Ranked within our community as one of the Top 25 WHS, Istanbul remains a deeply rewarding city to visit. Collectively over two visits (16 years apart), I've spent about a week in Istanbul.

2007 Hagia Sophia (Museum)

Visiting the Hagia Sophia for the first time was an incredible experience. Wandering both floors, viewing the mosaics, and simply pausing in awe of the majesty of Byzantine artistry and design. I had been inspired by Guy Gavriel Kay's Sarantine Mosaic, which really captures Byzantine Civilization. These novels (the main character is a mosaicist) informed my appreciation and helped me visualize Constantinople.

While the Hagia Sophia was the undoubtable highlight, the Grand Bazaar and the Blue Mosque were not by any stretch less impressive. The interior and courtyard of the Blue Mosque is exquisite. The location and monumental design of the Blue Mosque is clearly meant to rival the glory of Hagia Sophia.

In 2007, I made sure to visit other key sites such as: the Walls of Constantinople, the Aqueduct of Valens, Topkapi Palace, the Basilica Cistern, and the Great Palace Mosaics Museum. Many of the mosaics at the later, are iconic masterworks. Here are two examples: Mosaic #1 and Mosaic #2. The novel I mentioned earlier borrowed one such mosaic and used it as the book cover. Lord of Emperors by Guy Gavriel Kay (Book 2 of the Sarantine Mosaic). The famous walls of Constantinople have reportedly been much improved for visitors since my visit, but at the time (2007) much of the walls were left in a ruinous state without much (if any) supervision. My friends and I simply walked alongside the massive fortification for a decent stretch.

2023 Hagia Sophia (Mosque)

On a brief return to Istanbul (1-day layover) on my way to the UAE, I got the chance to revisit the Hagia Sophia. Noticeable changes, second floor (at least for the time being was closed), many (not all) mosaics were partially obscured by white canvas/cloth. Moreover, there is now a €25 ticket fee for foreign visitors. The visitor experience is partitioned into 'tourist area' and 'worship area'. Thus the visitor experience is not what it was during my first visit. While I could appreciate many of the wonders of the Hagia Sophia, much was indeed lost in how you visit the site today.

I tried to visit a few other sites that I did not visit in 2007. First stop was Hagia Irene, though I could appreciate the exterior, upon arrival I was informed it was closed for renovations. Next we walked to the Sultan Ahmet Tomb and entered (shoes off), you immediately notice the tile work. From there we continued on to the nicknamed 'Little Hagia Sophia' (built 536). Impressive in its own right, I also found the adjacent mausoleum interesting.

Byzantine & Ottoman Heritage

Today, you can see the richness of the cities past as Constantinople and perhaps even more so as Istanbul. The city is rewarding for return visitors, as you can prioritize what history or cultural treasure you would like to explore more in-depth. I hope to return again, because there is always more to see and closures / renovations do occur. Istanbul is a special city in the West and indeed the World, singular in its historical importance, with the only potential comparable city that comes to mind is Rome.

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