The Süleymaniye Mosque ( is an Ottoman imperial mosque located on the Third Hill of Istanbul,…read moreTürkiye. The mosque was commissioned by Suleiman the Magnificent (r. 1520-1566) and designed by the imperial architect Mimar Sinan. As part of our tour, our tour guide led us to the mosque, explained its significance, and let us explore the grounds. Women are required to cover up inside the building, as is custom. The mosque is one of the largest in the city and is a part of the designated UNESCO World Heritage Site "Historic Areas of Istanbul." The mosque is beautiful with its large dome and minarets. The building is one of the most recognizable buildings in Istanbul. It overlooks the Bosphorus River. Construction began in 1550 and completed in 1559. The mausoleum was added later between 1566-1568. Entrance was free.

This mosque is at Ottoman Empire build in 16th century. The mosque overlooking the Bosphorus River…read more It was great to stand at the mosque lower wall to look down to entire city. Great spot for picture. The mosque design just like Hagia Sophia Mosque with two half domes and one full center domes. This design makes the interior a lot bigger and great interior. The entrance is free.

This is for sure a local secret. School was founded in 1844 on the island of Halki (Heybeliada in…read moreTurkish), which is the second largest island in the Sea Marmara. It used to be a a Greek Catholic school for years until the Turkish parliament created a law banning private higher education institutions in 1971. A friend told me that they tried to reopen the school a few years ago, but only 3 students showed up for classes -- for obvious reasons. However, the premises of the school are still open to public and well taken care of by the monastery. Sometimes they hold conferences or events. I highly recommend a visit to this place as they have beautiful gardens, a large variety of animals and an incredible view over the bay. Going up the hill is not easy, but it's certainly worth the effort.

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The main campus of Turkiye's most elite university has a spectacular entrance which in of itself is…read moreworth the visit as you're in the area of Beyazit Square. The gate was originally the entrance for the Ministry of War built in the late 1800s, and as a retired college professor I like the historic transition to a place of learning and scholarship. Security is pretty tight, so you can't enter the campus most of the time without some prior arrangements. If you're an academic or a college student, email a specific department (if you're a sociologist, contact their sociology-anthropology department for example) and they might be able to get your access to visit.