Turkey’s capital city of Istanbul is the perfect example of an antithesis. This ancient destination manages to combine old with new, trends with tradition and even Europe with Asia. So on your holiday to Turkey why not take a visit to this enigmatic destination?

If there is just one building that you have to visit whilst on your holidays to Turkey then the Sultan Ahmed Mosque is it. The building is more commonly referred to as the blue mosque due to the blue tiles which decorate the walls of its interior. Sultan Ahmed Mosque can be visited daily for free, but it’s important that you remember whilst on your Turkey holidays that the building is still working. Therefore you should aim to organise your visiting hours around the five daily prayer times. The mosque has six minarets and is best entered through the hippodrome which allows you to best experience the sheer scale of the building.

Another religious building that you may want to visit whilst on your Turkey holidays is the Hagia Sophia, considered by many architects to be one of the most important buildings ever constructed. Indeed in the 6th century when it was first completed the dome-shaped roof was considered to be a remarkable feat in engineering. Like many of the mosques in Istanbul, Hagia Sophia originally started out as a church and was once considered to be one of the important Christian churches in the world. It was certainly the biggest up until the time St. Peter’s Basilica was built in Rome. Nowadays the mosque has been overshadowed by its larger blue neighbour and, whilst one room in the Hagia Sophia is still used for prayers, the building is most commonly known for its use as a museum. On your holidays in Turkey make sure that you don’t miss taking a look at the tessarae, these tiny mosaic tiles are now 1500 years old and are currently in the midst of being restored to their original brilliance.

Looking at all the tiny intricate details at some of Turkey’s most beautiful religious buildings is certainly enough to make your eyes water, so why not take a break and indulge in a bit of retail therapy? Istanbul High Street has clothes stores to rival anything in England from ‘Zeki’ a designer-swimwear boutique to ‘Mavi Jeans’, which are now big in the United States. However, to get your traditional souvenirs whilst on your holidays to Turkey there’s nothing quite like the Grand Bazaar. The Grand Bazaar is made up of more than 58 covered streets and over 1,200 shops. You can purchase almost everything in this market from quintessential Turkish rugs to the more unusual Aladdin lamps, which claim to come complete with genies.

One of the most visited places in Istanbul is the Topkapi Sarayi, this palace was home to Ottoman Emperors for over 400 years and is now best known for the harem which once stood on the grounds. Now derelict the site once claimed to have hundreds of female concubines. Once you’ve spent time exploring the harem you may want to take a stroll around the four courtyards which are located on the grounds. The imposing domes of the Hagia Sophia, located just next door, provide the perfect backdrop in which to end your holidays in Turkey.