Suleymaniye
by neodue
(Turkish: Süleymaniye Camii) is a grand mosque in Istanbul, Turkey. It was built on the order of sultan Suleiman I (Suleiman the Magnificent) and was constructed by the great Ottoman architect Mimar Sinan. The construction work began in 1550 and the mosque was finished in 1557.
It is considered to be a kind of architectural answer to the Byzantine Hagia Sophia, commissioned by the Emperor Justinian. The Hagia Sophia, converted into a mosque under Mehmed II, served as a model to many other Ottoman mosques in Istanbul. Sinan's Sulimaniye is a more symmetrical, rationalized and light-filled interpretation of earlier Ottoman precedents, as well as the Hagia Sophia. It is possible that dialogue between Italy and Istanbul contributed to Sinan's enthusiasm for symmetrical and rational forms, as promoted by writers like Alberti.
The Suleymaniye plays on Suleyman's self-conscious representation of himself as a 'second Solomon.' It references the Dome of the Rock, which was built on the site of the Temple of Solomon, as well as Justinian's boast upon the completion of the Hagia Sophia: "Solomon, I have surpassed thee!" The Suleymaniye, similar in magnificence to the preceding structures, asserts sultan Suleyman's historical importance. The structure is nevertheless smaller in size than its older archetype, the Hagia Sophia. The mosque is 59 meters in length and 58 meters in width. The main dome is 53 meters high and has a diameter of 26.5 meters. At the time it was built, the dome was the highest in the Ottoman empire when measured from its base, but still lower from the ground level and smaller in diameter than that of Hagia Sophia. The complex has four minarets, a number only allowable to mosques endowed by a sultan (princes and princesses could construct two minarets; others only one). The minarets have a total of 10 galleries indicating that Suleiman I was the 10th Ottoman sultan. Apart from the main mosque with the praying hall (cami) and courtyard (avlu), the mosque complex also includes a caravanserai or seraglio (sarayý; han), a public kitchen (imaret) which served food to the poor, a hospital (darüþþifa), four Qur'an schools (medrese), a specialized school for the learning of hadith, and a bath-house (hamam). In the garden behind the main mosque there are two mausoleums (türbe) including the tombs of sultan Suleiman I, his wife Roxelana (Haseki Hürrem), his daughter Mihrimah, his mother Dilaþub Saliha and his sister Asiye. The sultans Suleiman II, Ahmed II and Safiye (died in 1777), the daughter of Mustafa II, are also buried here. Just outside the mosque walls to the north is the tomb of architect Sinan.
The Suleymaniye Mosque was ravaged by a fire in 1660 and was restored on the command of sultan Mehmed IV by architect Fossatý. Part of the dome collapsed again during the earthquake of 1766. Subsequent repairs damaged what was left of the original decoration of Sinan (recent cleaning has shown that Sinan experimented first with blue, before turning red the dominant colour of the dome).
Kestane.. roasted chestnuts!
by Durfun
Try some sweet, tasty chestnuts!
You'll see hawkers selling these, along with corn on the cob (boiled or roasted).
Their carts are found around Sultanahmet area, especially beside Hagia Sophia, as seen in photo 2, at the far right. They have a distinctive red & white striped roof - hard to miss!
Sold in various sizes (100, 150, and 400g), costing from 4/5/10 YTL. Served in little paper cups.
It seems a lot of locals prefer eating the corn on the cob, particularly men - young boys and grown men! Prices for the corn ranged from 1 YTL (roasted) to 1.50 YTL (boiled & buttered).
Packing for Istanbul
by mikelisaanna
Even in summer, expect to wear long pants (or long skirts for women) and shirts with at least short sleeves. This is because mosques forbid shorts and short skirts and bare shoulders and you will likely be touring mosques during your stay in Istanbul. Also, most Turkish men do not wear shorts, so you will stick out much more as a tourist if you are wearing shorts. Also, women should bring a scarf or two to carry in your purse so that you will have one to wear when touring mosques. Bring plenty of toilet paper, since public bathrooms often do not have (or run out of) toilet paper. Also bring wipes and hand cleaner. If you have fair skin, also bring sunscreen, since you will do a lot of walking outdoors in Istanbul.
In terms of medical supplies, bring something for diarrhea and food poisoning. We brought Immodium and did need it once in our 10-day visit. Bring lots of memory card capacity, extra batteries, and a charger. You will probably take a ton of photos and videos in Istanbul, and will burn through memory and batteries more quickly than usual. Photo equipment is available for sale in Istanbul, but is much more expensive than in the USA. Bring the following guide books:
The Istanbul book from the DK Eyewitness travel series. It has lots of photos and info about not only the main tourist sights, but also about numerous less well-known sights thrughout the city.
Rick Steve's Istanbul book. It contains well thought out self-guided tours through some of the main tourist sites.
Top 10 Istanbul. This book has numerous top 10 lists (Top 10 mosques, Top 10 museums, etc.) that help you make decisions about how to spend your time.
Behind Ayia Irene
by leics
Ayia Irene stands within the first (free entry) courtyard of Topkapi Palace.
It is truly ancient (it was first rebuilt in 532!) but, sadly, is rarely open to the public unles there is a concert or exhibition.
I'd have loved to see inside, but a wander around the outside looking at the architecture and the marks of rebuilding over the centuries led me to discover an archaeological dig tucked away behind the church.
It seems to have been abandoned for now, and wll be covered with vegetation later in the year..but it is worth wandering round.
There are stones of all types lying to the sides, numbered and stacked carefully by the archaeologists. The ground is covered in pottery sherds. And, well below the present ground level, you can see rows of reconstructed stone columns with carved capitals (Roman, I assumed), and structures, and walls.....
No-one was there except me....getting a brief glimpse into Istanbul's deepest past.
Worth exploring. But watch your step: the ground is uneven, the excavation deep and vegetation may hide holes and slopes.
The Most Popular Mall of Istanbul
by KIZGINdamdakiKedi about Akmerkez Shopping Center
You can find anything you are looking for.
Clothing,shoes,bags,jewelry,bath beauty,books. Everything.
Not that many touristic stuffs but i quarantie that you will find something interesting. You want to find Zara,Mango other known brands with a good price? you should go then depends what are you gonna get.
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Ceiling detail - outer corridor - Hagia Sophia
Space between the buildings
Basilica Cistern
The ships are much friendlier these days
