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Istanbul, which had been the
capital of
Rome,
Byzantium and the Ottoman
Empire, is one of the most
interesting centers of the world
owing to its natural beauties,
in addition to the historical
structures which are the
heritage of these
cultures.
Istanbul is adorned with the
works of the great architect
Sinan, who was a master of
perfection during the Ottoman
period in the 16th century. Some
of Sinan's master works which
show his genius are; the Sehzade
Mosque which he built for Prince
Mustafa, son of Süleyman the Law
Maker in the years 1543-1548;
the Mihrimah Mosque which he
built in 1548; the
Süleymaniye Mosque which he
built in the years 1550-1557;
and the Rüstem Pasa Mosque,
completely adorned with
encaustic tiles of Iznik,
which he built in the years
1550-1557. The Sultanahmet
Mosque, which Sultan Ahmet I
had ordered Sedefkar Mehmet Aga
to construct between the years
1609-1617, is one of the most
important works of art worthy of
seeing in Istanbul because of
the encaustic tiles therein.
The Archeological Museum of
Istanbul
situated near the Topkapi
Palace, is one of the
richest museums of the world.
There are many other museums in
Istanbul besides this one, such
as The Museum of Turkish and
Islamic Arts, Museum of
Tapestry and Museum of Sadberk
Hanim. Istanbul, the city of
beauties where the history and
nature are interwoven, maintains
its quality of one of the most
interesting centers in the
world. |
