ottoman era. Ortaköy Camii ya da diğer adıyla Büyük Mecidiye Camii, Boğaz'ın tam kenarında yer alan Neo-Barok tarzında bir camidir. Caminin mimarları, Osmanlı'nın son döneminde bir çok önemli yapının mimarı olan Nigoğos Balyan ve babası Garabet Amilya Balyan'dır. Conspicuous for its pink mosaic-covered interiors in addition to its stylish façade, 360-degree exposure to sunlight is one of the most [...]

A common consensus among the tourists coming to Istanbul from all over the world is that Istanbul is a city full of numerous tastes addressing to everybody. The streets of this brisk city are not less active than her restaurants. It's enough for you just to pick the one that matches you best among numerous tastes matching any budget! Tüm dünyadan İstanbul'a gelen turistlerin hemfikir olduğu bir nokta varsa o da İstanbul'un herkese hitap eden çeşit çeşit lezzetlerle dolu bir şehir olduğudur. Bu kıpır kıpır şehrin sokakları da en az restoranları kadar hareketli. Her bütçeye hitap eden bir çok lezzetten size [...]

Having entered the Ottoman territory in the 16th century, coffee has been an important part of Turkish culture since that day. It differs from all other coffees of the world for its peculiar cooking technique and "coffee grounds", that is, its service with the powder of very finely grinded coffee beans. 16. yüzyılda Osmanlı topraklarına adım atan kahve, o günden itibaren Türk kültürünün önemli bir parçası olmuştur. Kendine özgü pişirme tekniği ile ve "telve"si yani çok ince çekilmiş kahve çekirdeğinin tozları ile servis edilmesinden dolayı dünyanın tüm diğer kahvelerinden ayrılır. The one with a thick foam layer of Turkish coffee that [...]

Istanbul is beautiful in Autumn as well as any season. However, there are many places to explore around the city to better enjoy the season. We have compiled for you 5 routes through which you will lose yourself in falling leaves and riot of colors from crimson to yellow. İstanbul her mevsim olduğu gibi sonbaharda da güzel. Ancak mevsimin tadını daha iyi çıkarabilmek için şehrin çevresinde keşfedebileceğiniz bir sürü yer var. Düşen yapraklar ve kızıldan sarıya uzanan renk cümbüşü içinde kendinizi keybedeceğiniz 5 rotayı sizler için derledik. Yedigöller Yedigöller, which is accessible through just a 3-hour voyage from Istanbul, offers a [...]

About the Maiden's Tower, famous traveler Evliya Çelebi says, "It is a four-cornered, high tower made artistically at sea at an arrow shooting distance from the land. It is exactly 80 (eighty) ells. Its surface area is two hundred feet. It has doors at the ground level at two sides." The history of the Maiden's Tower, which is located off Salacak coast and near the Anatolian side of the Bosphorus, goes back to the Byzantine period in 300 B.C. Ünlü gezgin Evliya Çelebi Kız Kulesi hakkında: " Deniz içinde karadan bir ok atımı uzak, dört köşe, sanatkarane yapılmış bir yüksek kuledir. [...]

Let's remember first few things when we think of Istanbul... The Bosphorus, simit, the history, The Grand Bazaar and the cats... It sounds strange but street cats are one of the most important elements among the things that give a character to Istanbul. They live with inhabitants of the city together, give inspiration to artists and present a type common living, which you cannot see easily, around the world. İstanbul loves the cats and the cats love İstanbul. İstanbul denince akla gelen ilk şeyleri hatırlayalım. Boğaz, simit, tarih, Kapalı Çarşı, kediler... Kulağa garip geliyor ancak İstanbul'a karakter katan en önemli unsurlardan [...]

The effect of the worldwide culture '3rd wave of coffee' is being felt in Istanbul as well. Karaköy, which has been becoming more popular with each passing day, is the district where this effect is felt most intensively. The district, where in a new coffeeshop is launched almost every month, is now a center of interest for both tourists and Istanbul citizens thanks to its quite narrow streets, small boutiques and historic fabric. Tüm dünyaya yayılan 3.dalga kahve kültürünün etkisi İstanbul’da da hissediliyor. Bu etkinin en yoğun olduğu semt ise gün geçtikçe daha da popülerleşen Karaköy. Neredeyse her ay yeni bir [...]

The Obelisk of Theodosius, also known as Dikilitaş, is an Ancient Egyptian obelisk which is located near the Serpentine Column, on the South of Sultanahmet Square. Roman Emperor Theodosius I had it transported from Egypt, and erected on its current site in 390 AD. The Obelisk, a.k.a. Dikilitaş, is one of the most ancient monuments in İstanbul, which was sitting on the Spina wall of the Hippodrome of Constantinople then. Theodosius Dikilitaşı, veya yalnızca Dikilitaş, Sultanahmet Meydanı'nın güney tarafında, Yılanlı Sütun'un yanında bulunan bir Antik Mısır dikilitaşıdır. MS 390 yılında Roma imparatoru I. Theodosius tarafından Mısır'dan getirilerek şimdiki yerine dikilmiştir. Vakti [...]

The German Fountain is a historical fountain which is located right across the Mausoleum of Sultan Ahmed I in Sultanahmet Square, Istanbul. It was presented as a gift to Istanbul and the Sultan by German Emperor Wilhelm II. The Fountain was built in Germany, and mounted in its place in Istanbul in 1901. This fountain is an example of Neo-Byzantine architecture, and the interior of its dome is adorned with mosaics which were painted with gold. İstanbul’da Sultanahmet Meydanı`nda, Sultan I. Ahmed Türbesi`nin karşısında yer alan tarihi çeşmedir. Alman İmparatoru II. Wilhelm’in sultana ve İstanbul’a hediyesidir. Almanya’da yapılıp 1901’de İstanbul’daki yerine [...]

Hagia Sophia is one of the most glorious pieces of art of the historical peninsula and is one of the oldest as well since its history is 1480 years long. Hagia Sophia was built by the Byzantine Emperor Justinian I and is the oldest cathedral in the world. It was transformed into a mosque after the conquest of Istanbul by Fatih Sultan Mehmet in 1453. Nowadays it serves as a museum and hosts guests from all over the world. Tarihi yarımadanın en heybetli eseri olan Ayasofya, 1480 yıllık tarihi ile aynı zamanda en eski yapılardan bir tanesi. Bizans İmparatoru I. Justinyen [...]