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Istanbul Old Town Turkey 2010
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Global
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As Istanbul is a meeting point for East and West, the Galata Bridge is where New and Old Town meet. On one hand you have the 3000-year-old historical center of Istanbul surrounded by fragments of the original Byzantine wall and containing all of the well known sights, while across the bridge and centered around Taksim Square is the New District. Called " Pera" by the locals, it includes most of the top-rated hotels, good restaurants, which Betsey and I will testify to, and a lot of hustle and bustle nightlife along the Bosphorus Straits. But when you want to soak in the history of the area and see a window into the past, Old Town is where to go. We started at Hagia Sophia. |
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Hagia Sophia
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 Dedicated in 360 and rebuilt three times, Hagia Sophia started as the Cathedral of Constantinople, an Orthodox Catholic Church. In 1453 as Constantinople was conquered by the Ottoman Turks, Sultan Mehmed II ordered the church converted to a Mosque. The last transformation was in 1953 when the new Republic of Turkey secularized the building and opened it as a museum one year later. Standing as the largest Cathedral for over 1000 years, its architectural " firsts" included the use of pendentives which allowed the dome to be constructed over a square base structure and the inclusion of 40 windows to bring in light. It is an impressive sight as you stand on the marble floor and gaze upwards.
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| Main View |
Corner Mosaic |
Entrance Doors |
Mary with Rulers Mosaic |
Mihrab |
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Blue Mosque
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 Built between 1609 and 1616, the Blue Mosque was financed and built by Sultan Ahmet I, one of the few Sultans that spared his brother's life on ascending to the throne, going against centuries of tradition. The design was modeled after Hagia Sophia and shows a few centuries of architectural advancement in its design and construction. Four massive " elephant feet" support the dome allowing for a spacious open floor plan without the thick walls that prior domed buildings required. While Hagia Sophia was a breakthrough with 40 windows, the Blue Mosque boasts 260! If you are at any view point on high looking towards the Old Town skyline, you get a sense of the similarities of these two outstanding structures. Check your pictures carefully before declaring which one is which (ps...count the minarets.) |
| Legend says that the Sultan asked for a gold minaret (altin) but the architect thought he said six (alti), which explains the extra 2 towers. To add to the intrigue, legend also says that this caught the eye of the clergy at Mecca which had an equal six towers and they scrambled quickly to construct a seventh tower to maintain their prestige. While the first event is mostly explained as the Sultan wishing to flaunt his wealth, the second is contradicted by historical fact in that Mecca had seven towers a century before the Blue Mosque was built. In either case, the mosque and grounds are another example of East meets West as the two forces react and interact throughout time. |
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| Minaret |
Inner Courtyard |
Blue Tile |
Elephant Feet |
Dome |
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Topkapi Palace
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 Our favorite spot hands-down was Topkapi Palace! Topkapi means " cannon door" and refers to one of the gates along the old Byzantine wall that runs along the Sea of Mamara, as the palace was built on the ruins of Byzantium, an ancient Greek settlement. Construction started under Sultan Mehmet as the administration center in 1459 and continued on through the years under different reigns of Sultans. Süleyman the Magnificent was the first to use the complex as a residence and it was enlarged and enriched by each Sultan, which gives the complex a sense of being a historical walk through time. The grounds are meticulous, the tile work is everywhere and of the highest quality and the treasures displayed are mind bending. Four inter-connected rooms contain priceless artifacts collected over the years starting with the imperial thrones, moving on to jewels and gold, cumulating in the last room containing the fabled Topkapi dagger. Of all the art and treasures I have been fortunate to gaze upon, this one took my breath away. Created at the palace workshop for the shah of Iran, it never made it to the intended recipient as he was killed in an uprising and it now lies on a burgundy pillow dazzling the tourists. Jewel-encrusted, the three emeralds in the hilt of the dagger draw your eyes in. Not to be outdone, the Spoonmaker's pearl-shaped, 86 carat diamond is on display. And as you have guessed by now, it too comes with a legend. It was said to be found just lying in the dirt by a poor farmer who bartered it to a spoonmaker for wooden spoons. It then passed to a jeweler for 10 silver coins and how it ended up in the royal treasury is anyone's guess, but given the size it must have attracted royal attention and found its appropriate home. |
| Topkapi Palace is an all-day affair so we suggest you get there early to soak it all in. I will let a handful of pictures do the rest of the tempting and give you a taste of what you can expect. |
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Palace Map
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| Salutation Gate |
Council Chamber Dome |
The Eye |
Felicity Gate |
Audience Chamber |
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| Library |
Circumcision Room Ceiling |
Baghdad Pavilion Tiles |
Eunich Quarters & Names |
Harem Tile Work |
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| Harem Golden Passage |
Imperial Hall Dome |
Imperial Hall Throne |
Sultan Wash Basin |
Dome Tile Work |
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Dolmabahçe Palace
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As the Ottoman Empire declined in the late 19th century, Sultan Abdülmecit I decided to build a new palace to counter the impression that the empire was backwards and not in step with modern times. Dolmabahçe Palace became a synthesis of East and West design with style elements combing Baroque, Rococo and Neoclasical mixed with traditional Ottoman architecture that leaves you perplexed at times as you wander the grounds and interior. Especially inside the palace where you can go from rooms filled with gold and crystal to indistinguishable hallways and sections. The empire had to borrow heavily to finance the construction and it caused intense discontent with the populace. Completed in 1856, it contains 14 tons of gold leaf, the world's largest Bohemian crystal chandelier at 4.5 tons and 750 lights (a gift from Queen Victoria) and the largest collection of Baccarat crystal, including an opulent staircase with crystal banisters.
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| The grounds were reclaimed from the Bosphorus at first to create an imperial garden, and then gradually became the site of summer palaces and eventually was the chosen location for the new palace. Dolmabahçe literally translates as " filled gardens" and has a more open feel then Topkapi and takes advantage of the cool breezes from the straits. This was also the final residence of Mustafa Atatürk, the hero of modern Turkey and its first president, and has been preserved as part of the national heritage collection. It is a nice afternoon visit but be prepared for a lengthy stand in line to get into the grounds, especially if there are school groups, as they get the right of way! |
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| Palace Gate |
Clock Tower |
Bosphorus |
Palace Grounds |
Sea Gate |
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Bosphorus Strait
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 On our last day, with a bit of time before our afternoon departure to London, we hired a taxicab to drive us along the Bosphorus Straits going towards the Black Sea. This body of water separates Europe from Asia, is the narrowest international waterway and connects the Black Sea to the Sea of Marmara which then leads to the Dardanelle Strait, the Aegean Sea and finally the Mediterranean. The shores are lined with summer palaces for the rich and famous on the Asian side and the European side is a mix of neighborhoods and waterfront activities that support the local fishing industry. It was a nice drive and a chance to get off the beaten tourist path.
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And until next time, May our paths and errands meet...
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