GEEO Budapest–Romania–Bulgaria–Istanbul Google Earth Presentation

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USA

Today, I’d like to share with you a great experience I had while traveling to Europe through a non-profit organization called GEEO. GEEO helps educators travel abroad so that they can learn more about different cultures to share with their students. I was joined on my trip by teachers from all around the United States.

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Europe

We traveled across the Atlantic Ocean from the North American continent to the continent of Europe. Do you see how Europe and Asia (to the east/right) share a long land border? Europe is only conventionally understood to be separate from Asia and one of seven continents on Earth because Europeans (specifically the ancient Greeks) created the concept of “continents.”

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Hungary

Our trip began in Hungary, which has played an important role in European history. During the Middle Ages, the Kingdom of Hungary was invaded by Mongols. The Mongols were nomadic people from Central Asian grasslands, led by Genghis Khan. The Mongol Empire became the largest contiguous empire in history, stretching from Eastern Europe to China. Their forces devastated much of Hungary, including Budapest, before being defeated by European forces.

Hungary later became part of the Habsburg Empire and clashed with the Ottoman Empire. The two fought for over 250 years, with Hungary as the main battleground. Despite devastating wars, Hungary recovered and regained independence.

Hungary fought with Germany in both World War I (as part of the Central Powers) and World War II (as part of the Axis), suffering significant damage, casualties, and territorial losses. After World War II, Hungary was dominated by the Soviet Union.

After the Soviet Union collapsed, Hungary became an independent democracy and joined the European Union.

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Budapest

We visited Budapest, the capital city of Hungary. What is today known as Budapest was once three separate cities: Obuda, Buda, and Pest. They merged into one city, Budapest, in 1873.

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Hungarian Parliament Building

The Hungarian Parliament meets in this building on the banks of the Danube River in the former “Pest” part of the city. It is the largest building in Hungary and the third-largest Parliament building in the world. Construction started in 1885 and was finished in 1904.

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Buda Castle

Buda Castle is located on the other side of the Danube River (in the “Buda” part of the city) on a hill called Várhegy (pronunciation), which means “Castle Hill” in Hungarian. It was built in the 14th century and was once home to the Hungarian royal family. The castle was severely damaged during World War II and rebuilt after the war. Today, the castle contains the Hungarian National Gallery, the Hungarian National Museum, and the National Library.

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Dohány Street Synagogue

The Dohány Street Synagogue is the largest in Europe and second-largest in the world. It was built in the 1850s, when Budapest had a large Jewish population.

During World War II, the area around the synagogue became the Budapest Jewish Ghetto, established by the Hungarian fascist government in late 1944 under Nazi pressure. Nearly 70,000 Jews were forcibly confined in this small section under appalling conditions—cramped, starved, and vulnerable to violence. Thousands died in just a few weeks from disease, cold, and executions. The synagogue was used as a shelter and, tragically, as a makeshift morgue.

After the war, over 2,000 victims were buried in the synagogue’s courtyard. A sculpture of a weeping willow tree stands at the synagogue, with each metal leaf bearing a victim’s name. It’s an important reminder that antisemitism and genocide are not abstract historical concepts—they happened in the heart of a major European capital, not so long ago.

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Széchenyi Thermal Bath

The Széchenyi Thermal Bath shows a lighter side of Budapest’s legacy: the city’s long history of public bathing culture. Budapest sits on more than 100 thermal springs, which have been used since Roman times. The complex we visited was built in 1913 and remains a popular spot for locals. Visitors can soak in hot, mineral-rich water while watching older Hungarians play chess in the steaming pools.

It is the largest “medicinal” bath center in Europe—the waters are rich in sulfates, calcium, magnesium, bicarbonate, and fluoride, which are believed to help patients with degenerative joint illnesses and other medical issues.

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Balla Géza Winery

After exploring Hungary’s capital, we traveled southeast across the border into Romania, arriving at the Balla Géza Winery near the town of Arad. This region is part of Transylvania, an area known for its folklore and wine. At the winery, we tasted locally produced wines and enjoyed a traditional Romanian dinner. This experience gave us a chance to learn how family-run businesses in Eastern Europe are helping revive local agricultural traditions and regional pride after decades of centralized control during the Communist era.

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Sighisoara

The next morning, we drove deeper into Transylvania, arriving in Sighișoara (pronunciation), one of the most beautifully preserved medieval towns in Europe. This fortified citadel, now a UNESCO World Heritage Site, felt like walking into a fairytale. We had the chance to climb the Clock Tower, explore the Church of the Dominican Monastery, and stroll along cobblestone streets flanked by brightly colored homes. Sighișoara is also known as the birthplace of Vlad the Impaler, the 15th-century prince whose fearsome reputation inspired the legend of Dracula. We even had dinner in Casa Dracula, a restaurant built into the house where Vlad was born.

We spent the next day exploring the countryside around Sighișoara, visiting rural villages and fortified churches with a local guide. These sites told the story of the Transylvanian Saxons, German settlers who were invited here by Hungarian kings in the 12th century. Despite centuries of change, many of these villages retain their medieval layout, and some still use traditional farming practices.

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Brașov

We ended the day in Brașov, a Transylvanian city surrounded by mountains.

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Bran Castle

Near Brașov, we visited the famous Bran Castle, sometimes referred to as Dracula’s Castle. Although its connection to Vlad the Impaler is tenuous, the fortress has become a major symbol of the Dracula legend. The castle itself was used historically as a defense against invaders and offers sweeping views of the valley below.

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The Black Church

We also explored Brașov’s old town and visited the Black Church—the largest Gothic church between Vienna and Istanbul—and walked through the Schei District, once home to Romanian residents who were excluded from living inside the Saxon citadel.

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Bucharest

Next, we traveled by train to Bucharest, the capital of Romania. On an orientation walk, we saw massive Communist-era buildings, Orthodox churches, and wide boulevards. Once known as the “Paris of the East,” Bucharest mixes architectural styles in ways that reflect the city’s tumultuous 20th-century history. It was here in 1989 that massive protests helped bring down Romania’s Communist regime, ending the dictatorship of Nicolae Ceaușescu. We learned how Romania’s revolution was one of the most violent of all the uprisings in Eastern Europe that year.

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Palace of the Parliament

This huge parliament building was built by the Communist government that ruled Romania from the mid 1960s until 1989. In order to make way for the parliament building in 1983, a large area of Bucharest’s historic district was demolished.

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Revolution Square

This is Revolution Square, previously known as Palace Square because the former royal palace is located here. In December 1989, a mass public meeting in the square led to a revolution that eventually resulted in the fall of the communist government in Romania.

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Veliko Tarnovo

Leaving Romania, we crossed into northern Bulgaria, arriving in the medieval town of Veliko Tarnovo. This was once the capital of the Second Bulgarian Empire and remains a stunning example of a medieval city. Many homes are built into the hillside, overlooking the winding Yantra River.

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Tsarevets Fortress

We explored the impressive Tsarevets Fortress, with its crumbling towers and reconstructed church. The fortress was one of the most important in the Bulgarian Empire during the 12th to 14th centuries. In the 1393, the fortress was conquered by Ottoman forces and burned down.

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Arbanasi

Just above Veliko Tarnovo, we hiked to the village of Arbanasi, once a residence for wealthy nobles and merchants. The view of the surrounding valleys was spectacular, but even more impressive were the village’s tiny historic churches, such as the Church of the Nativity, known for its intricate, brightly colored frescoes. The religious artworks told Biblical stories visually—a helpful tool in a time when few people could read.

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Sofia

Next, we traveled to Sofia, Bulgaria’s capital. On a walking tour, we passed through Vitosha Boulevard, Sofia’s lively pedestrian street, and had time to browse the Ladies’ Market, where locals buy fresh produce and spices.

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Alexander Nevsky Cathedral

We also visited the Alexander Nevsky Cathedral, built in the early 20th century to honor the Russian soldiers who helped end Ottoman rule. The cathedral’s glittering gold dome is one of the city’s most recognizable landmarks.

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St. George Rotunda

The Church of Saint George is an Early Christian red brick rotunda that is considered the oldest building in Sofia. It is situated amid the remains of the more ancient town of Serdica. Built by the Romans in the 4th century, it is believed that the church was built on the site of a pagan temple.

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Plovdiv

From Sofia, we headed south to Plovdiv, Bulgaria’s second-largest city and one of the oldest continuously inhabited places in Europe. We wandered through its hilly old town and had the option to visit the Ancient Theatre of Philippopolis, built during Roman times and still used today. The presence of Roman ruins in the middle of a modern city offered a powerful lesson in how civilizations overlap and build upon each other. Some of us also visited the Ethnographic Museum, which gave us insight into Bulgarian traditions, clothing, and crafts.

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Turkey

After one last morning in Plovdiv, we boarded a bus and began the long journey to Turkey. As we crossed the border, we left the European Union behind and entered a country that spans two continents—Europe and Asia. This geographic transition set the stage for the final chapter of our journey, where we explored a city that was once the capital of both the Byzantine and Ottoman Empires.

Compared to the United States, Turkey’s land area is just slightly larger than Texas, but Turkey has a population of almost 85 million people—almost three times as many as Texas.

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Istanbul

Our trip ended in Turkey’s largest city, Istanbul. Istanbul is on both sides of the Bosporus Strait; on the left (western) side is Europe, and on the right (eastern) side is Asia.

As I mentioned, Turkey has been at the center of two great civilizations, the Byzantine Empire and the Ottoman Empire, and both empires made Istanbul their capital. Does anyone know what other names Istanbul used to be called? (A: Constantinople, New Rome, Byzantium)

Because the Byzantines and the Ottomans made Istanbul the center of their empires, it has a rich history and a lot of very old (and very beautiful) art and architecture.

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Topkapi Palace

In 1453, Sultan Mehmet II led the Ottoman Empire in conquering Constantinople after a long battle. He renamed the city Istanbul and ordered a new palace constructed. Topkapi Palace became home to Ottoman Sultans for over 400 years.

Topkapi Palace is famous for its harem—home to the sultan and his mother, wives, daughters, sons, brothers, and high-ranking women who managed the sultan’s household. The harem is decorated floor to ceiling with traditional tiles and art. The palace also houses the Imperial Treasury, with several rooms displaying large gems, jewelry, and armor.

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Hagia Sophia

The Hagia Sophia is one of the oldest cathedrals in the world. The Hagia Sophia, or Aya Sofia, was built by the Byzantine Emperor Justinian sometime between 532 and 537 AD. This means that it is around 1475 years old. For about a thousand years after it was first built, it was the largest cathedral in the world. When Mehmed II conquered Istanbul, he converted the Hagia Sophia into a mosque. It was a museum for a while but is now being used as a mosque again.

The Hagia Sophia is famous for its massive dome and its beautiful mosaics.

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Blue Mosque

The Blue Mosque is one of the most well-known sites in Istanbul. Its actual name is the Sultan Ahmed Mosque, after the young Sultan who had the mosque built. Sultan Ahmed was only 14 years old when he became a monarch. He built the “Blue Mosque” because he wanted to build something that was even more spectacular than the Hagia Sophia.

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Hippodrome

These are the remains of Constantinople’s Hippodrome.

Hippodromes were like sports centers and were mostly used for horse racing. Hippodrome is an ancient word that originated from Greece with hippo meaning horse, and dromos path or way. Hippodromes are commonly found in cities that were built or occupied by the ancient Greeks and Romans. Today, the Hippodrome is more like a town square or park that contains interesting monuments from the ancient Hippodrome, such as two huge Egyptian Obelisks.

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The Grand Bazaar

The Grand Bazaar in Istanbul is one of the biggest and oldest covered markets in the world. Bazaar is an unusual word. It means “market,” and it comes from a Persian word that translates to “place of prices.” What do you think you can buy at the Grand Bazaar? Almost everything! Food, clothes, jewelry, furniture, leather goods, lanterns, carpets…

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Suleymaniye Mosque

The Suleymaniye Mosque is the second-largest mosque in Istanbul. The mosque was named after the Sultan who built it, Suleyman. In the garden behind the mosque are the tombs of Suleyman and his wife, Roxelana.