BBC presenter Simon Reeve has named a unique city as his favourite in the world – and it might surprise you
Simon Reeve has visited 130 countries around the world(Image: BBC)
BBC explorer Simon Reeve has named a city perched at the crossroads of East and West as his ultimate favourite destination on earth. He revealed his profound love for a place where he described history and culture as almost something you can reach out and touch.
Simon has visited more than 130 countries during a years-long career as a broadcaster. His favourite location centres on a bustling metropolis that straddles both Europe and Asia and is home to a jaw-dropping structure regarded 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.”
When discussing what he describes as his “favourite little quirky thing”, Simon turns his attention to Hagia Sophia – the remarkable former basilica, now a grand mosque, which stands at around 1,600 years old.
He went on to explain how this world-famous landmark remains open to visitors while maintaining its status as an “incredible building”. He said: “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 went on: “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 referring to ancient Viking runes carved into the Hagia Sophia during its time as a church. The National Museum of Denmark has confirmed the Viking visitors as Halvdan and Are.
Atlas Obscura reports that the inscription likely reads “Halfdan carved these runes” or “Halfdan was here”, a find that Simon described as particularly captivating, dubbing it his “favourite little bit”.
For the presenter, discovering the story of the rune-carving Vikings was a “chill down the spine moment”, emphasising that people have been explorers since the beginning of time.
He noted that throughout history, humans have always felt compelled to leave their mark and engage with these “incredible sights”.
He added: “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.”
