"There God, man, nature and art have together created and placed the most marvelous view that the human eye can contemplate on earth." French poet Lamartine's words are a fitting tribute to this unique city, rising from the sparkling waters of the Bosphorus into a striking skyline of domes and minarets, bridging the continents of Europe and Asia and linking the Black Sea to the Mediterranean through the Sea of Marmara. Below you will discover some of the gems of this glorious city that endlessly enchant its visitors. On a spit of land at the confluence of the Bosphorus and the Golden Horn stands the regal Topkapi Palace, the maze of buildings at the center of the Ottoman Empire between the 15th and 19th centuries. In these opulent surroundings the sultans and their court lived and governed the second largest empire of all time. A magnificent wooded garden fills the outer, or first, courtyard. On the right of the second courtyard, shaded by cypress and plane trees, stand the palace kitchens, now galleries exhibiting the imperial collection of crystal, silver and Chinese porcelain. To the left the Harem, the secluded quarters of the wives, concubines and children of the sultan, entices visitors with the endless intrigues of centuries. Today the third courtyard houses the Hall of Audience, the Library of Ahmet III, an exhibition of imperial costumes worn by the sultans and their families and a priceless collection of miniatures from medieval manuscripts. Also displayed are a vast collection of massive jewels and valiant weaponry from the palace treasury. In the center of this innermost sanctuary, the Pavilion of the Holy Mantle enshrines the relics of the Prophet Mohammed brought to Istanbul when the Ottomans assumed the caliphate of Islam. In the 19th century Sultan Abdül Aziz built the Beylerbeyi Palace, a fantasy in white marble amid magnolia-filled gardens, on the Asian shores of the Bosphorus. Used as the Sultan's summer residence and hunting lodge, it was offered to the most distinguished foreign dignitaries during their visits. Empress Eugenie of France was among its residents. The cascading domes and four slender minarets of the Süleymaniye Mosque dominate the skyline on the Golden Horn's west bank. Considered the most beautiful of all imperial mosques in Istanbul, it was built between 1550 and 1557 by Sinan, the renowned architect of the Ottoman golden age. On the crest of a hill, the building is conspicuous for its great size, emphasized by the four minarets that rise from each corner of the courtyard. Inside, the mihrab (prayer niche) and the mimber (pulpit) are of finely carved white marble; shafts of light filter through the fine stained glass windows and fall on the stone floor below. It was in the gardens of this complex that Süleyman the Magnificent and his wife Roxelana had their mausolea built. and near here also that Sinan built his own tomb. The mosque complex also includes four medrese (theological schools), a school of medicine, a soup kitchen and hospice for the poor, a caravanserai and a Turkish bath. The immortal Basilica of St. Sophia, now called the Ayasofya Museum, is unquestionably one of the finest buildings of all time. Built as a testament of faith by Constance, the son of Constantine the Great, in the 4th century, the original building burned down sometime during the 5th century. A second structure built in its place by Theodosius II also burned in 532 and was finally reconstructed by Justinian between 532 and 537. Its immense dome soars 55 meters (180 feet) above the ground and its diameter spans 31 meters (102 feet). Panels of intricate Byzantine mosaics fill the space between the domes with images of early Christian saints. Near St. Sophia is the sixth century Byzantine cistern known as the Yerebatan Sarayi or Sunken Palace. 336 massive Corinthian columns support the immense chamber's fine brick vaulting and stand in a depth of water that stretches for miles underground. Facing St. Sophia stands the supremely elegant, six minareted imperial Sultan Ahmet Mosque. Built between 1609 and 1616 by the architect Mehmet, the building is more familiarly known as the Blue Mosque because its interior gleams with a magnificent panelling of blue and white Iznik tiles. Built in the mid-19th century by Sultan Abdül Mecit I, the facade of Dolmabahçe Palace stretches for 600 meters on the European shores of the Bosphorus. The vast reception salon, with 56 columns and a huge crystal chandelier weighing four and a half tons and lit by 750 lights- a gift of Queen Victoria- never fails to astonish visitors. At one time, birds from all over the world were kept in the Bird Pavilion for the delight of the palace's privileged residents. Atatürk, the founder of the Turkish Republic, died in Dolmabahçe on the tenth of November, 1938. The llth century church of St. Savior in Chora, called the Kariye Museum, remains in its 14th century form and is after St. Sophia the most important Byzantine monument in Istanbul. Though unremarkable in its architecture, the interior walls are decorated with moving 14th century frescoes and mosaics. Illustrating scenes from the life of Christ and the Virgin Mary, these brilliantly colored artworks convey the vigor of Byzantine art. Rumeli Hisari, or the European Fortress, was built by Mehmet the Conqueror in 1452 prior to his capture of Istanbul. Completed in only four months, it is one of the most stunning works of military architecture in the world. The museum-fortress is used today as an open air theater and is also a favorite weekend picnicking location. The Galata Tower, a Genoese construction of 1348, rises 62 meters (204 feet) high above the Golden Horn. Its summit reveals a marvelous panorama of the Golden Horn, the Bosphorus and the silhouette of the city. The Prince Islands, an archipelago of nine islands in the Sea of Marmara, were places of exile for Byzantine princes. Today, during the summer months, Istanbul's wealthy escape to their cool sea breezes, clear water and elegant turn of the century houses. Büyükada is the largest of the islands. Here horse-drawn phaetons (carriages) meander among the pine trees, and residents relax on beaches in the numerous coves that ring the island. Other popular islands are Kinali, Burgaz and Heybeli. Regular ferry boats connect the islands with both the European and Asian shores.