BBC presenter Simon Reeve has travelled to more than 130 countries during his career – and there’s one city that he loves more than anywhere else
BBC adventurer Simon Reeve has called a certain city situated at the crossroads of East and West his top pick in the world. He shared his deep affection for a place where he said history and culture are almost tangible.
Simon, with over 130 countries under his belt, recently concluded a Scandinavian adventure filming ‘Scandinavia with Simon Reeve’ – a stunning three-part series for the BBC.
And following this he has now disclosed his prized city. His choice hinges on a metropolis that spans the continents of Europe and Asia and houses an awe-inspiring edifice rated as “one of the most stunning buildings on the planet”.
He told The Express: “In terms of a city, I think Istanbul is not just spectacular, but you can’t go there and not smell the history and the culture there. You know, I love how it’s clearly divided. You’ve got your old bit.
“You’ve got your modern bit. You’ve got your Eastern area, as well – the other side of the Bosphorus, Asia, basically. It is the point where, for a thousand years and more, the East and the West have met.”
Talking about what he calls his “favourite little quirky thing”, Simon zeroes in on Hagia Sophia – the venerable former basilica, now a grand mosque, which is some 1,600 years old.
He detailed how this iconic site serves as an open attraction while retaining its status as an “incredible building”.
He remarked: “I’ll tell you my favourite little quirky thing actually, in many a way; there’s a building in Istanbul called Hagia Sophia, which was a church, then a mosque, is now sort of a museum, just open as an attraction.”
Simon continued: “But it’s an incredible building – one of the most stunning buildings on the planet, and up at the top, inside on the upper balcony, there’s a bit of graffiti carved into the balcony.”
He was alluding to ancient Viking runes etched into the Hagia Sophia during its time as a church. The National Museum of Denmark has identified the Viking visitors as Halvdan and Are.
Atlas Obscura reports that the inscription likely says “Halfdan carved these runes” or “Halfdan was here”, a discovery that Simon found particularly enchanting, calling it his “favourite little bit”.
For the presenter, uncovering the tale of the rune-carving Vikings was a “chill down the spine moment”, highlighting that people have been explorers since the dawn of humanity.
He observed that throughout history, humans have always had the urge to leave their imprint and connect with these “incredible sights”.
He concluded: “It’s just a reminder that our ancestors travelled, and they were quite similar to us, actually. They probably wanted a beer, a selfie, and to leave a little bit of a mark behind.”
All three episodes of Scandinavia with Simon Reeve are available for streaming on BBC iPlayer NOW.