Istanbul:

Cultural crossing of paths between the East and the West since ancient times, Istanbul is a fascinating city with a special charm. Located between two seas (the Marmara Sea and the Black Sea) and between two continents (Europe and Asia) the city is full of contrasts, including the most beautiful of all, the contrast between the modern and traditional world.
With a population of approximately 15 million, Istanbul is a megalopolis that does not leave its visitors indifferent regardless of their city of origin.







In addition, Istanbul is one of the most architecturally interesting cities of Europe, with some of the most iconic buildings in the world. Two of these historic buildings are the Blue Mosque and the Saint Sophia Cathedral. These masterpieces of universal architecture, in addition to their historical importance, have something that makes them unique: they are located a few meters from each other, taking to the extreme the East-West contrast resulting from their location.

Hagia Sophia:

The Cathedral of Saint Sophia is the fourth largest religious building in Europe after Saint Peter's in Rome and the cathedrals of Seville and Milan.







As it happens in other sacred buildings that have survived the passage of time like the Great Mosque of Córdoba, the Cathedral of Santa Sofia has been a sacred place for believers of different religions. Being in its beginnings a Byzantine Orthodox cathedral, later a catholic cathedral and finally a mosque, until the year 1931. Since 1935 it is open to the public as a museum.







The Saint Sophia Cathedral is full of hidden corners, so you can take advantage of the visit if you use a guide.











An added appeal of the Cathedral Museum of Santa Sofia is that the two floors of the building are opened to visitors.

To finish, a challenge, complete the sentence: << Bearing in mind that Hagia Sophia is an impressive historical building and a universal icon, you better ___________ if you do not want to ____________. >> Funniest comment gets 1 SBD. Advice: Tickets can be purchased in advance on the [official website](https://muze.gov.tr/tr/purchase?t=5).

The Blue Mosque:

It turns out that just opposite to Hagia Sophia, separated only by a small park is one of the most impressive and known mosques, the Blue Mosque, named for the blue tiles that decorate its interior.







Unlike Santa Sofia, the Blue Mosque is still a building open to religious worship, so only a small part of the building can be visited. Besides, it is obligatory to enter barefoot, and in the case of women they must wear their shoulders and hair covered (no comment).

Thank you for reading the post, I hope you liked it and it may be useful if you visit Turkey.

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