✨ Istanbul — where empires meet. From Greek and Roman, to Byzantine and Ottoman, each left behind treasures of stone, faith, and art. At the city’s heart, the Bosphorus shimmers—a bridge between Europe and Asia, where for centuries silks, spices, gold, sugar, and stories flowed. To walk its streets is to feel history layered in every call to prayer, every marketplace, every dome. Few places on earth are as timeless, as alive, as Istanbul. 🌍⛵🕌 🌿✨ Stepping into the Hürrem Sultan Hamamı feels like entering a living piece of Ottoman history. Built in 1556 by the master architect Mimar Sinan, this stunning bathhouse was commissioned by Sultan Suleiman the Magnificent for his beloved wife, Hürrem Sultan (Roxelana). Perfectly placed between the Hagia Sophia and the Blue Mosque, its location mirrors the power and prestige of the empire at its height. For centuries, this hamam welcomed locals, travelers, and dignitaries, carrying on bathing rituals that stretch back more than 2,000 years—from Roman thermae to Byzantine baths, and finally to the opulent traditions of the Ottomans. Beyond cleansing the body, the hamam was a place of connection, celebration, and renewal, where rituals of steam, marble, and flowing water created an experience as spiritual as it was social. 💧🏛️🌙 ✨ Beneath the streets of Istanbul lies the Basilica Cistern, a 6th-century underground wonder built by Emperor Justinian I. Known as the “Sunken Palace,” it holds 336 marble columns—many salvaged from ancient Roman temples—rising dramatically from the water. Once supplying the Great Palace and Topkapi Palace, today it feels like stepping into a hidden world of myth and history. Don’t miss the mysterious Medusa heads tucked in the shadows, watching over the cistern for centuries. 🏛️💧🐍