Guide to Istanbul | sultanahmet1.com
Besides numerous iconic monuments, there happen to be several famous places that add beauty and importance to the city of Istanbul. The book market (Sahaflar Carsisi) in Istanbul has been quite successful in aptly preserving the familiar atmosphere of the market (bazaar) so common nearly two hundred years ago when the place was dominated by the merchants involved in their respective trades with no special favor to the foreigner visitors.
Talking about the location of this market, it is spread on the courtyard from the Bayezid mosque extending up to the Grand Bazaar of Istanbul, which incidentally is the same location where the book and paper market existed during the Byzantine period. The bookstalls in this market are full of holy books, novels, textbooks and foreign books majority of which had been printed by the first Ottoman printer, Ibrahim Muteferrika.
One can find not just new but even secondhand books in English in one of the prominent bookstores in this market named Dilmen Kitabevi bookstore. Among various books displayed in different book shelves, one can find sufficient material throwing light on the Sexual life in Ottoman times. And there also happens to be a small market dealing in old coins, which is located through the far away gate.
Interior of the Rustem Pasha Mosque
Rustem Pasha mosque- This mosque, although small in size, is in no way, less prominent in terms of historical importance. The undercroft of this mosque serves as shops and can be reached by winding stairs. The true beauty of this mosque lies in its majestic design, thanks to the coveted efforts of its architect, Mimar Sinan, who built this mosque in the year 1563. No wonder, it really deserves to be called as the decorative wonders of Istanbul. With a truly majestic array of Iznik tiles adding glory to this artifact, this mosque once had deep red colored tiles that are no longer to be found now.
Crimea Memorial Church
Crimea Memorial Church-Various efforts by Turkey’s secular nationalists have been diverted towards making the city wholly provincial, especially by expressing their disregard on the city’s tradition of religious diversity. This displeasure was apparent towards the Greek Orthodox Church, making life difficult for the Patriarch living in Istanbul. The history of Istanbul will be considered incomplete without making a reference about a small yet quite significant fragment in the history of Istanbul, that is, the Crimea Memorial Church. Designed by GE Street, a famous English architect, this church was built on the area donated by the sultan in the year 1858-68. This church is a reminder of the times when the quite traditional Ottoman Empire welcomed western influences with open hands. Declining by the 1980s, this Anglican church was opened once again with the efforts of Assyrian refugees who took shelter in the 1990s. do take time to enjoy the beautiful painted chancel screen by Mungo McCosh and taking part in the Sunday congregation which begins at 10 am.
Cinaralti teahouse, Cengelkoy-Want to move away from the noisy hustle and bustle of the old city, take a public ferry to reach Uskudar and even Beylerbeyi Palace while continuing your visit to Cengelkoy. Cinaralti teahouse happens to be a traditional teahouse located on the waterfront enabling you to enjoy some of the most exotic views of the old city. You will be amazed by the mesmerizing sound of the ringing of the bells coming from a Greek orthodox church situated just across the road that mingle beautifully with the call to prayer. If you want to find a perfect place for enjoying your supper, just head straight towards Iskele Restaurant and enjoy probably the best fish available in the town.
Asitane Restaurant- If you happen to pay a visit to the Chora Church museum to enjoy its vivid mosaics belonging to the 12th century, you must make your visit more enjoyable and memorable by having lunch at Asitane Restaurant located just next door. This restaurant will take you to the glorious past of the 15th to the 18th century because he searched various festival menus of the kitchen at the Topkapi Palace to recreate recipes of that period. So, don’t forget to taste stuffed quince or stuffed melon while enjoying classical and jazz concerts held in the garden from time to time.
Church of St. Sergius and St Bacchus- Also known by the name of Little Hagia Sophia, this church belonging to the 15th century is now used as a mosque. This church was mainly built as a draft of architecture for testing new ideas. The reason why it was named as Little Hagia Sophia is quite interesting. If, in your imagination, you divide this building and place another dome on the top of the two domes, you will find a close resemblance of the building made according to your imaginative plan with the original and bigger Hagia Sophia. Situated just at a short distance from the central point of the old town, it is advisable to first visit the calligrapher’s market on the right before the entrance of this building before proceeding your visit towards this smaller Hagia Sophia. And if you are interested in taking home a souvenir in old Arabic script on anything, just order as you enter inside and collect while exiting from this mosque.
Turkish coffee shop of Fazil Bey—While passing through the route where the famous Fazil Bey’in Turk Kahvesi is located, you are likely to be fascinated by the inviting fragrance of fresh coffee just roasted in a machine belonging to the ancient times. This famous coffee shop was founded in 1923 and since then, it has turned many hearts passing-by to enjoy a sip of its delicious coffee. You can choose the flavor according to your individual liking. From vanilla, mastic, cardamom to chocolate, the shop provides coffee in every flavor. And don’t forget to accompany your cuppa of coffee with the homemade lemonade along with a few pieces of a Turkish delight named lokum.
Uskudar Bit Pazari antique flea market- Known to be somewhat conservative suburb situated on the Asian side, Uskudar has a great historical importance and has several famous monuments, mosques and hamams belonging to the Ottoman times. There are nearly 40 shops inside the covered bazaar that sell almost everything under the sun from bric-a-brac to numerous intricately carved pieces including marble basins. And a famous shop that has special items with wood, iron and stone work on them happens to be Asir Antik. If you want to shop for antique knick-knacks like keys, locks etc., you need to walk just a step further because Ridvan Tasciogullari’s shop is the next shop after Asir Antik. The owner of this shop, Mr. Ridvan has been taking several tours of Turkey to find some of the most unusual and special pieces to be stored in his collection at this shop.
Laundromat Boutique- This is a recently opened boutique located in Galata-Beyoglu. Galata has emerged to be a hot destination and this shop in Galata is only at a walking distance from the Galata Tower. Designers Yasemin Ozeri and Oyku Thurston, who are the co-owners of this shop, have the deft of creating exquisite designs on mufflers, shawls and hats. Apart from the designer creations of these two above named designers, the shop also has collection of other contemporary designers of Turkey. The best thing about the collection in this shop is that it changes every three months to include new designs from contemporary designers. and an exhibition to showcase the new breed of talented fashion designers is held four times in a year.
Princes Islands- Princes Islands, particularly Buyukada, is an inviting place for walking or for cycling around. If you feel hungry while taking a stroll around the island, you have a couple of restaurants on the Iskelse that will serve you the best fish cuisines which you are likely to feel compelled to have more and more. You can walk up to Hagia Yorgi for visiting a monastery and a church there. What can be more enjoying than having a cup of tea while watching the beautiful sunset view at evening?
Kanlica-If you pass through the outskirts of the city of Istanbul, do take time to taste the amazing and very famous yogurt made from sheep’s and cow’ milk and topped with the creamy skin and sprinkling of sugar. This is none other than Kanlica yogurt. Of course, that’s the reason why Bosphorus is an ideal place to escape from the humdrum of the city.
Tourists’ Love for Turkish Hamams
Cemberlitas Hamami in Sultanahmet (Hippodrome)
Although an increasing number of public baths are facing closure because of no customers, yet many tourists still regard a visit to the traditional hamam of Istanbul as something indispensable and hence an integral part of their journey. The rich, traditional and colorful culture of Istanbul’s hamams adds special importance to this capital of the Ottoman and the Byzantine Empires and make hamams exemplary pieces of architecture.
Under the ruling of Sultan Mehmed II, the Ottomans began the revival of the city’s buildings which included mosques and more prominently, public baths. Nearly 26 public baths were built under the revival program undertaken by Sultan Mehmed II to revive the depopulated city called Istanbul.
The traditional public baths of the 15th century were converted into huge monuments of artistic architecture with decorated domes and porticoes adorning these baths. The Tahtakale bath is a beautiful example of being a distinctive bath of Istanbul located just next to the Rustem Pasha Mosque in Eminonu as one moves through the city roads from the Golden Horn. A striking beauty of the famous Tahtakale bath reveals the love of the rich and the famous of the Ottoman period that had a craze for building public baths that were accessible to people of all faiths.
Public baths were an integral part of everyday life in Istanbul. The fact that there were more than 850 public baths operating in Istanbul during the 18th century provide sufficient evidence that public baths were a flourishing bathing industry of Istanbul offering employment and income to a large part of Istanbul’s population. These public baths were not just a public place to wash away every day’s dirt, but held an important place in the social life of the people of Istanbul.
Public baths held a special importance for women during the 18th century as they gathered there not just to bath but to gossip and enjoy each other’s company. It was a perfect place to search for a prospective bride for the mother of a young son. Till today, the young brides go to the public baths accompanied by their friends and relatives, a traditional custom of Turkish weddings prevalent even now. They dance and have a great time.
Galatasaray Hamami
There is another fact associate with these enjoyable places of public baths. Public baths also came to be known for steaming conspiracies and political rivalries during the Ottoman period. No wonder, the Ottoman administration sent out special spies to keep a vigil on not just the coffee bars and the streets but also the public baths. The fact is that public baths indeed became the place for political conspiracies as the person behind the public uprising in Istanbul in 1730 resulting in the execution of Grand Vizier Ibrahim Pasha, the lootings in Istanbul and the renouncing of Sultan Ahmed II was none other than Patrona Halil, an Albanian and a regular hamam attendant.
At present, Istanbul has nearly 90 active public baths that provide an atmosphere of relaxation for not just body but for the mind as well. In fact, being the perfect pieces of architecture, a number of public baths in the old parts of Eminonu and Sultanahmet are great hits among tourists. For example, 250-year-old Cagaloglu Hamami, 400-year-old Cemberlitas Hamami, the Besiktas Hamami, Tarihi Galatasaray Hamami and Gedikpasa Hamami in Sultanahmet are liked alike by tourists and the locals.
