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Certainly one of the most interesting and cosmopolitan cities in the world is Istanbul. This is a city of many names and many cultures, both east and west, indeed its residents like to boast that it is the only major city where East meets West, because it sits on two continents. Be that as it may, Istanbul=Byzantium=Constantinople is a city of major importance to the history of Christianity, even though it existed only as a small Roman town in the first century A.D. 
Istanbul today is a city of big churches (see Hagia Sophia above) and big mosques, though the churches are mostly museums these days and the Patriarch is not really allowed the freedom to train people for the ministry by having a Christian school or seminary in Istanbul. But it was not always thus. This is the city where John Chrysostom preached, and where Constantine helped the church become a legal and licit religion. This is the city where major church councils have been held, and indeed which was the capital city of all Christianity when Rome was sacked and Byzantine Christianity was on the rise. 
The signs are everywhere of the ancient Roman (see aqueducts above) and Christian presence. And if ancient history is not your thing, the food in this town is also stellar.
posted June 15, 2010 at 6:48 pm
I just moved back from Istanbul. It really is a wonderful place. The people and food are great! Also Cappadocia is a must-see for Turkish Christian history!
posted June 16, 2010 at 7:53 am
I just brought a group of 38 evangelicals from Damascus in Syria (a wonderful country and an absolutely essential part of the ‘Lands of the Bible’), through Turkey to Istanbul. One of the books I brought with me was your ‘Quest for Paul’ – the other was Phillip Jenkin’s ‘Lost History of Christianity’. If we are going through this land where Paul travelled, believers were first called Christians and where the greatest ‘Christian’ empire existed for over a thousand years – from Constantine the Great’s founding of Constantinople in 322 until its fall to the Ottoman Turks in 1453, we need to avoid the trap of travelling in a bubble and not asking ourselves – what happened? You’re right, there are an awful lot of lessons to be learnt in the history of this region.
posted June 17, 2010 at 4:11 am
Great informative article and nice photos, check this out for more about Istanbul; http://www.best-of-istanbul.com
posted July 11, 2010 at 10:52 am
Istanbul has been home to the 3 major religions throughout time.. One can only understand it by seeing with her/his own eyes..
The Hagia Sophia Cathedral, being the most significant of the Christianity symbols in Istanbul is a must-see. It is now serving as a museum, open to all kinds of beliefs.. Another important worship place for Christianity is Chora (Kariye) and it is full of mosaics and frescos that depict scenes from the Bible.
And you’re right about Turkish food!
Even if you don’t have any interest in religious history, Istanbul has a lot to see.. Cultural scene is very active and the Bosphorus Strait is something to be seen at least once in a lifetime!
For more about Istanbul: http://www.istanbulextralarge.com
posted January 3, 2011 at 5:58 am
Hagia Sofia is a very beautiful place. I appreciative internet and the people who post the images of hagia sofia.
I wish to visit it once
Thanks for sharing.