ISTANBUL - Dutch Crown Prince Alexander and his wife Princess Maxima visited on Friday historical and touristic places in Istanbul.
Prince Alexander and Princes Maxima of the Netherlands visited Sultanahmet (Blue) Mosque, Yerebatan Cistern and Hagia Sophia Museum.
Crown Prince Alexander of the Netherlands visited Turkish President Ahmet Necdet Sezer and met with Turkish Prime Minister Recep Tayyip Erdogan on Wednesday.
Dutch prince and princess later on Wednesday visited Cappadocia Region which shows a spectacular and surprisingly different landscape with its wind and water eroded volcanic tuff based soil. There are thousands of natural, pyramid shaped rock formations and cave-like settlement places carved by humans since the early ages throughout the region.
After visiting central Kayseri province on Thursday, Prince Alexander and Princess Maxima proceeded to Istanbul.
Istanbul is the only city in the world built on two continents which Fatih Sultan Mehmet the Conqueror changed in his era. It stands on the shores of the uniquely beautiful Istanbul Strait where the waters of the Black Sea combine with those of The sea of Marmara and the Golden Horn. Istanbul is a province designed to be the capital and it has been the capital of three empires which used to dominate the world. Today the province houses the precious remains of these civilizations and stands with all its glamour and mysticism as a harmonious link between East and West, past and present, antique and modern.
It is one of the richest cities in historical background, as well as one of the most beautiful, enchanting and alive cities of the world. The old palaces, the great mosques with soaring minarets, ancient churches, museums, bazaars, the Istanbul Strait and others are wonderful sites worth seeing.
Sultan Ahmet Mosque (Blue Mosque) was built in the 17th century; facing Hagia Sofia. Also known as the Blue Mosque because of its magnificent interior decoration of blue Iznik tiles.
Hagia Sofia Museum is an ancient basilica, built by Constantine the Great and reconstructed by Justinian in the 6th century, it is one of the architectural marvels of all time. Its immense dome is 55 meters from the ground and is 31 meters in diameter. The beautiful decorations include fine Byzantine mosaics.
Yerebatan Cistern is close to Hagia Sofia. It is 6th century Byzantine cistern known as the Underground Palace or ''Yerebatan Sarayi''. Its fine brick vaulting is supported by 336 Corinthian columns.
(BRC-AÖ) 28.05.2004