A 2 thousand year old building and still functional

 

A building in Istanbul is so old that it has captured all the empires that have mastered this city. It's not just a simple — construction it's a veritable time capsule where history has laid layer upon layer over centuries.

From Rome at present, in one wall

At the base of the building you can see elements typical of the Roman Empire: thick stone walls and massive columns, reminiscent of the era when the city was called Byzantion and was part of the vast empire of Rome.

Byzantine marks over the Roman ruins

Immediately above it rises structures with elegant arches and specific details of Byzantine architecture. These elements were added in the period when the city became Constantinople, the capital of the Byzantine Empire and one of the most important centers of the medieval Christian world.

New shape during Otoman Empire

On the next level, masonry and style become more functional, reflecting the Ottoman period, when the city was conquered by the Turks in 1453 and transformed into Istanbul. In this layer one feels the adaptation to the new requirements of an Islamic and commercial society.

modern day on ancient ruins

Surprisingly, the building is not abandoned. Above all these historical layers, there are still modern dwellings in which people live today, without realizing, perhaps, that under their feet lies over 2,000 years of history.

A living lesson of civilization

Istanbul is one of the few places in the world where the past is not only preserved in — museums but is literally embedded in everyday life.

source: Atlas Geografic. Link: https://www.facebook.com/atlasgeografic