Religious Places
As Istanbul was the capital of the Ottoman Empire for almost 500 years, among the dominant types of architectural monuments the Ottomans built all around the city are the mosques, mosque complexes, smaller and neighborhood mosques, each one of which is an architectural masterpiece. Construction of the first big "selatin" mosque complex in Istanbul, the Fatih Mosque, was begun in 1453. The mosques that were built by the sultans and their family members with more than one minaret were known as the "selatin" (royal) mosques. In order to meet the immediate needs of the population for more mosques, some of the Byzantine churches and monasteries were used as mosques, after the conquerence. While the big mosques and mosque complexes were placed at the central points of the city, smaller complexes known as Vizier Mosques were built for relatives of the dynasty and top state officials. | 
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The Churches
After Christianity was crystallized as a religion based on the life and holy mission of Jesus, the concept of "church" also appeared. The term derives from the Greek word eklesis which means gathering, meeting. After the Roman Empire was divided into East and West in the 4th century, it also helped to spread Christianity in a way. The concept of "church" reached Istanbul in that century. | The first churches known to have been built in Istanbul are Havariun Church, Hagia Sophia (St. Sophia) and Hagia Irini (St. Irene). During the Byzantine period, the emperor was also head of the church. After the break with the Roman Catholic Church in 1054, there emerged three different belief system within the Eastern church: |  |
The Nestorian church, which today has almost 170,000 members in Syria, Iraq and Iran; the Monophysite Church from which sprung the Coptic, Suriani and Armenian churches; and the Orthodox Church headed by the Patriarch in Constantinople. |  | The Patriarch never managed to gain total independence from the emperor who held sway over the entire spectrum of authority. Though there were no big changes in church design during the era of Emperor Justinian, Byzantine architecture did distinguish itself from its Greek and Roman heritage through its innovative roof support system. | Hagia Sophia, which is the most significant masterpiece of Byzantine art and Eastern Christian church architecture, was built during Justinian's reign, completed in 532. After the conquest of Istanbul in 1453, the big churches remained the way they were but smaller churches were transformed into mosques for common use. |
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