One of the things I loved most about my trip to Turkey was the fact that I was able to connect two things I love – video games and history. I am a huge Assassin’s Creed fan, especially the Ezio series. Assassin’s Creed Revelations takes place in Constantinople, which later became present-day Istanbul, and I had learned so much about the region from the game. Having played it recently before I left for the trip, I was genuinely surprised by how accurate locations were, and even more so that they still existed in present-day Istanbul. I immediately recognized the Hagia Sophia before we got there and then knew where other nearby sites were. The tour guide was surprised and asked how I knew so much about the area and was even more surprised to hear about the game.

The Hagia Sophia is one of the places you visit in the game, and the level of detail and accuracy is astounding. It still does not compare to seeing it live.