City break in Istanbul at Sultanahmet
By any standards, Istanbullus are proud of their city. And since you can hardly walk down a street in Sultanhamet without falling over some Byzantine or Ottoman relic they do have a few things to boast about.
But there’s more to Istanbul than antiquity and I was determined to get to the heart of the reputation of this mighty metropolis. Although I was initially unsure about Istanbul as a family holiday destination, it was the presence of my small daughter that was the key.
Within half an hour of arriving she was being called princess and offered the hand of the waiter’s brother’s son in marriage.
Ancient monuments
In the ancient Aya Sofya (Hagia Sophia) she scuttled around on the smooth stone floors and climbed up and down a hundreds-of-years-old wooden platform while we admired the still beautiful frescoes under the might dome.
The Blue Mosque is only a few hundred metres away but quite a contrast in terms of atmosphere and upkeep. The littel one enjoyed the thick carpet, lying on her back and gazing up at the lights and beautiful tiles.
There is a lot to see at the Topkapi Palace and you should allow a whole afternoon. Beyond the spooky harem, the sumptuous apartments, and the eye-popping jewels, the most beautiful structure is the very last you reach after the many courts and gardens. The delicate decoration of the pavilion and romantic views across the Bosphorus to the Galata Tower on the Golden Horn under a dusty apricot sky is matchless.
On Divan Yolu, the main thoroughfare of Sultanhamet, we all enjoyed delicious stuffed aubergine and the ubiquitous bulgher wheat rice salad at Bayan 2 restaurant, before raiding one of the many patisseries for a sweet bite.
Blue Mosque and Hagia Sophia in Sultanahmet Istanbul Turkey
Istanbul or Rome?
I wonder if you’ve been travelling too long when you feel compelled to compare every new destination with another place but I did often feel in Beyoglu that I might be wandering the streets of some western European capital.
From the excitement of the youthful population thronging a main drag lined with gem after gem of art nouveau architecture, to the antique tram ding dinging its way down from Taksim square, this district has something for everyone, as well as the most glamorous kebab shops you’ll ever see.
There are pretty arcades with antiques, jewellery and bric a brac, and the regeneration of historic Levantine buildings in the streets off Istikal Caddesi is good to see.
Gulhane Park is a beautiful sight in autumn; kick your feet through the leaves and enjoy a pot of tea and a dish of pistachio ice cream overlooking the Bosphorus in the tea garden below the walls of the Topkapi Palace.
Bazaar ‘til you drop
Near the Grand Bazaar a man sits in the window of his rug shop, completely surrounded by great piles of kilims like an Arabian night. Inside the largest enclosed bazaar in the world it is all glitz and gold and souvenir trinkets but still men sit passing the time of day on low stools; prayer beads dripping from their fingertips and tea delivered in little glasses on a silver tray.
Through the haberdashery quarter porters carry huge loads, bent double with their leather backpacks on the streets leading upward to the Suleymaniye mosque, its interior still shrouded for restoration.
Or head down through the street of Christmas decoration shops to the fragrant delights of the Spice Bazaar. Here you will find scoops of apple tea, towers of nougat, dishes of chestnuts, tubs of Turkish delight, pyramids of spices and baskets of dried flowers.
Across the Golden Horn in Beyoglu join the throngs of young Istanbullus surging down Istikal Caddesi from Taksim square, enjoying the shops, eateries and entertainment.
Crossing continents
Touching down on the Asian side of the Bosphorus is not always on an Istanbul city break schedule but it’s well worth the visit once you get past the noisy traffic of the waterfront. The ferry ride from Eminonu is a pleasure in itself.
The streets are festooned with russet-coloured grapevines in autumn and there’s nothing touristy about a wander through the street markets and funky cafes with the locals.
Turkish shopkeepers take great pride in their displays and in the Kadikoy district you will not fail to be impressed by the carefully-arranged stacks of giant broccoli, shiny shoals of fish and piles of grapevine leaves.
We had a fabulous meal at the fashionable Ciya Sofrasi, which specialises in delicious mounds of baked pilaf fragrant with almonds and raisins; the delicately spiced house kebab; and black mulberry sherbet beverages. For dessert you can’t go past the baked pistachio cream of the Dough Plies or the melt-in-the-mouth Teleme cream figs.
One final mosque
Deep in the back streets of Sultanhamet is a small mosque that is inexplicably missed off many Istanbul itineraries. We had the Sokollu Mehmet Pasa Camii to ourselves, apart from the elderly retainer, and a peaceful sense of spirituality pervades that is missing from the great domes of the city.
The high quality Iznik tiles and original painted wooden ceiling panels complement the graceful dome by Istanbul’s premier historic architect, Mimar Sinan.
The heart of the city
Sitting in the park that separates Aya Sofia and the Blue Mosque, long shadows are cast by cypresses across lawns strewn with yellow plane leaves. Rusty chestnuts line the avenue and the cacophony of competing muezzin cries fades.
Passersby stop to chuck the cheeks of my little daughter, smiling as they imitate her baby babble. In the restaurants fellow diners turn to make friends; an old man trying to make her laugh by showing her the sugar cube held between his teeth as he sips his tea.
She danced to traditional Turkish music on a bandstand off Divan Yolu and grinned at the shoe-shine man. And everywhere she was welcome; the centre of attention with both men and women.
Beyond history and culture, today it’s the warmth of her people that make Istanbul great.
Natasha von Geldern
More information:
Natasha stayed at the stylish Midtown Hotel, which is centrally located in a pleasant street just off Taksim Square, at the top of the district of Beyoglu. Midtown Hotel is a member of Special Hotels of the World. For more information or to book please visit the website or call 020 7380 3658.
Pegasus Airlines flies daily from London Stansted to Istanbul's new Sabiha Gokcen airport from £39.99. A shuttle bus runs hourly from the airport to Taksim Square for around £6.
Natasha used Rough Guides’ Istanbul, an erudite, comprehensive guide to the Turkish capital.
(TravelBite.co.uk Tuesday, 15 Dec 2009)
A passage between the worlds | sultanahmet1.com
After visiting the famous historical museums and mosques of Istanbul, the next thing on your agenda should be to enjoy the unforgettable experience of voyages to the different waterways.
Bosphorus
On your right is Asia and on your left is Europe. So enjoy the ravishing and enigmatic waters of Bosphorus to make your visit to Istanbul one of the most memorable and enjoyable visits.
Although, geologists are still to find its exact period or manner of origin, but that cannot really take away the awe and fantasy experienced by all those taking a trip to the mysterious waterways of Bosphorus. Nearly 130 m deep, 30 km long and 700 m and 3.5 km wide, it is, certainly, an experience not to be missed by any visitor to Istanbul.
No matter whatever its origins might be, the Bosphorus was regarded as stupendous by the ancient sailors in the Greek period around 1000 BC. When they reached Bosphorus, they felt like it was the place where one world ended and another began.
The fact is that even today, Bosphorus, with additions of numerous palaces, castles and exotic mansions by the waterside, is as remarkable and awe-inspiring as it was nearly 3,000 years ago.
There are daily ferries to fetch you along the Bosphorus and take you back. The views on the way from Eminonu towards the middle of the straits are exquisitely fabulous. As the ferry hurriedly moves towards the straits while passing the tine island of Maiden’s Tower, it goes straight towards its first port at Besiktas.
Just on the left is the big façade of Dolmabahce Palace that was completed around 1853. It presents a picture of the grandeur of the Ottoman Empire. However, it remained neglected for nearly 20 years before the emperor fled to Yildiz Palace, situated on the hilltop, to save himself from a possible attack.
The Ciragan Palace, which was completed in 1874, lies just below the Yildiz Palace on the shore. It is now converted into a hotel named Kempinski Hotel. It shared the same fate of neglect; in fact, it was used for even lesser period of time. The Palace, which had been cursed, witnessed the murder of Abdulaziz, a sultan, and incarceration of Murad V, his weak-minded son, before being the venue of the short-lived and ill-fated Ottoman parliament in the year 1908.
The ferry moves under the huge Ataturk Bridge which happens to be the first bridge to join two continents. Just at the bridge’s foot on the European shore is Ortakoy, a small hub of restaurants, open-air coffee houses and a craft market functioning on weekends.
Moving further, we are approached by waterfront suburbs which once were the fishing villages. Located just between these waterfront suburbs are the military buildings on the Asian shores including the Kuleli naval college and the magnificent waterside mansions made of wood. These wooden mansions, also known by the name of ‘yalis’ were made for the late Ottoman dignitaries, princesses and businessmen. There are some yalis which are still occupied by the children or descendents of the original owners.
There still exist some older yalis that were built strictly according to the Ottoman designs, according to which there must be a separation or division between the public divan and the male salamlik as well as the female living areas of the haremlik. It was only in the mid 19th century that the western designs rose to popularity.
Just a little far are the narrowest straits (nearly 700 m) which provide some terrific views over the two fortresses of Anadolu Hisari located on the Asian shore and Rumeli Hisari on the European shore. Both of these fortresses were constructed in a remarkable short period of just four months by Sultan Mehmet II in 1452 before the conquest of the city of Istanbul.
At present, these two fortresses are somewhat overshadowed by the twin towers of the Bridge of Fatih Sultan Mehmet opened in the year 1988.
From this point onwards, the Bosphorus rives seems to become wide enough to help us witness the history that becomes more clearly visible with very few newer buildings rising along the shores of Bosphorus. The last (but not the least, in any way) but one stop on the European shore happens to be Rumeli Kavagi. The presence of few Ottoman and Byzantine fortifications proves the role of this quiet village as being one of the tow posts on the straits. The Byzantine Yoros fortress lies clinging on the opposite shore’s hilltop.
You will have nearly three hours at your disposal before getting into the return ferry. So, you can spend this time to climb the hilltop where lies the famous Byzantine Yoros fortress. You will be more than happy for spending the time and effort in climbing to the Yoros fortress as it provides some of the most magnificent views of the Black Sea. If you feel hungry by this severe workout a top the hill, there is no need to lose heart for there is available a variety of sumptuous mouth watering dishes waiting for you at the several local fish restaurants of the village.
The daily departure time of boats from Eminonu is 10.35 am and 1.35 pm between the months of mid-April till mid-October. These boats make five stops before they terminate nearly one and a half hour later at Anadolu Kavagi.
So, what are you waiting for? Come join the fun by taking a voyage to this another world.
Istanbul’s Hagia Sophia – A magnificent host to history
In A.D. 532, Justinian the Great of the Eastern Roman Empire (Emperor Justinian I) took a decision to build a church that would make all the other religious monuments look pale before it.
Hence, after a period of nearly five years in 537 A.D., Justinian the Great, at the inaugural ceremony of the Hagia Sophia, announced with pride, saying, “ Oh Solomon, I have surpassed you,” while referring to the Solomon Temple, considered to be the first ever temple of Judaism, built in the 10th century BCE by the Son of David.
The Hagia Sophia is located at the heart of Sultanahmet district in the city of Istanbul. It can be easily recognized even from a far off distance by its unique pink-terracotta color. Both the Hagia Sophia as well as its Muslim counterpart (Sultanahmet) are regarded to be the two greatest historical monuments of the Eminonu district. Sultanahmet is also home to several famous historical masterpiece of historical importance including the famous Topkapi Palace and the Basilica Cistern.
Meaning ‘God’s sacred wisdom,’ Hagia Sophia is part of the three churches made by Justinian the Great who was known as an “emperor who never sleeps.” The Aya Irene, meaning the sacred peace of God, and the Aya Dinamos, meaning the sacred strength of God, look pale when compared to the Hagia Sophia (Ayasofya in Turkish). Although, the Aya Irene can still be found within the complex of the Hagia Sophia, there are no remains to be found of the Aya Dinamos.
In an exclusive interview given to sultanahmet1.com, a professional tour guide since two decades and an architect, Adnan Ozerler, says, “The Ayasofya was actually built on top of an Athenian temple.” Also a member of the Istanbul Tour Guides Union (TUREB), Ozerler goes on to add saying,”Back in the fourth and fifth centuries there were two temples in what later became Constantinople. These were later destroyed by dissidents.”
Ozerler revealed that the Hagia Sophia happens to be the first ever basilica to have a dome and the largest structure of the archaic age. It is believed to be cost nearly 20,000 pounds of gold. Being made of blocks of stone along with the layers of bricks used in-between; the monument has withstood the test of time. According to Ozerler, the wall of the Hagia Sophia happens to be the hardest type of wall, and the same pattern was followed while constructing the walls around Constantinople (now Istanbul) by Constantine the Great. After the construction of the walls around the city of Constantinople, the construction of the Hagia Sophia was a simple task for the architects and laborers.
The rosy terracotta color of the building that we see today was not the original color. The gray bricks were not painted with any color and were left uncovered. Ozerler adds, “We believe that there was fresco and a chemical coat to protect it from damage caused by rain.” The Hagia Sophia which we see today happens to be almost the same after the changes done to it by Faith Sultan Mehmet in 1453.
Meanwhile, some of the major changes made to the Hagia Sophia are as follows---
- The dome originally had a painting of Mary and Jesus. However, as the paintings of people are not allowed in Islam, so, a chapter taken from the Quran has been placed over the paintings. The chapter contains a reference to Mary and Jesus, both of whom are regarded with great respect in Islam.
- A couple of panels providing support to the building- these are nearly 1465 years old and have held the building stable for so much time.
- The four minarets of the building having names of their own. The first minaret, called the Fatih minaret was made by Fatih Sultan using bricks. The second minaret was made by Bayezid II, while the two other were made in the 16th century by Mimar Sinan on the orders of Selim II.
- There were several additions to this church to transform it into a mosque. Hence, although, Eastern Orthodox churches face Jerusalem, the Hagia Sophia was structured with its face towards Mecca. Other additions included the muaddhin mahver, the mihrab and mimbar, all of which face Mecca.
- Another change included a madrasa built in the Hagia Sophia by Fatih Sultan Mehmet during his reign.
So, we can see that the Hagia Sophia went through a huge transformation. The famous architect Ozerler explained during his interview that he saw a big chip of painting falling from the ceiling just above the mimbar, revealing St. John’s (The Baptist) painting. “Such is the greatness of sultans such as Fatih Sultan Mehmet -- he chose to cover the original paintings instead of scraping them off completely,” stated Ozerler, as he recalled the destruction of numerous other structures by the emperors just to show off their supremacy many centuries ago.
Emperor Justinian the Great purchased marble from Aegean and the Thrace regions for building the church. He also left his mark on the top of each pillar within the building of the Hagia Sophia.
Hagia Sophia- an exquisite monument of motivation---
No doubt, the Hagia Sophia has undergone a huge transformation since the time during which it was built. However, the fact is that it was and will always remain a structure of grandeur for a long time to come. It was envied by Muslim sultans and architects who felt a feeling of awe and inspiration on seeing it.
To cite an example, once Sultan Mehmet I, who was a devoted Muslim, asked Sevekdar Mehmet Aga, an architect, to build a huge mosque that would surpass the Hagia Sophia. “Although the architect balked the criteria specified, saying that it would be a disproportionate and unaesthetic structure, he would eventually comply with the sultan’s request,” quotes Ozerler.
The Sultanahmet Mosque (Blue Mosque) happens to be nearly 40 percent smaller than the Hagia Sophia, however, Sedefkar Mehmet Aga created the illusion to make the mosque appear bigger in comparison to the Hagia Sophia.
In Serbia, there is a replica of the Hagia Sophia. Known as the Sava Von Serbien Church, the construction of this building was completed in Belgrade during 1980s.
The Hagia Sophia happens to be a magnificent structure adorning the Bosphorus that has stood the test of time and will continue to be a source of inspiration for numerous mosques in the times to come.
