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)
Sultanahmet Mosque (Blue Mosque) in Sultanahmet Istanbul | sultanahmet1.com
Sultan Ahmet Mosque, also known as Blue Mosque, is the most famous monument of Ottoman era. Sultan Ahmet I (1603-1617), a highly religious sultan of Istanbul during the Ottoman period, ordered his architect Sedefkar Mehmet Agha to build a mosque that would rival Hagia Sofia, a Byzantine church. Hence, a specific site was selected in front of Hagia Sofia and the construction began on the Sultan Ahmet Mosque began in the year 1609. It is regarded as the stupendous masterpiece of Ottoman architecture..
Blue Mosque from Hagia Sophia
Mehmet Agha, the architect of this mosque, was a disciple of Sinan, one of the best architects of the Ottoman era. Suleymaniye Mosque (1550-1557), located on the western bank of the Golden Horn, is an example of Sinan’s creative skills. Hagia Sofia is another example of his architectural designs.
Sultan Ahmet Mosque is built on an area of nearly 209 by 235 feet while its central dome is nearly 23.5 meters wide and 43 meters high. It is supported by round piers. The mosque has a huge courtyard in the front and is enclosed by a wall. There are eight gateways having doors made of bronze for gaining entry inside the mosque. The inner court has a marble pavement and a fountain surrounded several columns made of marble, granite and porphyry.
While most of the mosques have just one, two or four minarets; this mosque is distinguished by its six minarets visible from a distance. These minarets are classic examples of Ottoman architecture. The six minarets became a cause of scandal as one other mosque, namely the Haram Mosque in Mecca, had six minarets. However, this problem was solved by the sultan after he ordered his architect to add another minaret to Mecca’s Haram Mosque.
Sultan ahmet Mosque or Blue Mosque got its name from the blue tiles that decorate the interior walls of the mosque. The floor of the mosque has been covered by carpets, the tradition followed in all other mosques. The minarets and the domes are covered by lead while the minaret tops are made of gold-plated copper which are repaired from time to time by skilled master craftsmen.
The beautifully decorated west entrance of the mosque is worth seeing. However, the non-worshippers can only use the north entrance for gaining entry inside the mosque. This has been done to preserve the sanctity of the mosque. When entering the mosque from the north side, one cannot fail to see the symbolic chains that remind all to bow their head as a mark of respect while entering the mosque.
According to Islamic tradtion, Muslims are required to pray five times in a day. In the communal prayers held in the mosque, the imam reads verses from the Koran, the holy book of Muslims. The mosque has a separate area meant for offering prayers by men and women.
During the summers, a historical narrative as well as a light show is held at the Blue Mosque in the evenings.
Şunu daha büyük bir haritada görüntüle: Blue Mosque
Turkish Hamam – A Dip Into The Golden Past
Whether you are visiting Istanbul for one day or for few days, your visit is simply considered incomplete without experiencing a visit to the traditional Turkish baths at Istanbul.
If you mistook a Turkish bath for a spa, then, you need to take a second thought. This is because a Turkish bath is much more than an hour of scrubbing, sweating and messaging at any spa. It is much more romanticized and exquisite experience not to be missed by anyone visiting Istanbul. Men and women, young and old, rich and poor, all were free to visit the traditional hamams. The tradition of Turkish baths (commonly known as ‘hamam’) has been passed on from the Byzantines to the Ottomans and is alive even in the modern Istanbul.
Among some of the most prominent Turkish baths is the Cemberlitas Hamam. Located in the heart of Istanbul, this hamam is just at a walking distance from the Grand Bazaar and the mosque. This hamam was built in 16th century by Mimar Sinan who also designed the Suleymaniye Mosque of Istanbul.
Like all hamams, this hamam too has different section for women. A plastic sign at the entrance of the hamam reminds women to walk bare feet and wrap a towel around their waist. Unlike other traditional baths in Istanbul, Cemberlitas Hamam is open till midnight. In hamams, men message men and women message women in the separate sections.
Another bath worth visiting in Istanbul is the Cagaloglu Bath located just near the Underground Cistern in Cagaloglu. In 1741, Sultan Mahmut ordered for construction of this hamam so as to generate revenue for his library and the famous monument of the time, Hagia Sofia. This hamam happens to be the last hamams built in the city before Sultan Mustafa III gave orders for banning construction of any hamams in 1768 to meet the city’s increasing demand for wood and water.
Cagaloglu Bath has a pool with dressing rooms and a waterjet in the middle of the pool. The bath has a marble platform surrounded by cubicles meant for bathing. This bath is open from 8 am till 10 pm for women while men can visit this bath between 8 am to 11 pm on all days of the week.
A visit to a hamam will not just relax your body but will give you an aesthetic pleasure which cannot be explained in words but only experienced. The masseuse will ask you to lie flat on your stomach and will cover you with foamy soap from head to toe. Then, she will gently scrub your back and then begin the same procedure on your front. The whole procedure will leave you calm and stress free.
The traditional institution of the Turkish baths sheds light on various aspects of the Turkish life and brings together different dimensions of the society’s culture.
