TURKEY
B
In Istanbul, Byzantine legacies stand in tandem with Ottoman monuments.
1.
Hagia Sophia is considered the pinnacle of Byzantine architecture.
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Its sheer beauty, with monolithic marble columns, refined lattice, stucco, and gold mosaics, is enough to make any worshipper burst into tears of joy.
After being converted into a mosque in 1453, several Islamic elements were added to Hagia Sophia.
2.
Hagia Irene is the only Byzantine church that was never converted into a mosque.
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Decorations are limited to simple carvings, and the dome above the apse features nothing but a plain cross.
3.
It was a stadium for horse racing with a capacity of 40,000 spectators.
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It was the center of Constantinopolitan social life. Though the Hippodrome is no longer evident, significant traces of it can still be seen in today’s Istanbul.
4.
It's the largest and most impressive subterranean reservoir in Istanbul.
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Basilica Cistern could store up to 80,000 tons of water. It was named as such because a basilica once stood above this spot.
336 marble columns are used to support this grand brick vault. Each is 9 meters high.
5.
It stands atop a hill overlooking the Golden Horn and the Bosphorus.
G
Despite being erected during the Byzantine period, Galata was the work of the Genoese.
Galata looks best from the waterside.
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