The Buildings of Istanbul

The Blue Mosque
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I saw some real beautiful buildings while in Istanbul.  I got to see the Blue Mosque which is named that because at night it looks very blue.  This building was build by a Sultan during the 1600's because he wanted a landmark from his empire that was more impressive than all the landmarks left behind in the area by the Justinian and Constantine empires before him.

The Hagia Sofia is the latest incarnation which has been destroyed and rebuilt over 5 times!  The original church was planned by Constantine the Great and buildy by his successors between 300-400 A.D.  It served as the main cathedral of Constantinople.  It was considered the most famous church of the Byzantine Empire.  The church was burned down a few times and later taken over by the Catholic Empire, then taken over by the Ottoman Empire when they conquered Turkey in the 1600's and converted to a mosque.  It is now a museum.

the main cathedral of Constantinople