Ok, to treat Istanbul as a stopover between America and Asia might be a little bit harsh, but in this case, it is exactly what it was. Still, you can try to make the best of a stopover. The obvious choices are to eat a shawarma on Taksim square, to walk along the Bosphorus, to count the number of stray cats, and to resist buying a carpet... Compared to my first visit around 15 years ago, the city is even bigger, but seemingly less chaotic. Difficult to say whether it has become more conservative.
The two most famous landmarks are the Blue Mosque and Hagia Sophia. The first one was built in the 17th century in the classical Ottoman style.
Next to it, Hagia Sophia was first an orthodox church built in the 6th century, and during a thousand year the biggest church in the world (before the Spanish built a bigger one in Sevilla). It was converted to a mosque in the 15th century, once the town had been conquered by the Ottomans. Many Christian characteristics were then removed and replaced with Islamic features. To this day, it is still a very impressive building!
The two most famous landmarks are the Blue Mosque and Hagia Sophia. The first one was built in the 17th century in the classical Ottoman style.
Next to it, Hagia Sophia was first an orthodox church built in the 6th century, and during a thousand year the biggest church in the world (before the Spanish built a bigger one in Sevilla). It was converted to a mosque in the 15th century, once the town had been conquered by the Ottomans. Many Christian characteristics were then removed and replaced with Islamic features. To this day, it is still a very impressive building!
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