Tag: europe

  • historyistanbul: Rumeli Fortress – Your Essential Self-Guided Tour Guide (2025)

    Rumeli Fortress stands as one of Istanbul’s most impressive historical landmarks, built in just four months in 1452 under Sultan Mehmed II’s orders. Standing proudly on the European shores of the Bosphorus, this massive 30-acre stronghold was constructed with remarkable speed between April 15 and August 31, 1452, specifically to control naval traffic before the…

  • Ebru(Paper Marbling): Where Color Meets Water and History🖌️

    History and Origins of Ebru Ebru is a decorative art made by transferring patterns created with specially prepared paints on water thickened with tragacanth onto paper.The exact time and place where the art of Ebru began is not definitivelyknown. However, there are some sources indicating that it was practiced in the 13th century in Turkestan,…

  • historyistanbul: Sultanahmet Cami (Sultanahmet Mosque / Blue Mosque)

    Imagine being 19 years old and deciding to build one of the most magnificent mosques in the world. Sounds like a bold move, right? Well, that’s exactly what Sultan Ahmed I did. In 1609, he set out to create a mosque that would rival.No, outshine: the legendary Hagia Sophia, which stood just across the way.…

  • historyistanbul: Topkapı Sarayı (Topkapı Palace)

    Step into a world where history meets grandeur! The Ottoman Empire wasn’t just a massive empire, it was the empire of empires, with its borders sprawling across the globe and maintaining power for centuries. For 400 years, this dynasty ruled with magnificence, and at the heart of it all was the stunning Topkapi Palace, the…