Istanbul, Turkey The Islamic world has a long tradition of honoring its famous dead, and many mosques have at their heart a mausoleum or tomb containing the relics of important Muslims, religious, political, literary or otherwise. What is not common in the Islamic world is the preservation of important religious objects, with at least one major exception: The Sacred Trusts, … [Read more...]
HAGIA SOFIA
Istanbul, Turkey Istanbul has the unique distinction that it has served as the capital of both the Christian and Islamic worlds. From the time of Constantine until the advent of Islam, the patriarch of Constantinople nominally ruled over the vast majority of the world’s Christians. From the time of the Ottoman conquest of the city until the end of World War I, the sultan at … [Read more...]
MOSQUES OF BURSA (MASJID YESIL, MASJID MURADIE)
Bursa, Turkey The Ottoman Caliphate was the longest lasting Islamic dynasty in history and one of the largest. An offshoot of the earlier Seljuk Empire, the Ottomans at their height ruled either directly or indirectly virtually the entire Muslim world west of Persia for the better part of six centuries. For about a fifth of this period, they ruled their empire from the city … [Read more...]
ALAEDDIN MOSQUE (MASJID ALAEDDIN)
Konya, Turkey The Masjid Alaeddin is the great mosque of the city of Konya which for many years was the capital of the Seljuk kingdom in Asia Minor. Aside from being the chief mosque of the Seljuk sultans in the Middle Ages, it was also their chief burial site. The tombs of at least eight Seljuk rulers from the 12th and 13th centuries are located within the Masjid Alaeddin, … [Read more...]
MAMURE CASTLE
Anamur, Turkey Mamure Castle is one of the largest and most impressive castles in Turkey, and one of the best seaside fortifications between Rhodes and Akko. Located along the southern coast of Turkey, this region has been among the most heavily trafficked land and water trade routes since the dawn of history. A major fortress has stood on the site for at least seventeen … [Read more...]
RUMELIHISARI FORTRESS
Istanbul, Turkey Rumelihisari Fortress in Istanbul is arguably the best castle in Europe not constructed by Europeans. Established by the Ottomans in the mid-15th century, it was constructed in a mere two years not for defensive purposes, but rather as an advance base to create a stranglehold on Constantinople. It is most famous for the three gargantuan round towers which … [Read more...]
JEWISH MUSEUM OF ISTANBUL
Istanbul, Turkey The Jewish community of Istanbul is the largest in the Middle East outside of Israel. Although Turkey’s Jewish population has dwindled from half a million to less than twenty thousand in the past century, it is still the most important and influential Jewish community in a Muslim-majority state. There are many synagogues still active in Turkey, including … [Read more...]
ANCIENT HARAN & TOMB OF TERAH
Harran, Turkey The city of Haran in what is now southern Turkey is one of the world’s oldest major international transit centers. Located near the headwaters of the Euphrates River, virtually all overland traffic between Mesopotamia and the western regions of Canaan, Egypt and the Hittite Empire had to pass through Haran in ancient times. In the Bible, Haran is best known … [Read more...]
MOUNT ARARAT
Dogubayzit, Turkey Since pre-Roman times, this enormous dormant volcano on the Turkish-Armenian frontier is held by tradition to be the landing sight of Noah’s Ark following the catastrophic flood of the Book of Genesis. The enormous size and geographical location of this rocky formation certainly make it a worthy contender, and to date no other mountain has made a serious … [Read more...]
HAGIA SOFIA OF ISTANBUL
Istanbul, Turkey Of the original five great patriarchates of Christianity, that of Byzantium was the last to form and, for many years, was the least important. This situation changed dramatically in the 4th century when Constantine not only legalized Christianity but also moved the capital of the Roman Empire to Byzantium. Almost overnight Byzantium became the most … [Read more...]
