Hagia Sophia

The Hagia Sophia is located in Istanbul. It is important to both the Byzantine and the Ottoman empires. For 900 years the Hagia Sophia had been the center of Orthodox Christianity until 1453when the city was taken over by the Ottomans. It then became a jewel for the Muslim world. The dome is what mostly makes Hagia Sophia world famous. Due to many repairs the dome has lost its circular shape. The church has a rectangle shape with 40 arched windows that bring the light in. In 1935 the Hagia Sophia was converted in a museum of Turkish Republic by the orders of  Ataturk and has become one of the most significant monuments on Earth.

What is Pamukkall?

While doing my project I ran across this top-tourist attraction in Turkey called Pamukkall. Pamukkall is an unusual natural and historical site. The name translate to cotton castle. The white castles are formed by limestone-laden thermal springs which creates the formation of stalactites, potholes, and cataracts. The waters in the terraces are sediments of the springs with calcium bicarbonate . This water is famous for its benefits to the eyes and skin; and its curing properties to asthma. Hierapolis is situated on the back of the white terraces. Pamukkall looks like  heaven to me and it is now on my bucket list(:

The Blue Mosque

When I thought of Turkey, I thought that it was a dry, boring place. But I've  learned that it definitely isn't. One of the most popular tourist attractions is the Suhanahmet Mosque which translate to the Blue Mosque. The blue mosque is located in Istanbul, Turkey. The blue mosque was built near the Hagia Sophia. The construction began in 1609 and lasted seven years. Sultan Ahmet 1st wanted this mosque built and he often helped with the construction. He died a year after the completion and is buried outside the mosque.

Volcanic Island

Santorini is a major tourist attraction in Greece. This island is porbably what you imagine Greece to look like. On this island are the white buildings with blue tops. This island is located in the middle of the Aegean Sea. The name Santorini means Saint Irene. Santorini is the site of one of the largest volcanic eruptions in the world and what remains today is a submerged volcano and a caldera. During the eruption theentire center of the circular island sank. One thing to do if you even visit this island is to visit the villiage of  Oia. It is the most famous of all the villages.It has a quite life and fantastic sunsets. And don't forget about all the beautiful beaches on this island too!

Greek Food!

When traveling to Greece there is not doubt that you will eat some wonderful food and fresh seafood. In Greece it is law for the restaurant to have the menu and prices posted on the outside of the building so that customers can browse the menu before stepping into the restaurant. There is usually a waiter standing outside trying to entice you to enter. Many times Greeks ignore the menu and order custom orders  and order much more than they can eat. With every meal, you always get a Greek salad and Fresh seafood is very popular. Most Greeks don't eat until 10:00pm and it can last until late into the evening! 


Greek salad usually consists of tomatoes, cucumbers, red onions, green pepper, feta cheese, and kalamata olives. It can usually be eaten as a main dish or side dish.

Athens, Greece!

Athens has always been on my places to go. The people are friendly and warm! Its the heart and soul of western civilization. In Athens you can find the Parthenon. A historical building that has influence many other buildings. There isn't much known about this building. It is known that the Parthenon was dedicated to Athena. The building itself is made out of limestone and the columns were made from Pentelic marble. The main purpose of this building was to shelter the monumental statue of Athena that was made out of gold and silver. This building was built in 447-432 BCE


 

Welcome to Turkey!

Turkey probably isn't the first place that people want to travel too, but they have a lot to offer. Most of Turkey lies in Asia but a small portion also lies in Europe. Turkey is as large as Texas and Louisiana combined. Turkey has almost the same weather patterns as Greece. Turkey combines the cultural patterns of both European and Middle Eastern influences. Turkey offers many different tourist attractions including the Turquoise Coast, Bodrum and Topkapi Palace!