Built in 1559 by Sinan on the order of one of the eunuchs to the harem, this medrese hardly ever makes the guidebooks. It's actually one of those rare "living historical places," offering art and music exhibitions, as well as workshops and courses on a variety of traditional Ottoman art forms. Rooms are also designed to be exhibition spaces for the works created by the students within. The courtyard oasis is a perfect place for a break from pounding the hard pavement of Sultanahmet.

Copyright: Excerpted from Frommer's Istanbul, 1st Edition, (c) 2008, Wiley Publishing, Inc.

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