My Dream Travel Destination: Back to the Past!

Think about it, I have all the time in the World. That means I can control it to my whims and be able to travel to any time period I wish and see it for what it was! Mwhahahaha!


All shits and giggles aside, here's my actual entry:

My Dream Travel Destination: Istanbul-Constantinople

When considering all the places I could've think of, I decided to wish to travel to Istanbul-Constantinople (yes the city is officially recognized as Istanbul, but it sounds cooler having both names together). I could've chosen the island of Madagascar, Paris, London (not the City of London) and so on and so on. But I decided that this would be a nice city to think about to these more-or-less commonplace answers.

Why Istanbul-Constantinople then?

1. History: Take stock that Istanbul-Constantinople was the historical capital of Eastern Rome (Byzantium). This city dates back history to when Rome first conquered the region of Thracia and the city of Byzantium during its expansion period. To when Constantine re-founded Byzantium into Constantinople some years before the Roman Empire split into two (Eastern and Western Rome) for administrative reasons. To when Justinian ruled and saved Eastern Rome many times (although putting it into trouble many other times). Being the last city that the Ottoman Empire took from Eastern Rome and transformed it into a massive Islamic capital.
2. Architecture: The Hagia Sophia is a must go for any person exploring Istanbul-Constantinople for its historically Orthodox background and its current Islamic usage right now. Equal to that is the Theodosian Walls (Walls of Constantinople), which as of 1980s was getting rebuilt and after almost 4+ decades it should be one-to-one to the original walls, so definitely worth a visit now. Over all, the city is a mesh of Greeco-Roman and general Islamic influences that is worth taking a thousand pictures.
3. Culture: Like how I ended off point two, let me expand on that. The Greeco-Roman influences, though covered by general Islamic influences, is still persistent the surviving arts and architecture of the city. As well as the fact that Greeks still persist in the Thracian region and the city itself, so Greek culture persists in that region. Yet general Islamic influence, in particular Turkish culture, persists with how it is the administrative Capital of Turkey today and the fact that buildings like the Hagia Sophia still stand. So no surprise that Turkish culture persists and left a hefty mark on Istanbul-Constantinople as did the Greeco-Romans. Yet, it's also the fact that in general diversity reigns in this part of Turkey heavily and was called the "City of Wonders" back in the day.
   
   Some Pictures
   
   Hagia Sophia
   
   Theodosian Walls (Walls of Constantinople)
   
   "Golden Horn"/Hilaç
   
   Hippodrome of Constantinople (as it is marked currently)
   
   I just really want to experience Istanbul-Constantinople for myself, and bring friends along if I can afford it. Definitely a destination worth seeing in one's life time, if not for the architecture alone.