Page 15 - ZA Magazine January 2022
P. 15
ISTANBUL
The city, which has been shaped by a turbulent history, with various ups and downs and
changes for over a century, which have made it what it is today. An amazing megacity, with a
unique story to be told.
if there was one adjective that would best describe this city, it would be cosmopolitan. Hagia Sophia is the city's most
exquisite monument. Once a Christian temple, it then became a mosque, and now it is a museum. However, it remains
one of the greatest architectural creations from the first millennium AD.
The Blue Mosque, one of the finest examples of Islamic architecture, was supposed to overshadow its Christian
predecessor. It is located right next to Hagia Sophia, and its greatest advantage is that when crowds of visitors trample
the city's most important monument, the mosque has an atmosphere of peace, concentration, and prayer that takes
you into a state of complete relaxation. The great long square along with the Blue Mosque once housed the huge
Constantinople Hippodrome, horse racing, and chariot arena. Today, it is a popular meeting and hangout place for
both tourists and residents of the city.
