Welcome to another video of Prime Walks. Today we would be covering the famous historical sights of Istanbul, including Beyazıt, Grand Bazaar, walking all the way to the famous Sultanahmet square covering Hagia Sophia and Blue Mosque and ending the journey back in the beautiful Gülhane park.
We hope you enjoyed watching.
00:00 Prime Intro
00:30 Beyazıt
Located in the old city part of Istanbul, the district had many events in the past which shaped the area around it. Beyazit is pretty famous for its unique and various collection of things to buy, you can enter the jewelry section which has many shops, you have also the Turkish delights and food section which the shops there will make you taste before you buy anything, so you know what to buy.
01:18 Sahaflar Çarşısı – Old Book Market
Located behind Beyazit Mosque in Istanbul. Sahaflar Çarşısı consists of book stores lined up next to each other. The place was much more interesting in the past with books that are rarely found however nowadays the place lost its gem as online book archiving arrives and people do not need those stores any more. So, they start to sell books that you can find every store for lower price or used books donated.
02:13 Grand Bazaar – Kapalı Çarşı
The Grand Bazaar in Istanbul is one of the largest and oldest covered markets in the world, with 61 covered streets and over 4,000 shops on a total area of 30,700 m², attracting between 250,000 and 400,000 visitors daily.
It is a must see while visiting Istanbul or Turkey! If you love shopping and exploring and walking in a beautiful market, you will love the Grand bazaar! During the Ottoman Empire, the Grand Bazaar was a place where locals could find the most variety of products. However, there are many options for shopping in Istanbul today, so the Grand Bazaar is considered a touristic and expensive place.
04:38 Sultanahmet Square
Sultanahmet Square, which was once known as The Hippodrome of Constantinople was a circus that was the sporting and social center of Constantinople, capital of the Byzantine Empire. Sultanahmet is one of the most visited sites in Istanbul. A tourist center combining the history, architecture, culture and art.
With the popular sights from the three empires, such as the Topkapi Palace, Hagia Sophia, the Blue Mosque, the Hippodrome and the Basilica Cistern, Sultanahmet is a natural magnet to millions of tourists in Istanbul also with its variety of souvenirs and carpets, restaurants and cafe, hotels and guest houses.
04:53 Blue Mosque
Built between 1609 and 1616, the Sultan Ahmed is the culmination of two centuries of both Ottoman and Byzantine architecture. One of the world's most famous places of worships. The Blue Mosque has five main domes, six minarets, and eight secondary domes. The upper area is decorated with approximately 20,000 hand-painted glazed ceramic in 60 different tulip patterns. The lower stories are illuminated by 200 stained glass windows.
It is a place for quiet reflection, prayer and study.
05:21 Hagia Sofia – Ayasofya Cami
Situated on a hill overlooking the Sea of Marmara and the Bosphorus, this majestic structure has gone through various transformations since it was built in 537.
The Hagia Sophia is more than 2,000 years old and is one of the most extraordinary structures ever built. It has been a temple, church, mosque and museum through its long history.
06:28 Gülhane park
Is the largest and most important park on the Golden Horn area of Istanbul. Gülhane Park used to be the exterior yard of Topkapi Palace during the Ottoman Period, encompassing rose gardens and a grove.
The south entrance of the park sports one of the larger gates of the palace. It is the oldest and one of the most expansive public parks and one of the most visited places for both tourist and locals.
