Finding historic water supply of Istanbul
The ancient villages that peep out from the antique walls in and around the old Istanbul seem to be quite self-contained. These small farm villages are really picturesque which can be still be found by anyone taking a stroll through the old city of Istanbul.
While continuing our talk about many of these exotic ancient villages in Istanbul that are reminiscent of the times gone by, how can we forget to make a mention about the Cistern of Aspar? This ancient cistern is located just in front of Sultan Selim I’s mosque if you follow the route from Carsamba and Fatih. Let us know some really interesting facts about this cistern and its role in the life of the old city of Istanbul.
In the year 1978, a Turkish friend of mine took me to visit and discover the Underground Cistern (Yerebatan Sarnici) that is quite close to the famous Hagia Sophia (Aya Sofya) in Sultanahmet. Although, at that time, the entry to this cistern was not open to general public, hence, we had no choice but to stand on the edge of a dark place to watch the dim shapes of nearly 336 sky-climbing pillars. As we stood in awe and completely amazed by the spectacular view, we felt pleased to hear a steady dripping sound. It was a cistern belonging to the sixth century, I was told.
Although, it did not seem to be of any importance to me, at least at that point of time of the visit, there is no denying the fact that today, the Yerebatan Sarnici happens to be one of the historic attractions of Istanbul. And it actually deserves to be known so for its magnificent walkways, haunting sound of the reed flute and its stupendous lighting, indeed, makes it a special attraction for visitors from far and wide. The tourists watch in awe the spectacular views provided at this place where several fishes can be seen swimming beneath the water.
As one goes a step further trekking besides the beautiful walkways, one feels excited and baffled by the beauty of the Gorgon Medusa (famous for its upside-down head) that adorns the base of one of the columns in the front. However, a noticeable fact that many forget to appreciate the role played by the cistern in providing water supply to not just the old Byzantium but even Constantinople and the city of Istanbul.
The water thus supplied to the city was collected from either of the two sources, that is, from the dense wooded areas of Trakya (Thrace) beyond the walls of the city or from the Belgrade Forest. Yerebatan Sarnici is the best among various water reservoirs, water towers, cisterns and aqueducts that helped it keep flowing. This has been authenticated by the survey conducted between the year 2000 and 2005. According to this survey done by the British Leverhulme Trust, Yerebatan was “one of the greatest achievements of hydraulic engineering known from antiquity.” The report of the survey further mentioned the fact that a large portion of this water source is still untapped because they are unmapped somewhere in the Trakya wooded areas.
The Aqueduct of Valens that is located in the busy Ataturk Bulvari and runs from the famous Golden Horn to the Fatih is one of the most conspicuous historical monuments. It dates back to 375 and runs nearly a kilometer or so. Originally, it might had been attached to a huge network of several pipes that took the water from beyond the Edirnekapi just along the various ridges of Fourth, Fifth and Sixth Hills before reaching Beyazit Meydani. It is believed that this Aqueduct remained in use until the period of 19th century, which proves that it had been preserved well.
The Aqueduct of Valens happens to be the one and only structure that seems to have survived within the walled city. However, if you venture outside towards the Belgrade Forest, you will be greeted by several more such structures. Some of the famous among these include the Uzunkemer (Long Aqueduct) and the Egrikemer (Crooked Aqueduct). Both of these were the designer creations of Mimar Sinan, who had carved a special niche and name for his exquisitely made mosques during the power of Sultan Suleyman (the Magnificent). Apart from the above named structures made by Sinan, another famous structure from this architect includes Maglova Kemeri (Maglova Aqueduct). This structure dates back to the period of Emperor Justinian. However, there are several other beautiful historic reservoirs of water that are buried in the Belgrade Forest. These reservoirs still have water for Istanbul.
All the aqueducts left a noticeable mark on the city’s horizon, just as the stupendous ‘su terazı’ stone towers that were instrumental in dragging water from the gradients. One of them can be still be found in Sultanahmet just near the Milyon monument and at the entry point of the Yerebatan Sarnici. Also, there happen to be several other situated around the city of Istanbul including the famous three – one in Kilyos and the second one besides the Haydarpasa’s Karacaahmet Cemetery.
Additionally, there were a few other buildings that were involved in providing water in their neighborhoods. The famous among these include the ‘taksim’ (water distribution point). It was recently opened for general public and comprised of quite long building made of stones. This building closes the Taksim Square, the area which was once used for storage of water, and also the octagonal building situated just nearby which distributed the water around the nearby area. But there is no denying the fact that ubiquitous cesmes or fountains that still exist in various neighborhoods of the ancient city are indeed the final pieces of this network. Many of them still have attached brick storage tanks.
Several fountains were exquisite structures including the Hekimoglu Ali Pasa fountain, the Tophane Fountain at Kabatas, the Sultan Ahmet III Fountain that is situated just in front of the famous Topkapi Palace, and the Saliha Valide Hatun fountain in Azapkapi. Efforts are being made to restore many of these fountains back to their original glory and splendor by the technically advanced water-selling companies. The sebils, which were paired with the cesmes, were small kiosks that were enclosed by grills. These grills were usually attached to the outer wall of the mosque. It was used to provide water to the thirsty people passing by.
The huge network of cisterns that was involved in storing water always kept quite low profile, as compared to the fountains, towers and the aqueducts. In fact, the cisterns seemed to have been forgotten by the city even as the population reduced resulting in less water requirement. Although, it may seem a bit hard to believe, but the truth is that the famous Yerebatan Sarnici also remained forgotten and neglected for almost centuries together. It was only discovered by Western visitor, Petrus Gyllius, a Frenchman of 16th century.
The popularity of Yerebatan among the tourists led to an increased interest in several other cisterns that dot the landscape of the city. For example, a cistern located just near Divan Yolu and known as the Binbirdirek Sarnici has become an entertainment center. Another cistern, the Theodosius Sarnici, which is just behind the Eminonu Belediyesi, is likely to be opened to the general public. Another ancient cistern now houses a restaurant named the Sarnic Restaurant while another functions as the Sultan Sarnic restaurant in Carsamba.
It is yet to be ascertained about the exact role of the open-air cisterns in providing water to different parts of the city. It is because some people argue that the water stored in these cisterns was left bare in the air so as to be purified. However, the fact remains that they were large storage houses of water used for irrigating fields nearby.
The ancient villages that peep out from the antique walls in and around the old Istanbul seem to be quite self-contained. These small farm villages are really picturesque which can be still be found by anyone taking a stroll through the old city of Istanbul.
While continuing our talk about many of these exotic ancient villages in Istanbul that are reminiscent of the times gone by, how can we forget to make a mention about the Cistern of Aspar? This ancient cistern is located just in front of Sultan Selim I’s mosque if you follow the route from Carsamba and Fatih. Let us know some really interesting facts about this cistern and its role in the life of the old city of Istanbul.
In the year 1978, a Turkish friend of mine took me to visit and discover the Underground Cistern (Yerebatan Sarnici) that is quite close to the famous Hagia Sophia (Aya Sofya) in Sultanahmet. Although, at that time, the entry to this cistern was not open to general public, hence, we had no choice but to stand on the edge of a dark place to watch the dim shapes of nearly 336 sky-climbing pillars. As we stood in awe and completely amazed by the spectacular view, we felt pleased to hear a steady dripping sound. It was a cistern belonging to the sixth century, I was told.
Although, it did not seem to be of any importance to me, at least at that point of time of the visit, there is no denying the fact that today, the Yerebatan Sarnici happens to be one of the historic attractions of Istanbul. And it actually deserves to be known so for its magnificent walkways, haunting sound of the reed flute and its stupendous lighting, indeed, makes it a special attraction for visitors from far and wide. The tourists watch in awe the spectacular views provided at this place where several fishes can be seen swimming beneath the water.
As one goes a step further trekking besides the beautiful walkways, one feels excited and baffled by the beauty of the Gorgon Medusa (famous for its upside-down head) that adorns the base of one of the columns in the front. However, a noticeable fact that many forget to appreciate the role played by the cistern in providing water supply to not just the old Byzantium but even Constantinople and the city of Istanbul.
The water thus supplied to the city was collected from either of the two sources, that is, from the dense wooded areas of Trakya (Thrace) beyond the walls of the city or from the Belgrade Forest. Yerebatan Sarnici is the best among various water reservoirs, water towers, cisterns and aqueducts that helped it keep flowing. This has been authenticated by the survey conducted between the year 2000 and 2005. According to this survey done by the British Leverhulme Trust, Yerebatan was “one of the greatest achievements of hydraulic engineering known from antiquity.” The report of the survey further mentioned the fact that a large portion of this water source is still untapped because they are unmapped somewhere in the Trakya wooded areas.
The Aqueduct of Valens that is located in the busy Ataturk Bulvari and runs from the famous Golden Horn to the Fatih is one of the most conspicuous historical monuments. It dates back to 375 and runs nearly a kilometer or so. Originally, it might had been attached to a huge network of several pipes that took the water from beyond the Edirnekapi just along the various ridges of Fourth, Fifth and Sixth Hills before reaching Beyazit Meydani. It is believed that this Aqueduct remained in use until the period of 19th century, which proves that it had been preserved well.
The Aqueduct of Valens happens to be the one and only structure that seems to have survived within the walled city. However, if you venture outside towards the Belgrade Forest, you will be greeted by several more such structures. Some of the famous among these include the Uzunkemer (Long Aqueduct) and the Egrikemer (Crooked Aqueduct). Both of these were the designer creations of Mimar Sinan, who had carved a special niche and name for his exquisitely made mosques during the power of Sultan Suleyman (the Magnificent). Apart from the above named structures made by Sinan, another famous structure from this architect includes Maglova Kemeri (Maglova Aqueduct). This structure dates back to the period of Emperor Justinian. However, there are several other beautiful historic reservoirs of water that are buried in the Belgrade Forest. These reservoirs still have water for Istanbul.
All the aqueducts left a noticeable mark on the city’s horizon, just as the stupendous ‘su terazı’ stone towers that were instrumental in dragging water from the gradients. One of them can be still be found in Sultanahmet just near the Milyon monument and at the entry point of the Yerebatan Sarnici. Also, there happen to be several other situated around the city of Istanbul including the famous three – one in Kilyos and the second one besides the Haydarpasa’s Karacaahmet Cemetery.
Additionally, there were a few other buildings that were involved in providing water in their neighborhoods. The famous among these include the ‘taksim’ (water distribution point). It was recently opened for general public and comprised of quite long building made of stones. This building closes the Taksim Square, the area which was once used for storage of water, and also the octagonal building situated just nearby which distributed the water around the nearby area. But there is no denying the fact that ubiquitous cesmes or fountains that still exist in various neighborhoods of the ancient city are indeed the final pieces of this network. Many of them still have attached brick storage tanks.
Several fountains were exquisite structures including the Hekimoglu Ali Pasa fountain, the Tophane Fountain at Kabatas, the Sultan Ahmet III Fountain that is situated just in front of the famous Topkapi Palace, and the Saliha Valide Hatun fountain in Azapkapi. Efforts are being made to restore many of these fountains back to their original glory and splendor by the technically advanced water-selling companies. The sebils, which were paired with the cesmes, were small kiosks that were enclosed by grills. These grills were usually attached to the outer wall of the mosque. It was used to provide water to the thirsty people passing by.
The huge network of cisterns that was involved in storing water always kept quite low profile, as compared to the fountains, towers and the aqueducts. In fact, the cisterns seemed to have been forgotten by the city even as the population reduced resulting in less water requirement. Although, it may seem a bit hard to believe, but the truth is that the famous Yerebatan Sarnici also remained forgotten and neglected for almost centuries together. It was only discovered by Western visitor, Petrus Gyllius, a Frenchman of 16th century.
The popularity of Yerebatan among the tourists led to an increased interest in several other cisterns that dot the landscape of the city. For example, a cistern located just near Divan Yolu and known as the Binbirdirek Sarnici has become an entertainment center. Another cistern, the Theodosius Sarnici, which is just behind the Eminonu Belediyesi, is likely to be opened to the general public. Another ancient cistern now houses a restaurant named the Sarnic Restaurant while another functions as the Sultan Sarnic restaurant in Carsamba.
It is yet to be ascertained about the exact role of the open-air cisterns in providing water to different parts of the city. It is because some people argue that the water stored in these cisterns was left bare in the air so as to be purified. However, the fact remains that they were large storage houses of water used for irrigating fields nearby.
On the trail of the Sultans burial places…
For many months now, we have been eagerly waiting for the new Archaeological Park in Sultanahmet Square to open its gates.
Disappointingly, nothing has happened. However, in the meantime another gate has opened, and that is the back one into Aya Sofya (Hagia Sophia), the huge church-mosque that dominates the square. That gate leads through to a courtyard containing the tombs of several of the Ottoman sultans who were buried here after the church was converted into a mosque in 1453. What this means is that it's now possible to visit the tombs of virtually all the sultans, something that has not been an option since the advent of the Turkish Republic in 1923.
Keen Ottoman enthusiasts will know that Bursa preceded İstanbul as the capital of the empire, and it's there that any pursuit of the sultans' burial places will have to start. Osman and Orhan, the father and son who established the dynasty in the 13th and 14th centuries, were laid to rest in tombs high up on a hill in what is now the Tophane part of town near the remains of the citadel. The original tombs fell foul of an earthquake in 1855, but replacements were provided by Sultan Abdülaziz in 1868. Orhan's son Murad I, victor at the momentous Battle of Kosovo in 1389, was buried a little further out of the town center in the Murad I (Hüdavendigar) Camii. His son was the unlucky Sultan Beyazıd I who was captured by Timurlane after the Battle of Ankara in 1402. Thought to have been kept locked up in a cage, he may have killed himself in despair; his remains were buried in the Yıldırım Beyazıd Camii in the Emir Sultan part of town across the valley from the sultans who had founded his line.
Beyazıd's son Sultan Mehmed I was buried in the exquisite Yeşil (Green) Camii that has become an icon of Bursa. But perhaps the loveliest of all the early imperial tombs in Bursa belongs to Sultan Murad II, the father of Mehmed the Conqueror, who was laid to rest in the exquisite Muradiye complex, whose garden, dotted with the tombs of long-forgotten Ottoman princes, smells sweetly of box hedges.
Of course with the conquest of Constantinople in 1453, the focus of the Ottoman Empire shifted dramatically. Although the sultans continued to hold a soft spot for Bursa and for Edirne, the second Ottoman capital, the hub of things was now the city on the Bosporus that they had seized from the Byzantine emperors. Not surprisingly, Fatih (“the Conqueror”) Sultan Mehmed II was buried with great fanfare when he died prematurely in 1481; 25,000 Janissaries are believed to have attended his funeral in the first courtyard of Topkapı Sarayı, and his tomb, on the grounds behind Fatih Camii, the mosque he had built over the site of the old Church of the Holy Apostles, was suitably large and imposing. Every year on May 29, prayers are said there at the start of the celebrations commemorating the conquest.
Fatih's successors emulated him in building huge mosque complexes that would serve as their burial places. His son Sultan Beyazıd II is buried in the grounds of Beyazıt Camii near İstanbul University and Kapalı Çarşı (the Grand Bazaar), while Selim I (“the Grim”) is buried beside the mosque named after himself on the hill above Fener, and Sultan Süleyman (“the Magnificent”) was laid to rest behind Mimar Sinan's great masterpiece, the Süleymaniye Mosque, just steps away from the separate tomb of his much-loved wife, Haseki Hürrem (better known to history as “Roxelana”).
After that things started to change, and Sultans Selim II, Murad III, Mehmed III and Mustafa I are buried in the grounds of Aya Sofya rather than in purpose-built complexes of their own; Selim, Murad and Mehmed's tombs are now open to the public, although we will need to wait a little longer to see Mustafa's, which is still under restoration. Mehmed III's son Sultan Ahmed I reverted to the extravagant habits of his ancestors and took responsibility for what must be İstanbul's most famous mosque, the six-minareted Sultanahmet Camii, better known to visitors as the Blue Mosque. He was buried at the edge of the complex in a domed tomb the size of a small mosque together with his two sons by different wives, Sultans Osman II and Murad IV.
Ahmed I was succeeded by his frail brother Sultan Mustafa I, who had endured 14 years as a prisoner in the kafes (cage) inside Topkapı Sarayı, a system initiated to rein in the ambitions of potential rivals to the throne. When he died of typhus after a second brief and unhappy reign as sultan following the assassination of Osman II, he was buried inside the old baptistery in the grounds of Aya Sofya. Beside him was laid to rest Sultan İbrahim, known as “the Mad.”
İbrahim's son Mehmed IV (“the Hunter”) succeeded to the throne when aged only 7, which meant that his mother, Hatice Turhan Sultan, became the power behind the throne. When he died, he was buried beside her in the large mausoleum now separated from Yeni Camii (New Mosque) of which it was apart by a road. Throughout the 17th century, this served as an important burial place for the sultans, although Süleyman II and Ahmed II were interred beside Süleyman the Magnificent in the grounds of the Süleymaniye Camii. Today the tombs of ultans Mustafa II, Ahmed III, Mahmud I and Osman III can all be found lined up beside that of Mehmed IV in a faded building that must surely be next in line for renovation.
Sultan Ahmed III's son Mustafa III employed the architect Mehmed Tahir Ağa to build one of the last great mosque complexes for him in Laleli, where he was buried with his son Sultan Selim III. Mustafa was initially succeeded by Sultan Abdülhamid I, for whom a tomb was built in Sirkeci just up the road from the one containing so many of his ancestors opposite Yeni Camii. This has just been beautifully restored and reopened to the public, which will find the grave of Sultan Mustafa IV there, too. The calligraphic tiles ringing the walls are especially beautiful, and the holy relics encased in the wall ensure a steady throughput of pilgrims.
When he died in 1839, Abdülhamid I's son, the reforming sultan Mahmud II, who finally broke the power of the Janissaries in 1826, was buried in a completely new tomb complex that juts out onto the pavement on Divan Yolu. There he was later joined by Sultans Abdülaziz and Abdülhamid II. With the Ottoman era drawing to its close, Sultan Abdülmecid I was interred in the Selim I Camii, and Sultan Murad V in the overcrowded mausoleum opposite the Yeni Camii. In a sharp break with convention, when Mehmed V (Reşad) died in 1918, he was buried far away from his predecessors in Eyüp on the Golden Horn. He was the last Ottoman sultan to be buried on Turkish soil.
In 1922, as the empire breathed its last, Mehmed VI (Vahdettin), the 36th and final sultan, was sent into exile, dying in Italy four years later; he was buried in the Tekkiye as-Sulaymaniyye Mosque in Damascus. With the coming of the republic, Abdülmecid Efendi, the son of Sultan Abdülaziz, was briefly granted the title of caliph, although not of sultan, in 1922, but in 1924 even this was taken away from him and he too was sent into exile. He died in Paris in 1944. Ten years later his body was re-interred in Medina in Saudi Arabia.
The Tomb of Suleyman the Magnificient
The Tomb of Fatih Sultan Mehmet