Türkiye is going through a difficult period due to the devastating earthquake that hit the southeast of the country. Revenues from the tourism sector will help rebuild the affected regions.
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00:00 (upbeat music)
00:02 Istanbul, a crossroads between Asia and Europe,
00:06 a colorful city offering a wealth of opportunities
00:09 for lovers of art, music, and culture.
00:12 Famous all over the world for its rich historical heritage,
00:16 the ancient and the modern live side by side here.
00:29 There's no better place to experience
00:31 Istanbul's rich heritage than Hagia Sophia,
00:34 an expression of religious faith
00:36 and one of the great architectural wonders of the world.
00:39 Let's have a look.
00:40 Built as a cathedral in the sixth century
00:44 and formerly called the Church of the Holy Wisdom,
00:47 this edifice is an excellent example of Byzantine art.
00:50 Later it was transformed into an Islamic mosque, a museum,
00:55 and today it is a mosque again.
00:57 Inside you can admire its massive dome, golden mosaics,
01:01 and the 140 monolithic marble columns
01:04 imported from Egypt, Ephesus,
01:06 and other places around the world.
01:09 This is an obligatory stop for the millions of tourists
01:12 that visit Istanbul every year.
01:14 - This Hagia Sophia is a landmark
01:26 and it's famous across the world.
01:28 And we are told that the architecture
01:30 is really one of a kind and it does not disappoint.
01:33 The intricate details, the embossing, the columns,
01:36 it's just magnificent.
01:37 - Just a few hundred meters away
01:41 is one of the city's most important historical complexes,
01:45 the Archaeological Museums.
01:47 Let's take a step back in time now
01:50 and feel centuries of history come to life.
01:54 Divided into three main galleries,
01:56 it is home to over 500,000 exhibits
01:59 that represent almost all of the era's cultures
02:02 and civilizations in world history.
02:05 We are here in the Archaeological Section
02:07 where there are lots of artifacts
02:09 from the Hellenistic period and ancient Rome.
02:11 And there's something here you just can't miss,
02:14 the Alexander Sarcophagus.
02:16 (speaking in foreign language)
02:20 Sarcophagi, sculptures, mummies, clay tablets,
02:39 all in one place.
02:40 And some of them are important turning points
02:43 in human history.
02:44 If you are a hopeless romantic,
02:46 don't miss the world's earliest known love poem
02:49 composed during Sumerian times
02:52 for use in part of the sacred fertility rites.
02:55 (speaking in foreign language)
02:59 (upbeat music)
03:02 Istanbul is also a cultural hub
03:16 bridging East and West as well as old and new.
03:20 And there's one place that more than others
03:22 brings cultural lovers together under one roof.
03:27 Yataturk Cultural Center,
03:29 a 1960s classic of cultural life,
03:32 was devastated by a fire in the 1970s.
03:35 But like a phoenix, it rose from the ashes in 2021.
03:39 (speaking in foreign language)
03:44 With its opera house, theater, art gallery,
03:55 multipurpose halls and facilities,
03:57 this place gives everyone the opportunity
04:00 to disengage from routine.
04:02 (speaking in foreign language)
04:24 And it's at night that this place shines most brightly
04:28 with its shows, plays and concerts.
04:30 (upbeat music)
04:33 And so here ends our journey
04:45 exploring the stunning culture of Istanbul.
04:47 See you in the next episode of Explore Turkey
04:50 for another adventure in this extraordinary country.
04:52 (speaking in foreign language)
04:54 (dramatic music)
04:57 (dramatic music)