HJ ZULHEIMY - SEPANJANG JALAN KENANGAN: TURKIYE - BOLU

HJ ZULHEIMY MAAMOR

1 MAY 2024

After breakfast the group continues the journey from Bolu to Istanbul, a distance of 292 km, which takes more than 4 hours.

ISTANBUL, TURKEY

Istanbul, previously known as Constantinople or Byzantium, is the largest city in Turkey. Istanbul spans both sides of the Bosphorus Strait, including the port of the Golden Horn.

Historically, Istanbul has been the capital of three different empires, namely:

1. Roman Empire (330–395)

2. Eastern Roman Empire (395–1453)

3. Ottoman Turkish Empire (1453–1923)

After the fall of Constantinople to the Ottoman Turkish Army under Sultan Muhammad Al Fateh in 1453 AD, the city of Constantinople was renamed Islambol until Mustaffa Kamal Atartukr changed its name to Istanbul.

One part of Istanbul lies in Europe and the other part lies in Asia. Istanbul, the largest city in Turkiye and the 5th largest city in the world by population, is considered European, yet it occupies two different continents. One part of Istanbul lies in Europe and the other part lies in Asia.

BOSPHORUS STRAIT, TURKIYE

Bosphorus Strait is a natural strait and an internationally significant waterway located in Istanbul, Turkiye. The Bosphorus connects the Black Sea to the Sea of Marmara and form one of the continental boundaries between Asia and Europe.

It was in the Bosphorus Strait when Sultan Muhammad Al Fateh conquered Constantinople (Now Istanbul), the Ottoman Turkish army made history by pulling 72 warships up the hill to pass the Iron Chain installed across the Golden Horn.

This is what was described by our lord Prophet Muhammad s.a.w 800 years before the conquest of Constantinople that Constantinople will be conquered by Islam where the King is as good as the King and the Army is as good as the army... he is Sultan Muhammad Al Fateh that he meant with the Ottoman Turkish Army that used to be very feared by the Crusaders.

Hagia Sophia

Located in Fatih/Istanbul, Turkey, it was originally built in 347 by Emperor Constantine. It was also originally a great church of the Byzantine Empire.

After Sultan Muhammad Al-Fateh (Conqueror of Constantinople) in 1453, he converted this church into a mosque. The building was not destroyed, but he covered all the paintings and statues with cement plaster.

After the fall of the Ottoman Turkish Empire in 1924, Mustapha Kemal Ataturk turned Turkey into a republic. The Hagia Sophia mosque has been closed and turned into a museum.

GRAND BAZAAR

The Grand Bazaar in Turkey is the largest and oldest shaded market in the world. Opened in 1461, famous for various items such as pottery, spices, carpets and so on.