The Basilica Cistern was built in 532 CE by Emperor Justinian. Its roof is supported by 336 columns arranged in 12 rows. It once held 80,000 m³ of water. It was constructed by using columns and capitals from ruined buildings. A couple of nice examples are columns supported by upside-down Medusa heads.

The Obelisk of Theodosius was carved in Egypt around 1450 BCE. It was erected in Heliopolis (today's Cairo) to commemorate the victories of Thutmosis III.

The Aya Sofya was built as a Byzantine church by Emperor Justinian (527-565). It reigned as the greatest church in Christendom till the conquest in 1453. Mehmet the Conqueror converted it into mosque. In 1935 Atatürk proclaimed it a museum.

Another Byzantine church is Küçük Aya Sofya Camii. It too was build by Emperor Justinian, just before the Aya Sofya. It is one of the city's most beautiful. Its dome is noteworthy for being an irregular octagon.

The Blue Mosque was build by Sultan Ahmet I (r 1603 - 1617) to rival Aya Sofya in beauty and grandeur.

Rüstem Paşa Camii is another beautiful mosque, this one decorated with beautiful ıznik tiles.

İstanbul Archaeological Museum

One of the buildings of the museum with ceramic tiles. (428k)

Roman sarcophagus. (286k)

Hittite relief. (318k)

Ceramic tile picture from Ur, Babylonia. (411k)

Assyrian relief. (278k)

Roman Remains

Interior of the Basilica Cistern. (243k)

Sideways Medusa head supporting one of the columns. the Medusa head came from somewhere in Greece. (367k)

This stone pillar is all that remains from a Byzantine triumphal arch. From here all distances in the Byzantine Empire were measured. (620k)

Egyptian Obelisk

Obelisk of Theodosius. (296k)

Close-up of the cartouche on the obelisk. (483k)

Byzantine Churches

Aya Sofya. (360k)	Stone mosaic in the Aya Sofya (340k)	Marble entrance threshold, worn by the many feet passing through. (246k)	Marble capital. (268k)	Interior of Aya Sofya. (309k)
Columns in the interior of Aya Sofya. (403k)	Inlay pictures of Apostles. (442k)	Inlay pictures of Apostles. (436k)	Inlay pictures of Apostles. (521k)	Küçük Aya Sofya Camii. (251k)
Interior of Küçük Aya Sofya Camii. (366k)	Interior of Küçük Aya Sofya Camii. (416k)	Interior of Küçük Aya Sofya Camii. (193k)

Mosques

View of the Blue Mosque from inside the Aya Sofya. (96k)	The Blue Mosque from the Aya Sofya. (233k)	The Blue Mosque. (297k)	Interior of the Blue Mosque. (354k)	Blue ceramic tiles on Rüstem Paşa Camii. (420k)
Not all mosques in Istanbul are of the grand variety, this one was in a neighbourhood in the southern parts of İstanbul (360k)

Main page for Turkey

All pictures are © Günther Eichhorn

Main Turkey page
Aerobatics website
Soaring website
Landings Aviation Server