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Tag-Archive for » christianity «

Hagia Sophia (in İstanbul)
Çarşamba, Mart 03rd, 2010 /

Sophia (literally meaning ‘Holy Wisdom’) is one of the most famous structures of Turkey. Maybe it is one of the most popular man-made structures in the world.

Hagia Sophia was built as a church around 360 A.D., converted into a mosque in 1453, and finally into a museum in 1935. Today, it is a museum and attracts tourists from all over the world.

Hagia Sophia is conveniently located on the ‘historical peninsula’ of Istanbul, that is, the historical city centre. It can be reached by various means of public transport and is very close to some of the other famous historical spots of Istanbul such as Blue Mosque, Basilica Cistern, Topkapı Palace etc.

Hagia Sophia is a must-see for all visitors of Istanbul, especially for those who are interested in Christian and Islamic architecture

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Sümela Monastery (in Trabzon)
Perşembe, Şubat 25th, 2010 /

Sümela Monastery is located in the northern city of Trabzon, on the Black Sea coast. There are many historical monasteries located in Turkey but what makes this Sümela special is its location. It is located on the side of a steep cliff at the altitude of 1200 metres overlooking a valley.

It was founded in 386 during the reign of Roman Empire. In the time of Ottoman Empire, it was given special rights and protection by various Ottoman Sultans. Monks and travelers were free to travel there and Sümela remained quite active until 19th century.

During the anatolian occupation, it was occupied by the Russian in 1916. After the population exchange agreement between Turkey and Greece, it was abandoned. And finally in 1930, some stuff from the monastery was brought to another monastery in Greece.

Today, Sümela is a only a visitor attraction of religious significance and great view of the valley and rivers below.

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Ephesus (in Izmir)
Çarşamba, Şubat 17th, 2010 /


Ephesus is a huge ancient greek city. It is located on the west cost of Turkey, within İzmir. It has 2 theatres, 1 public bathroom, numerous temples and the most famous of all, a library. The history of the city goes as far as 6000 BCE. In the first century BC, it used to be the second largest city in the world. It is also an important center for Christianity.

WHAT TO EXPECT________________________________________
Ephesus is a very wide ancient city, complete with its ancient theatres, settlements, public restrooms, baths, temples and the famous library.

HOW TO GO THERE___________________________________
The nearest town is called Selçuk (pronounced sel.chouq) and it is 4 km.s from the ancient city of Ephesus. There are frequent buses running from Selçuk to Ephesus. The nearest city is Izmir, the 3rd largest Turkish city.

FEES AND HOURS_____________________________________

15tl entrance fee. Free entry for museum card holders (Turkish citizens only.) Usually 8am-5pm. The settlements section within the city (optional) requires an extra 10tl.

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