Sacred Places

St. Irene Church

St. Irene Church
Right after the Hagia Sofia, St.Irene is the second largest and oldest church from the Byzantine era still standing in Istanbul. Emperor Constantine the Great commissioned St.Irene, which was one of the largest and oldest Byzantine churches along with Hagia Sofia, in 330. The church takes its name from a saint who was at that…
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St. Antoine Church

St. Antoine Church
St. Antoine Church, situated on Istiklal Street, is a silent and tranquil shelter where people from everywhere in Istanbul make wishes and light candles. St. Antoine Church is located on the left as you head towards Tunel from Galatasaray. The building is a creation by Giulio Mongeri. The church was located in Azapkapı before, built…
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The Anglican Church

The Anglican Church
The Anglican church, used by the Sri Lankan Anglican community, is located on Serdarı Ekrem Street, extending to the Galip Dede Street in Beyoğlu, Istanbul. Lord Stratford Canning laid the foundations for this Anglican Church (also known as Crimean Church) in 1856. It was built in memory of the English soldiers who participated in the…
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Süleymaniye Mosque Complex

Süleymaniye Mosque Complex
A masterpiece by Imperial Architect Sinan, the mosque of Süleymaniye in Istanbul is the namesake of Sultan Süleyman I. Taking its name from the mosque of the same name, the quarter of Süleymaniye in the Eminönü district on the Historical Peninsula boasts a number of Ottoman architectural works and, by close association, is an eminent…
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Dolmabahçe Mosque

Dolmabahçe Mosque
Bezm-i Alem Valide Sultan Camii, Situated at the southern end of the Dolmabahçe Palace complex, the mosque was built by Bezm-i Alem Valide Sultan, the mother of Sultan Abdülmecid. The mosque is commonly called the Dolmabahçe Mosque due to its location. It is a selâtin cami (imperial mosque), which means, it was built by a…
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Sultanahmed Mosque Complex (Blue Mosque)

Sultanahmed Mosque Complex (Blue Mosque)
Sultanahmet Camii Külliyesi  (1609-1620) If the armies of the Fourth Crusade had not razed Constantinople in 1204, we would have enjoyed visiting the Palace of Daphne, the oldest part of the gorgeous Great Palace of Constantinople. However, now, thanks to Sultan Ahmed (1603-1617), we have another magnificent monument, built almost four centuries after the fourth…
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Yenikapi Mevlevi Lodge

Yenikapi Mevlevi Lodge
Yenikapı Mevlevihanesi (1597) Yenikapi Mevlevi Lodge (Mevlevihane), referred to as "Mevlanakapı", was the most important (and the largest in Istanbul) Mevlevi lodge in Turkey after its main Mevlevi center in Konya. Yenikapı Mevlevi Lodge was built in 1597 on the land donated by Malkoç Mehmet Efendi, the Chief Caliph of Janissary, nicknamed Kocabektaş, the neighborhood…
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Galata Mevlevi Lodge Museum

Galata Mevlevi Lodge Museum
The Museum of Divan Literature (1491) - Galata Mevlevihanesi ve Divan Edebiyatı Müzesi Founded by Divane Mehmed Çelebi Dede in 1481 during the reign of Sultan Bayezid II, Galata Mevlevi Lodge Museum was the oldest Mevlevi Lodge in Istanbul and the second largest Lodge after Yenikapi Mevlevihanesi. As it is located on Galata, which was…
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Small Mecidiye Mosque

Small Mecidiye Mosque
Küçük Mecidiye -Teşrifiye- Camii (1848) Built by Sultan Abdülmecid (1839-1861) in 1848, the Small Mecidiye Mosque was located on the Eastern entrance of the Yıldız Park, just behind the Çırağan Palace. The mosque is a part of the complex (külliye) built by Sultan Abdülmecid, which also included Sıbyan Mektebi (elementary school), medrese (theological school), and…
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Yıldız Hamidiye Mosque

Yıldız Hamidiye Mosque
This is the last imperial (selâtin) mosque of the Ottoman Empire. Imperial mosques had to be built by sultans and were financed only by their personal funds. Abdülhamid II was the last sultan to build a mosque. The last two sultans of the Ottoman Empire did not commission any mosques. Hamidiye Mosque had a significant…
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