Travel to Istanbul, City of Constantinople – Main Attractions
The city of Constantine, Constantinople, also known as ancient Byzantium, now Istanbul. Declared the new capital of the Roman Empire in 330 AD, it revitalized the empire enough for Byzantium to last over a thousand more years, until 1453. The city then became the capital of the new Ottoman Empire, lasting almost until our time, just before the start of the 20th century.
It remains one of the world’s gems, at the crossroads of Europe and Asia, Christianity and Islam, and broadly, the West and the East. The Hagia Sophia in Constantinople is one of the main attractions for both Christians and Muslims.
Originally a focal point of Orthodoxy, the grand Hagia Sophia Cathedral, before becoming the largest museum of our time by the 17th century, also served as the main mosque for the Muslims of Turkey until the famous Blue Mosque was constructed.
Another of Istanbul’s most beautiful attractions rightfully is the Topkapi Palace, which served as the main residence of the Ottoman sultans for nearly four hundred years and encompasses an incredible amount of luxury, relics, jewelry, rare porcelain, and more.
The song “Istanbul (Not Constantinople)” recalls this very “Second Rome” as a true city-museum, a journey to which you will surely never forget!
