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This beautifully preserved 4th-century aqueduct, which remained in use until the 19th century, was a key part of the system that carried fresh water into the Byzantine capital from the Belgrade Forest (see Aqueduct of Valens (Bozdoğan Kemeri) ).
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At the bottom of the hill behind Sultanahmet, built into the old sea wall, is the last standing fragment of the Imperial Bucoleon Palace .
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The main reason to visit this 11th-century Byzantine church is its glorious collection of mosaics and frescoes, which depict biblical scenes (see Church of St Saviour in Chora ).
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This large 12th-century Byzantine church served as the worldwide headquarters of the Greek Orthodox faith during the 15th and 16th centuries. It was converted to a mosque by Murat III in 1591. The former side chapel is now a museum housing some magnificent mosaics (see Church of Pammakaristos (Fethiye Camii) ).
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To ensure good water supply in times both of peace and of siege, the Byzantines built a series of vast underground water cisterns beneath their city. The finest are the Basilica Cistern (Yerebatan Sarayı) and the Cistern of 1,001 Columns (Binbirdirek Sarnıcı) .
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One of the oldest churches in the city, Haghia Eirene now stands in the outer courtyard of the Topkapı Palace. It was the city’s main church until Haghia Sophia was built. It is rarely open to visitors these days, except as a concert venue (see Haghia Eirene (Aya İrini Kilisesi) ).
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Built by Emperor Justinian in the 6th century, Haghia Sophia is one of the world’s greatest architectural achievements. Justinian was so proud of his basilica that he proclaimed: “Glory to God who has thought me worthy to finish this work. Solomon, I have outdone you” (see Haghia Sophia ).
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Once a Byzantine race track 450 m (1500 ft) long, the Hippodrome could hold 100,000 people. It was the scene of celebrations and, on occasion, bloodshed; the Nika Riots in 532 ended with 30,000 dead (see Hippodrome (At Meydanı) ).
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Only fragments remain of the Great Palace of the Byzantine Emperors. This small museum houses one of them – the mosaic passageway, discovered in the 1930s, that led from the palace to the royal box in the Hippodrome. The beautifully crafted floor depicts wild animals and hunting scenes (see Mosaics Museum (Mozaik Müzesi) ).
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Over the course of 1,000 years, the curtain walls built by Emperor Theodosius II in 412–22 proved to be a necessity – they withstood more than 20 attacks by Huns, Arabs, Bulgarians, Turks and Russians, finally succumbing to the Ottomans in 1453 (see 1453: Birth of Istanbul ). The walls have now been partially restored (see Theodosian Walls (Teodos II Surları) ).
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