IN THE 1980s, I used to make regular visits to see my friends who lived in the part of Yugoslavia, which is now the independent Republic of Bosnia. The influence of the Turkish occupation of the region for many years was very evident – from Turkish coffee to fine mosques.

Many years before I began travelling to Bosnia, Üsküplu Gazi Yahya Paşa (died 1506) was appointed Ottoman governor of Bosnia in 1480. He also held other important positions in the empire. He married a daughter of Sultan Beyazit II. He was philanthropic. One of the many things he did for Istanbul was to build a school which stands in Kadirga, a part of Fatih district of the city. This building with two domes still stands and was recently restored by the local municipality.

The former school now houses a shop that sells traditionally designed objects – everything from earrings to large woven carpets. The walls and domes of the interior of the building have been painted so as to recreate the place’s original decor.

This building is one of a huge number wonderful relics of the Ottoman Empire, which can be found whilst strolling around Istanbul. Fortunately, many of these old buildings have informative labels attached, with information both in English and Turkish.