Hagia Sophia
Find Your Ideal Itinerary
Hagia Sophia
Istanbul , Turkey
The highlight of many Eastern Mediterranean cruises is a stop in Istanbul , one of the world ’ s most historic cities . It ’ s difficult to turn the corner here without running into yet another gem of antiquity — from the Blue Mosque and Galata Tower to the Topkapi Palace and the Grand Bazaar — yet the Hagia Sophia reigns supreme over them all .
If walls could talk , oh what a story this 1,500-year-old monument could tell . The architecturally resplendent building was originally constructed as the cathedral for the capital of the Eastern Roman Empire in the 6th century before becoming a mosque in 1453 with the Ottoman conquest of Constantinople , and then later turned into a museum . However , the site was transformed back into a mosque in 2020 , though it still allows visitors to access the mosque ’ s gallery floor , where you can see the ornate beauty of the dome-topped sanctuary , Ottoman-era annexes and Byzantine-era mosaics .
Find Your Ideal Itinerary
The list above contains merely a drop in the bucket of historical places one could visit during a Mediterranean cruise . Other important sites that didn ’ t make the cut include Ephesus , Elba Island , Crete and Kotor , just to name a few . Talk to our agency to find the cruise itinerary that visits the most historic sites on your bucket list . With a multitude of cruise lines to choose from , along with years of experience under their belts , we can craft a cruise vacation history lovers will love .
Hagia Sophia , Turkey
LUXURY TRAVEL 2024 37