Discover İstanbul's buzzing cultural centre and historical heritage

euronews (in English)

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.

Transcript

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)

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