Istanbul
Istanbul straddles two continents, its Hagia Sophia standing as one of the world’s great architectural achievements, having served as both a Byzantine cathedral and an Ottoman mosque across nearly fifteen centuries. The Blue Mosque, with its six minarets and cascading domes, sits directly across the square, its interior tiled in thousands of handmade Iznik ceramics.
Read more ↓Show less ↑
The Grand Bazaar, one of the oldest and largest covered markets in the world, spreads across thousands of shops selling carpets, ceramics, and jewelry within a labyrinth of vaulted stone corridors. Topkapi Palace, the former residence of Ottoman sultans, houses treasures including the Topkapi Dagger and relics attributed to the Prophet Muhammad. A ferry ride across the Bosphorus offers views of waterfront palaces and mosques from both the European and Asian sides of the city. Istanbul’s layered Byzantine and Ottoman history make it one of the most historically significant cities on earth.

