When Sultan Mehmet the Conqueror took over Istanbul in 1453, he first ordered the construction of a new palace for this new Ottoman capital, on a site in the district of Beyazit where Istanbul University stands today. Then he changed his mind and had a number of buildings constructed on the headland which was an olive grove to the southeast. It is these buildings that became the Topkapi Palace. The Topkapi Palace was the home to all the Ottoman sultans until the reign of Abdulmecid I (1839-1860), a period of nearly four centuries. The final form of the first palace covered an area 700m², and was enclosed with fortified walls 1400 meters in length. The walls had a number of gates, namely the Otluk gate, the Demir gate and the Imperial Gate and a number of minor angled gates between them. After the reign of Mehmet, the palace grew steadily to form a city like complex of buildings and annexes, including a shore palace known as the Topkapi shore palace, as it was situated near the cannon gate -Topkapi- of the ancient walls of Istanbul. When the shore palace was burned down in 1863, it lent its name to the great complex we now know as Topkapi Palace.

The Topkapi Palace continued to be the principal residence for four centuries until in 1853, Sultan Abdul Mecid I moved into the new palace of Dolmabahce on the Bosphorus. The old palace was used as house for the women of the departed sultans and their servants until the Harem was officially disbanded in 1909. In 1924, Topkapi Palace was converted to a museum on instructions of Mustafa Kemal Ataturk. The final step was the opening of the Harem to the public in 1960.

Because Topkapi is the first attraction to tick off on everyone's list get there when it opens, so get there early. The Topkapi Palace Museum is open between 9:00 am-5:00 pm everyday except for Tuesdays. Tickets can be purchased in the gateway to the Second Court. The tickets cost 12.000.000 TL. (equivalent to about 8 USD or 7 EUR) per person. The treasury section needs a separate admission fee and costs 10.000.000 TL. There is a discounted fee for the students. The Harem Section can be visited with a separate ticket in the ticket office near the Harem entrance. The tours to Harem are operated every half hour from 9:30 am to 4:00 pm. The tickets cost 15.000.000 TL(11 USD or 9 EUR).

Go straight to the Harem, which can only be seen by guided tour, as the tours fill up early. After the Harem tour you can stroll around the palace's grounds and the four courtyards at your leisure. Also, don't miss the Treasury in the 3rd courtyard which houses gold, and works of art.

Straight after the Topkapi Palace, head for the Aya Sofia and the Blue Mosque which are virtually next door.

A visit to Gettysburg will take you back in time, where you can almost hear the ghosts of the civil war soldiers and, louder still, the cannons still bursting in air.

The immense area must be covered by bus or private car. Get a map at the information centre and then follow the route around the site. When you arrive at a site that you want to take a closer look at there are plenty of parking areas or simply stop the car on the side of the road as they have wide shoulders. Each battlefield has a plaque explaining the regiments that fought there, and details such as the dates and the number of casualties. You will be moved by the number of huge monuments dedicated to the soldiers from each state and by the passionate wording and sheer numbers of dead from the various battles.

After viewing these monuments and (through a local guide) hearing or reading about what took place there, you can almost feel what it must have been like to be a young soldier thrown into battle, only to be slaughtered by the other side. It really brings home the horrors of war and the incredible courage of the men fighting them. The fact that now these places are lovely and peaceful fields that have been preserved in their memory is moving. Unfortunately though, not all the fields are being saved as the modern world is slowly crowding in on the area. Motor vehicle dealerships and commercial buildings are taking over some of the fields there, which is an absolute shame.

You can also spot wild life in some spots, like a group of deer that we came across. The deer are so used to the cars that they won't stop before crossing roads. So you have to drive slowly and carefully, especially when turning corners. In a particularly graphic field, there is still an old house that was bombed during one of the battles and still has a large hole in the front, which clearly shows the dangers of living in the area at the time. A guide explained that in a nearby field there was basically a total slaughter of the soldiers and the field was littered with bodies, and the stench could be smelled for weeks. There are also tales of ghosts being seen in the area at night as well as strange noises.

So for a truly moving experience and a lesson on one of the more unflattering periods in American history, visit Gettysburg, Pennsylvania.