Discovering Byzantine traces in İstanbul
What is this life if, full of care
We have no time to stand and stare.
These are the opening lines of a poem by William Henry Davies in which he bemoans that we miss so many beautiful things in life because we are rushing.
The Chora Museum is one of the numerous Byzantine sites in İstanbul Robert van den Graven recounts in his book.
Crowds and rush describe Istanbul. You only need to be on one of the mighty suspension bridges spanning the Bosporus during rush hour to see the crowds of people trying to get from one continent to another, often sounding their horns in frustration at the task. Or witness the mighty tide of pedestrians pouring over Galata Bridge to get to work.
The city is full of millions of people who are all in a rush to get the next job done, get to the next appointment or just to get home after an extremely tiring day amongst all the crowds.
We are all so busy that often day after day we pass by familiar landmarks neglecting to look up and admire their beauty. Many passengers on the ferry home to Asia close their eyes and rest after a hard day and miss the view of the İstanbul skyline, which has thrilled and amazed travelers for nearly two millennia.
In our haste to catch the train, to purchase our jeton before the ferry departs, not to miss the bus we race past sites that have been silent witnesses to the journeys of centuries of İstanbulites.
Not only do we not know what hidden treasures lie under our feet, we don’t have time to look up at ancient buildings and walls or peer over fences to see old ruins or explore down hidden alleyways.
In his self-guided tour to Byzantine İstanbul, Robert van den Graven encourages us to take time to explore the amazing history of the city that is easily accessible today to the one who takes the time to find it.
Graven introduces us to İstanbul’s glorious history as Constantinople, capital of the Byzantine Empire for over 1,000 years. The book says of itself, “From the awe-inspiring domed nave of Hagia Sophia to the majestic remains of the fifth-century Theodosian walls, from the exquisite mosaics of Chora Church to dungeons and underground cisterns, from Greek Orthodox churches to sacred springs, the ten walking routes in this book take visitors through every layer of İstanbul’s rich Byzantine past.”
The name Byzantines was invented by 19th century historians. The Byzantines themselves thought of themselves as Romans, citizens of the capital of the Eastern Roman Empire. At heart, though, they were Greeks, as they spoke this language, and its learning influenced the church and state. For example, they taught Platonic philosophy.
Some of the sites that van Graven takes us to are well known and open to the public: the Hagia Sophia, the Hippodrome, Çemberlitaş (the Burnt Column), Yerebatan Sarayı (the Underground Cisterns), the Mosaic Museum, Galata Tower, Kariye (Chora Museum) and the walls of the city. Even with the advent of the Müze Kartı, which gives unlimited annual access to museums for a fixed price, the majority of residents of İstanbul have not visited all of these places.
But, even if you have visited them, you may well have missed some of the excellent detail included in this guide. For example, few of us exploring the Hippodrome have gone down a side street at its seeming end and crossed a school playground to see the drop down towards the shore, which was the old wall at the end of the Hippodrome enclosing the spectators’ area. Also it is rare to find a guide that explains the story of each of the frescos of the Chora Museum, including the gallery that shows the life of the Virgin Mary; even the museum doesn’t have this available.
Here is a quick overview of what is covered in each of the walks:
1: Where else could you start but with the Hagia Sophia? Constantinople was the biggest metropolis in the world, and the Hagia Sophia was one of the greatest buildings in the world. The Slavs who came here were so awestruck that “they knew not whether they were in heaven or on earth.”
2: Coming out of the Hagia Sophia you enter the political powerhouse of Constantinople. With the Hagia Sophia, the emperor’s palace and the Hippodrome in the vicinity, this was where the will of the emperor, God and the people could be heard.
3: In Cankurtaran “you find little bits of Byzantine history wherever you go,” whether this is the basement under a carpet shop or going up a few flights of stairs in a building to peer down at excavations that are hidden from sight at street level.
4: The “Mese” was the Byzantine Fifth Avenue, with smart shops and restaurants.
5: Around the Grand Bazaar life seems not to have changed for generations. Twelfth century resident John Tzetzes complained that “workers kept digging up the road so it was impossible for him to get in or out.”
6 &7: Take a walk and train ride around the sea walls. This section has been updated to include the amazing finds during the Marmaray project.
8: Later Byzantine palaces, churches and dungeons! This section contains a transition to the modern day with the Palace of Blachernae over which the Ottoman flag first flew when the city of Constantinople fell to Mehmet the Conqueror.
9: The old districts of Fener and Balat by the Golden Horn contain many treasures that are unknown to those of us who race past on the coast road. Turning aside you can explore such beauties as St. Mary of the Mongols, the Church of Theotokos Pammakaristos (Fethiye Camii), the Church of St. Theodosia (Gül Camii) and the Church of the Pantokrator (Zeyrek Camii). Many of these sites have amazing significance relating to the Ottoman conquest of the city, for some of the fiercest fighting in 1453 was along this stretch of the walls. Gül Camii (Rose Mosque) in fact gets its name from this time. May 29 was St. Theodosia’s feast day. On the day the city was to fall, a large congregation gathered here to pray for deliverance from the hands of the Turks. The church was decorated with garlands of roses for the occasion, and when the Ottoman soldiers stormed in they found these still in place -– hence the Turkish name.
10: It is not just the old city that has Byzantine remains. Galata was called “Sycae” -- the fig orchard -- in Byzantine times, but apart from the tower it does have other buildings and remains. So, too, have various villages along the Bosporus -- for example, Kuruçeşme -- right up to the amazing Byzantine keep above the village of Anadolu Kavağı at the entrance to the Black Sea on the Asian side.
What if you can’t come to İstanbul to explore the back streets, push open gateways, walk down steps to see basement remains and lift up your head to gaze up at tall columns? Van den Graven recommends a fascinating Web site www.byzantium1200.com, which has reconstructions of what the city would have looked like in A.D. 1200. As well as general views of the city, this intriguing site contains pictures of what 66 different buildings would have looked like. Using this site in conjunction with the photos in van den Graven’s book gives you an amazing armchair tour of the old city.
“Byzantine Istanbul,” by Robert van den Graven, published by Çitlembik
http://www.todayszaman.com/tz-web/news-206326-110-discovering-byzantine-traces-in-istanbul.html
1600 year old Harbor of Theodosius in Istanbul
The Harbor of Theodosius in Istanbul dates back to the period of 4th century A.D. It was unearthed in Yenikapi in Istanbul. Various works of excavation in Yenikapi, Sirkeci and Uskudar count among the splendor remains of archaeology belonging to the periods ranging from Ottoman, Roman, Byzantine, Ancient Greek and Neolithic times.
Istanbul, which happens to be capital of these two empires for several centuries has been successfully preserving its importance in all the periods of history till now. Travelers from the world over have been inspired by the majestic beauty of the districts of Pera and Galata, the Golden Horn, the Virgin’s Tower and its grand mosques atop the seven hills. However, as of now, the city is facing the problem of transportation which originated way back in the 19th century and persists even today. The problem was meant to be solved by the construction of rail link projects namely Marmaray and the Metro. These two projects by the Department of Transportation will help in making a rail link between Asian and the European continents through a tunnel beneath the Bosphorus.
In the year 2004, the Istanbul Archaeological Museums undertook the work of archaeological excavations around the terminals before proceeding with the digging work for the Marmaray and the Metro construction. These excavations which are being carried out by the efforts of dig teams have unearthed several cultural treasures of historical importance for Istanbul.
The Harbor of Theodosius, which is regarded to be the most prominent harbor of the Byzantine era, is the result of these archaeological excavations. This harbor was unearthed in Yenikapi (‘Vlanga’ in the Ottoman times). The district of Yenikapi was known to be the fruit and vegetable garden of Istanbul. it has also become known by reading the notes of the travelers visiting Istanbul during the mid-16th century that the Harbor of Theodosius, built during the 4th century and used till 7th century was used as a truck garden after it silted up and became a part of the mainland.
Excavations undertaken at Yenikapi
Although the location of this harbor of Istanbul, namely, the Theodosius’ harbor was known from the maps in the ancient times, however, there was no knowledge about its exact size, position and the layout of this harbor which played an important role in the economy of the Byzantine period.
Founded on the crossroads between the Balkans and Anatolia and the pathway extending from the Aegean right up to the Black Sea, Byzantion’s location was a great contributor to the development of the city, so mush so that it dominated various commercial routes.
To meet the growing needs of the expanding capital of the Eastern Roman Empire, Theodosius I commissioned the construction of the Theodosius Harbor between 379-395 A.D. so, a breakwater extending from east to west along the south way of a natural bay was built for creating this harbor. And a large tower that stood at the far end for keeping a guard on the entrance of the harbor was among several other structures and silos for keeping the grain brought by big ships from Alexandria and neighboring ports that stood around the harbor. Sources claim that the Alexandria silo was the only silo of the city that was in wide use during the 10th century when this harbor silted up.
During the archaeological excavation undertaken in the harbor, 34 ships were excavated out of which 21 were in the Metro while 13 were in the Marmaray excavations. Once again, this harbor silted up from the alluvion brought by the waters of the Lycos (Bayrampasa) River which emptied in the natural bay. Apart from the alluvion, the built of enormous silt was also the result of the construction and farming carried out in the city.
From the excavations, it came to the notice that the majority of the shipwrecks in the Theodosius Harbor are at the eastern side nearing the entrance of the harbor. While the harbor was thought to have been silted up from the western end towards the east, the eastern end continued to be in wide use till a natural calamity that took place in the 10th or the beginning of the 11th century rendered extensive damage to the ships there.
The YK 1 ship that carried amphorae from the Marmara Island and was anchored here was claimed by the excavations to have been sunk. The YK 12 was another shipwreck that was found in the excavations in the area of the harbor. Several fragments of amphorae along with 16 intact amphorae were found on this YK 12. Although, at present, the exact cause of the disaster that struck these ships cannot be found, however, the assumption is some natural disaster or tragedy including tsunami or a storm might be the possible reason behind the cause of the disaster to these ships.
The history of Istanbul has got some very crucial data from the architectural remains recovered to the western side of the Yenikapi excavation area in the work being carried out in the 3rd and 2nd Zone towards the east. A quay consisting of stone blocks of rectangular shape has been found at the western edge within the breakwater.
The excavations in the Metro area uncovered a church building that was believed to be built in the 13th century A.D. when large amount of silt was piling up in the harbor. And around this church building were found twenty-three graves. The excavations also unearthed a gold coin belonging to the time of Justinian the Great (527-565 A.D.).
In the Yenikapi excavations being carried out under the Marmaray and Metro Project, nearly 25,000 artifacts have been unearthed so far. And the most distinguishing factor or such findings happens to be the vital information provided by them regarding day-to-day life, economy, trade, culture and religious aspects of the period to which they belong. Some of the findings uncovered during the excavations include hawsers of the sunken ships, inscribed image of a ship on an amphora that belongs to the 10th century, iron and stone anchors and baked clay tablets with names, place of origin of the owners of the ship inscribed on them. All such findings also provide important information regarding the types of ships and the shipping during the period.
Apart from the above named findings, there are nearly 2,500 items made of wood including combs, different varieties of spoons, bath clogs etc. that have been found by the excavation work. Also, a Christ figure, tools of bone and ivory, a bronze balance, bronze weights, lead tablets and a scale weight in the form of Athena’s bust throw light on the lifestyle of the period they belong.
Archaeological excavations in Sirkeci
Under the Marmaray Project, the archaeological works being carried out in the eastern and the western shafts and in the south and the north entrance areas of the Rail Station in Sirkeci provide an excellent opportunity for knowing the stratigraphy of the city of Istanbul. In such excavation works, several structural remains that belong to the period ranging from the Early Byzantine to the Byzantine and even the Late Ottoman times along with a considerable number of small items and pottery have been found. These relate important details about the different aspects of the life of these periods.
Archaeological excavations in Uskudar Square
As part of the Marmaray project, a large number of archaeological excavations were undertaken from the year 2004 which continued till the year 2008. These excavations conducted in the Uskudar Square found the remains of the foundation of a bazaar whose existence was although known from a number of other sources but was unable to have been unearthed so far. And to unearth the foundation of this bazaar, the workers involved in the excavation work had to drill up quite deep up to nearly 7 meters. The archaeological remains was found deep in the fill dirt. In the excavations, there were no traces or archaeological remains belonging to the Roman period or the earlier periods. But, the excavations uncovered a huge amount of pottery, along with coins, oil-lamps, stamp seals that dated back to the different periods ranging from the Roman period to the Late Roman period and the Byzantine period.
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.
