Page 75 - WINE DINE AND TRAVEL MAGAZINE FALL 2023 DISCOVERING TURKEY

ur visit to Suleymaniye Mosque, the ful people, also with their own compelling sto-
city’s largest and grandest, was part of ries. Sultan Suleymaniye and his Mosque are
O our free walking tour of the Grand good examples.
Bazaar. From the bazaar we climbed a long Almost all Istanbul mosques were built and
hill, past Istanbul University, listening to our named after important Ottomans. A notable
guide’s intriguing facts and stories about the exception is the Hagia Sophia, built by the
building and its namesake sultan. It reminded Eastern Roman emperor, Justinian, beginning
us that mosques are more than impressive in 527 AD. A thousand years later, a powerful
structures. The history of each is intertwined Ottoman leader had Justinian in mind when
with the lives and times of fascinating, power- he planned his Mosque.

WINEDINEANDTRAVEL.COM 75