Travel Reference
In-Depth Information
Best
Architecture
İstanbul is one of the world's great architectural time capsules. Here, locals live
within city walls built by Byzantine emperors, worship in Ottoman-era mosques
and reside in grand 19th-century apartment buildings.
Top Tips
›
Architectural walking tours of the city are conducted by İstanbul Walks (
www.istanbulwalks.net
)
, a company run
by a group of history, conservation and architecture buffs. Tours run daily and can be booked at short notice.
Byzantine Architecture
The city spent 1123 years as a Christian metropolis and many structures survive from this
era. After the Conquest, numerous churches were converted into mosques; despite the min-
arets, you can usually tell a church-cum-mosque by its distinctive red bricks. The Byzanti-
nes also built aqueducts, cisterns and public squares that exist to this day.
Ottoman Architecture
After the Conquest, the sultans made their mark by constructing mosques, palaces, hama-
ms,
medreses
and
yalıs
(waterside timber mansions). The greatest of these were commis-
sioned by Süleyman the Magnificent and designed by his court architect, Mimar Sinan.
Later sultans focused on palaces and hunting lodges featuring ornate external detailing and
ostentatious interior decoration; these and other buildings of the era have been collectively
dubbed 'Turkish baroque'.
Ottoman Revivalism & Modernism
In the late 19th century, architects blended European architecture with Turkish baroque,
along with some concessions to classic Ottoman style. This style has been dubbed 'Otto-
