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Blue
Mosque :
Istanbul's
Blue Mosque was built partly as an effort to show Christians that
Ottoman culture could produce something to rival the Hagia
Sophia. The architect, Sedefkâr Mehmet Aÿa, was looking to
rival the visual experience of Istanbul's famous church. And it is
in fact an architectural masterpiece. And it is built so that
visitors to the city can see both the mosque and the Hagia Sophia,
and can compare the two...
Sultan
Ahmet I ordered the construction of the Blue Mosque in 1609. It was
completed in 1616.
The
mosque is huge, with a capacity of about 10,000 people; among the
first experiences for a visitor to the mosque is coming to is the
courtyard. Ablution fountains around the courtyard allow Muslims to
prepare to enter the mosque by wash their face, arms, neck and feet
as well as mouth and nose. The courtyard is tiered and marble steps
take visitors from one level to the next.
Being
inside the mosque makes one feel small. The chandeliers and blue
Iznik tiles (from which the mosque takes its name) create a unique
sense of lighting inside. The dimensions of the mosque are (like
nearby Hagia Sophia) staggering. The dome rises to about 140 high
and is 77 feet in diameter. Four pillars hold up the roof; they
measure about 16 feet in diameter. There are some 260 windows.
Hippodrome
:
The
Hippodrome of Constantinople
(Turkish: Sultanahmet
Meydanı)
was a horse-racing track that was the sporting and social
centre of Constantinople, capital of the Byzantine Empire
and the largest city in Europe. Today it is a square named
Sultanahmet Meydanı (Sultan Ahmet Square) in the Turkish
city of Istanbul, with only a few fragments of the original
structure surviving. It is sometimes also called Atmeydanı (Horse
Square) in Turkish.
The
word hippodrome comes from the Greek hippos ('ιππος),
horse, and dromos (δρομος), path or
way. Horse racing and chariot racing were popular
pastimes in the ancient world and hippodromes were common features
of Greek cities in the Hellenistic, Roman and Byzantine
eras.
German
Fountaion :
The
German Fountain
(Turkish: Alman
Çeşmesi)
is a gazebo styled fountain in the northern end of old hippodrome
(Sultanahmet Square), Istanbul, Turkey and across from the Mausoleum
of Sultan Ahmed I. It was constructed to commemorate the second
anniversary of German Emperor Wilhelm II's visit to Istanbul in
1898. It was built in Germany, then transported piece by piece and
assembled in its current site in 1900. The neo-Byzantine style
fountain's octagonal dome has eight marble columns, and dome's
interior is covered with golden mosaics.
Topkapi
Palace :
Topkapı
Palace constructed by Fatih Sultan Mehmet, (the Conqueror) in 1478
has been the official residence of the Otoman Sultans and center of
State Administration around 380 years until the construction of
Dolmabahçe Palace by Sultan Abdülmecid. The palace having around
700.000 m.² area during the foundation years has currently 80.000
m.² area.
Topkapı Palace was evacuated by the accommodation of the Palace
inhabitants in Dolmabahçe, Yıldız and in other palaces. Upon
abandoning by the Sultans, Topkapı Palace where many officials
resided had also never lost its importance. The palace was repaired
from time to time. A special attention was taken for the annual
maintenance of Mukaddes Emanetler Dairesi (Sacred Safekeeping Rooms)
visited by the sultan and his family during Ramadan.
The opening of Topkapı Palace for visits as museum happened firstly
in the reign of Sultan Abdülmecid (1839-1861). The belongings
within Topkapı Palace Treasury was shown to the contemporary
English ambassador. Later on, it has become a tradition to show the
antics within the Topkapı Palace Treasury to the foreigners and
during the era of Sultan Abdulaziz (1861-1876), showrooms are made
in French style, and these antics are started to be shown to
foreigners in these showrooms within Treasury. During the period
when Sultan II Abdulhamid was dethroned (1876-1909), it was thought
to open the Treasury Room to public visits on Sundays and Tuesdays,
yet it never realized.
By the order of Ghazi Mustafa Kemal Atatürk, Topkapı Palace
firstly affiliated to the Istanbul Asar-ı Atika Museums Directorate
and opened to public visits on date of April 3, 1924, then it
started to service as Treasury Chamberlain, after it was renamed as
Treasury Directorate and finally it was renamed as Topkapı Palace
Museum Directorate and it still continues its services.
Upon the performance of small repairs and taking some administrative
cautions in 1924, Topkapı Palace was opened to service as a Museum
on October 9, 1924. The sections opened to visit at that time were
Kubbealtı, Arz Odası, Mecidiye Köşkü (Pavilion Mecidiye),
Hekimbaşı Odası (Room of Chief Doctor), Mustafa Paşa Köşkü (Pavilion
Mustafa Pasha) ve Bağdad Köşkü’dür (Pavilion Baghdad).
Hagia
Sophia:
Hagia
Sophia
(Greek: Ἁγία
Σοφία;
"Holy Wisdom", Turkish: Ayasofya)
is a former patriarchal basilica, later a mosque,
now a museum, in Istanbul, Turkey. Famous in
particular for its massive dome, it is considered the epitome
of Byzantine architecture. It was the largest cathedral in
the world for nearly a thousand years, until the completion of the
Medieval Seville Cathedral in 1520.
The
current building was originally constructed as a church between 532
and 537 AD on the orders of the Byzantine Emperor Justinian,
and was in fact the third Church of the Holy Wisdom to occupy the
site (the previous two had both been destroyed by riots). It was
designed by two architects, Isidore of Miletus and Anthemius
of Tralles. The Church contained a large collection of holy
relics and featured, among other things, a 50 ft (15 m) silver iconostasis.
It was the patriarchal church of the Patriarch of
Constantinople and the religious focus point of the Eastern
Orthodox Church for nearly 1000 years.
In
1453, Constantinople was conquered by the Ottoman Turks
and Sultan Mehmed II ordered the building to be
converted into a mosque. The bells, altar, iconostasis, and
sacrificial vessels were removed, and many of the mosaics
were eventually plastered over. The Islamic features - such
as the mihrab, the minbar, and the four minarets
outside - were added over the course of its history under the
Ottomans. It remained as a mosque until 1935, when it was converted
into a museum by the secular Republic of Turkey.
Grand
Bazaar :
The
Grand Bazaar (Kapalicarsi in Turkish) is one of the the largest
covered markets in the world with its 4400 shops, 3000 firms, some
17 hans (separate inns for specific type of products), 64 streets,25.000
employees, 4 fountains, 2 mosques and 22 gates. It's a real heaven
for shoppers and a good opportunity for people to discover the
Turkish hospitality. It looks like a labyrinth at first sight
but it's actually not that complicated. All you have to do is to
keep your eyes on the main street (Kalpakcilarbasi Street, the
jewelry street). The Bazaar was first constructed in 1464 with the
order of Mehmed II 'the Conqueror' and had many restorations over
the years due to the extensive fires and destructive earthquakes.
There are tens of cafés, a police station, little mosques, tourists
information points in the bazaar.
There
are thousands of things you can find and purchase in the Grand
Bazaar. The gate that one usually enters into the bazaar is called
"Nuruosmaniye Gate" that means "the light of the
Ottomans". That takes you directly to a shining street full of jewelry
stores. Jewelry is one of the things could be purchased. Gold
prices are not low but due to the lower workmanship costs, you may
find a huge variety of gold, precious stones and semi precious
stones like sapphire, ruby or emeralds at reasonable prices.
Bargaining is always possible. Before you purchase, it's recommended
to ask more than 3-4 shops so that you can get the best price. The
main street goes all the way up till the other exit and it's all
full of jewelry stores....
Another
item which is important to our culture is carpets.
When you're walking on the streets in the Bazaar, some people might
approach you and invite you to see their collections of carpets.
Other
than those of higher value items, there are good leather shops in
the Bazaar. Leather could be found in a han on the left hand side of
the main street called "Leather Goods Section". There are
also good ceramic items, wall plates and good tile plates. You may
also find silverware, copperware, fake brand t-shirts like Tommy
Hilfiger as well as good Istanbul or Turkey t-shirts all around the
bazaar. There are also belly-dancers costumes and traditional
folkloric costumes. As you walk into deeper sides of the bazaar, you
may explore heavens of religious icons, antique or used watches or
old pages of calligraphies. One cheaper thing is the amber stone.
You may find beautiful amber-stone work in the bazaar
Spice
Bazaar :
The
Spice Bazaar, (Turkish: 'Mısır
Çarşısı',
Egyptian Bazaar) in Istanbul, Turkey is one of
the oldest bazaars in the city. Located in Eminönü, it is
the second largest covered shopping complex after the Grand
Bazaar. There are different accounts regarding the origin of the
name of the bazaar. Various spices from the Orient
were offered here in the past, Egyptian Bazaar was so named because
the spices used to be imported from Egypt. On the other hand,
in the Byzantine period, the site of the Spice Bazaar was the centre
of corn trade. And the word mısır has a double meaning in Turkish:
"Egypt" and "corn".
The
Spice Bazaar was designed by the chief court architect Koca Kasım
Ağa, but completed by architect Mustafa in 1660.
Beylerbeyi
Palace:
The
Beylerbeyi palace was built between 1861-1865 by Sultan Abdulaziz
and is located in the Asian side of Istanbul on the eastern shore of
the Bosphorus. It was the Sultans' summer house. The palace was
built in a luxurious and
neoclassic style. Sultan Abdulaziz loved ships. His passion for
ships can be observed by the naval motif in the decorations and by
many paintings of ships. Around the palace there was an area of
160,000 m2 including a hunting area, a zoo and a garden with
different flora from all over the world.
Camlica
Hill :
Camlica
Hills, highest hills on Asian side of Istanbul, has been always
great site for picnics for the people of Istanbul and place of
meeting for the young lovers. During the Byzantine Empire, important
military signals were sent to the rest of the Empire.
Camlica
Hill is world famous location for the bird watching. It is an
important meeting point for the migrating birds. There are
delightful cafe houses and restaurant on the Camlica Hill.
New
Mosque :
The
New Mosque (Yeni Cami), in Istanbul's
Eminönü
district on the Golden
Horn at the southern end of Galata
Bridge, is officially the Mosque of the Valide
Sultan (Queen Mother) because it was commissioned by
Safiye, mother of Sultan Mehmet III in 1597.
The walls and the bases of the massive columns are decorated with
blue ceramic tiles.
Rustempasa
Mosque :
This
is the mosque with a central dome and a single minaret that arises
amidst the rows of shops and storehouses near the Spice Bazaar. It
creates a beautiful sight in the busiest commercial center in the
city, together with the Suleymaniye Mosque on the slope behind. The
architect Sinan built the mosque in 1561 for the Grand Vizier Rustem
Pasa. Spiraling staircases go up to the structure that is set above
a row of shops. The interesting courtyard is actually a small
terrace covered by five small domes.
The central dome rises atop four wall pillars and four columns, two
on each side. Over the corners of the square space are four
semidomes supporting the main dome. There are galleries behind the
columns on the sides. The facade and the small, but attractive
interior are decorated with the finest examples of Iznik tiles. The
geometrical and leaf and flower motifs on the tiles give the
interior a colorful flower garden appearance. The embossed coral-red
color was used only for a short time in the 16th century.
Fener
–Balat :
One
of the Istanbul's oldest districts, Balat was mostly populated by
Spanish Jewishs in the 15th-18th centuries. Except them, Greeks,
Armenians and Turks resided there, so the 4 cultural groups created
an authentic and diversified area.
Pier
Loti :
Nostalgia
at French writer Pierre Loti's (1850-1923) favorite cafe in Eyup...
Cafe Pierre Loti is named after the famous 'turc lover' frenchman
whose real name is Julien Viaud. During his stay in Turkey, the
writer loved
wearing a 'fes' ( Turkish hat ) and walking around with prayer beads
just like a Turkish man would back then.He came frequently to this
cafe which has a gorgeous view over the Golden Horn, to remember his
memories and to write some books.We don't know the exact process but
since then, this area is called Pierre Loti.
Golden
Horn :
The
Golden Horn (Turkish: Haliç, Greek: Χρυσόν
Κέρας – Chrysón Kéras) is an inlet
of the Bosphorus dividing the city of Istanbul and forming a natural
harbor.
Suleymaniye
Mosque :
The
Suleymaniye is the second largest but by far the finest and most
magnificiant of the imperial mosque complexes in the city.It is a
fitting monument to its founder, Suleyman the magnificent, and a
master work of greatest of Ottoman architects, thi incomparable
Sinan.The mosque itself, the largest of Sinan's work, is perhaps
inferior in perfection of design to that master's Selimiye at
Edirne, but its incotestably the most important Ottoman building in
Istanbul.
The
construction of Suleymaniye began in 1550 and the mosque itself was
completed in 1557, but it was some years later before all the
buildings of the complex were finished.Where the lend slopes sharply
down toward the Golden Horn, the courtyard is supported by an
elaborate vaultedsubstructure; from the terrace here on has a suberb
view of the city.Around this courtyard on three sides are arranged
the other builings of the complex with as much symmetry as the
nature of the site would permit.Nearly all of these pious
foundatuons have been well restored and some of them are once again
serving the people of Istanbul as they did in the days of Suleyman.
The
mosque is preceded by a porticoed courtyard of exceptional grandeour,
with columns of the richest porphyry, marble and grenite.The western
portal of the court is flanked by a great pyloon containing two
stories of chambers; these were the muvakithane, the house and
workshop of the mosque astronomer.At the four croners of the
courtyard rise the four great minarets.These four minarets are
traditionally said to present the fact that Suleyman was the fourth
sultan to reign in Istanbul; while the ten serefs or balconies
denote that he was the tenth sultan of the Ottoman.
Chora
church :
The
Chora Church (Turkish Kariye Müzesi, Kariye Camii, or Kariye
Kilisesi — the Chora Museum, Mosque or Church) is considered to be
one of the most beautiful examples of a Byzantine church.[1]
The church is situated in the western, Edirnekapı district of
Istanbul. In the 16th century, the church was converted into a
mosque by the Ottoman rulers, and it became a secularised museum in
1948. The interior of the building is covered with fine mosaics and
frescoes.
Istiklal
Street-Beyoglu :
Beyoglu
and the Istiklal Street are two popular places among people from
every age category, from teenagers to elderly people. The Istiklal
Street is the meeting place for the lovers and friends. The district
starts with the statute of Ataturk in Taksim Square. The prominent
landmark of Taksim Square is the Marmara Hotel, a tall building
which is another meeting place for the people. The Istiklal Street
is a pedestrian street which is approximately 3-4 km. long. The
cobber stone street reminds one of the old days...There are cozy
cafés, restaurants, shops, bookstores, movie theaters, music stores
on this street. Most of the movie theaters are located here. There
are small back streets where you can discover little but friendly
cafés. When one comes to the halfway of the street, the area
changes its name to "Galatasaray" which is also the name
of the Junior High School which gives training in French and the
major soccer team of Turkey
When
one continues to walk along the Grande
Rue de Pera, reaches the beautiful gothic Catholic Church of
St. Anthony. It was constructed in 1907. This church resembles Notre
Dame de Paris very much but much smaller. It is still active and
also concerts and special events take place here.
Historically,
Pera is the name of the district where foreign people used to reside.
The former name of this street was Grande Rue de Pera. There are
many consular buildings in Pera, including Russian, Swedish, French,
American and British Consulate General. Most of the buildings in
Istiklal Street are from mid-19th C to late 19th C and carry a
French influence. French Baroque and neo-classical style were two
leading styles in these buildings. Foreign people who worked in
Istanbul usually lived in this area and shaped the neighborhood in a
very European way. There are old Russian and French Restaurants
hidden in the small streets of Pera which gives the taste of the old
days.
Today,
this lovely street hosts couples who come to relax after a long
working day, tourists, young students and anyone who wants to take a
peaceful walk and watch around. With its nice cafes, restaurants and
cozy bars, it's an indispensable spot for Istanbul people...
Galata
Tower :
The
galata tower was built in1384it was the highpoint in the city walls
of the Genoese colony called Galata
During the first centuries of Ottoman era the Galata tower was
occupied by a detachment of Janissaries, the elite corps of the
Turkish Army. In the sisteenth century the tower was used to house
prisoners of war, who were usualy consigned as galley slaves in the
ottoman arsenal at Kasimpasa on the golden horn.
During the reign of Selim 2nd (1566-1574) the Galata Tower was used
as an observation point by the renowed Turkish astronomer Takiuddin,
who had his main observatory in Pera. In the following century,
during the reign of Mustafa 2nd (1695 - 1703) the seyhulislam
Feyzulah efendi tried to set up an astronomical observatory in the
tower with with the aid of a Jesuit priest, but the effort was cut
short when he was killed in 1703.
The Galata Tower was reconstructed on a number of occasions in the
Ottoman period, most notably, after a great fire that destroyed much
of Galata in 1794 (during the reign of Selim III) and by Mahmut II
in 1832. the tower's conical cap was blown off during a storm in
1875, and it was not replaced in the subsequent restoration. The
tower was used as a fire- control station until 1964, when it was
closed for restoratiom before being opened in 1967 as a tourist
attraction. The conical cap was replaced in this restoration, giving
the tower much the same appearance as it had in Genoese times,
though retaining the changes in fenestration and other structual
aspects done in the Ottoman period.
Princess
Islands :
The
Princes' Islands are composed of nine islands off the Asian coast of
Istanbul, in the Sea of Marmara. There are regular passenger ferries
and fast passenger ferries (sea bus) to the four of the islands from
different piers of the city; from Sirkeci, from Kabatas, and from
Bostanci districts. Motor vehicles are not permitted on the islands
except the ones belonging to local municipality for public works, so
people walk or rent a bicycle or horse-drawn carriage, even a donkey.
These are nice little islands where local people have their summer
homes or go there for small beaches and for picnicking, or just to
wonder around at the weekends.
These
four islands are known as Adalar (Islands) in general in Turkish and
their names are Buyukada, Heybeliada, Burgazada, and Kinaliada.
Yerebatan
Cistern :
One
of the magnificent historical constructions of Istanbul is the
Basilica Cistern, located near south-west of Ayasofya (Hagia
Sophia). This huge cistern, which was founded by Justinianus I, a
Byzantine Empire (527-565), began to be called by the public ‘the
Sinking Palace’ – and not without a reason, seeing the great
number of marble columns arising out of the water. In place of the
cistern was formerly found a great Basilica, which had probably been
built in IIIrd or IVth century during the Early Roman Age to be used
in commercial and legal affairs and scientific and artistic
activities. The basilica was reconstructed by Ilius after it had
burned down in a conflagration that broke out in 476. Then it
suffered another conflagration. It had a marble statue during the
calamitous Nika rebellion in 532 which terrorized the city.
The
water of Basilica Cistern came from Eğrikapı Water Distribution
Centre in Belgrade Forest, 19 kilometers from the city, through the
971-meter-long Valens (Bozdoğan) Aqueduct, which was built by the
Emperor (368) and the 115.45-meter-long Mağlova Aqueduct, which was
built by the Emperor Justinianus.
This cistern that was laid on an area of total 9.800 m2 has the
capacity to store 100.000 tons of water. the Medusa heads were used
only because they were needed as the pedestals of columns in the
construction of the Cistern.
Binbirdirek
( 1001 Stones ) Cistern
:
Binbirdirek
Cistern which is the second largest of the covered Byzantine
cisterns in Istanbul was built during the time of Justinian the
Great in the 6th century. This amazing cistern with 224 columns had
the capacity of holding 50.000 cu. meters water.
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