Fun things to do in Istanbul

A friend of mine took me for a walk there and I was chamed by Ortakoy. As far as I understood the translation of Ortakoy in English is Middle village.

Along with the church and the several mosques in Ortakoy you also find a synagogue. This place is a proof for the religious tolerance of the early period of the Ottoman Empire.

Something that attract my attention in Ortakoy was the great number of restaurants, bars and art galleries.

It looks like it is a popular place for students and artists. I did not see that many tourists there but it was January and it was very cold.

I guess if it was warmer I would be sitting on a bench by the Bosphorus and gaze at the passing ships and the people around for quite some time :))).

Because of the weather I stopped for a break in the cafe right next to the Ortakoy mosque. It was nice there as well.

The places of ineterst there are:
- Ortakoy mosque (the Buyuk Mecidiye Mosque),
- the Orthodox Church of Aghios Fokas,
- the Etz Ahayim Synagogue and
- the Ortakoy Public Bath.
- waterside residences of Hatice Sultan, Fehime sultan and Esma sultan.

Some history:
In the Byzantine era the main area of Ortakoy was known as Damianou named after the 9th century Byzantine monastery built by the statesman Damianos. Although initially neglected by the Ottomans, by the 16th century Oratkoy had become an important settlement in which all monotheistic religions were represented.

For a while Ortakoy was also known as Ayios (Saint) Phocas because of the orthodox church named after that saint.

Some people might say it is just a big hall with lots of columns but I can say that I was deeply impressed by this underground water palace. For me it is on the top of the must see actifities in Istanbul. That is why I start this section with Yerebatan Sarnici (Basilica Cistern).

What you see when you get inside is this vast space with the columns spreading all over the place and their reflection in the water. The atmosphere is very peaceful and mystique. This impression is underlined by the music they play inside of the museum.

The thngs that mostly attract my attention were:
- the column with the ornate body
- the two columns with the Medusa heads in northwest corner of the cistern
- the fish that swims in the water

After you are finished with your tour you might stop for a short break in Cistern Cafe

WARNING:
The floor is slippery due to the drops of water falling from the ceiling.

Some facts, pictures and additional comments from me:
Part 1
Part 2

Duration:
I could spend there much longer but if you really want just to see the place and take a couple of pictures it should not take longer then 20 - 30 min.

Working hours:
09:00 - 17:30 everyday

Price:
Foreigners:
TL 10 000 000 / YTL 10
Locals:
TL 3 000 000 / YTL 3

Some history:
The Serpentine Column was originally erected in front of the Temple of Appolo in Delphi. The column, made of three entwined serpents supporting a huge golden bowl on their (now missing) heads, was a donation of the 31 Greek cities federacy who melted the spoils of war they obtained after they defeated the Persians at the battle of Plataea in 479 BC. The column is thought to have been brought by Constantine I in the 4th century AD. The upper jaw of one of the serpents' head is on display at the Archaeological Museum.

Some history:
The Column of Constantine Porphyrogenetus is made of stone blocks placed on a marble base. All what is known about this Byzantine monument is that it was restored and embellished in the 10th century by Constantine VII Porphyrogenetus. In 1204 during the Fourth Crusade, the bronze relief plaques that adorned the column were ripped off and melted down for re-use. The bottom of the pit approximately indicates the original level of the Hippodrome.

2 more images

Even if you are visiting Istanbul for a short time, don't forget a day trip to Buyukada, a wonderful island (the largest of the Princes Islands) where no cars or motor vehicles are allowed - although I did see a parked ambulance.

Take the ferry, which leaves at regular intervals from the pier at Eminonu. A one-way ticket costs all of 2 YTL. The ferry itself is an experience. It is mostly used by locals (as opposed to the fancy cruises that are definitely a rip-off). Just make sure you look at the timetable. If you miss the last ferry going back (it leaves in the late afternoon), you're stuck.

A VERY IMPORTANT tip: Don't forget to use the bathroom BEFORE you leave. The toilets on the ferry are unbelievably dirty and smelly.

Stroll around the island or take a horse and carriage tour. It costs 35 YTL an hour, but maybe you can bargain with them. The island is a mini-paradise with flowering bushes and old Ottoman houses, many of them painted white with intricately patterned latticework. Many fish and kabob restaurants are clustered on the streets near the pier. We even found a kosher one. It turns out Buyukada is a summer get-away for many of Istanbul's Jews.

When the floodwaters stopped and Noah’s Ark finally came to rest on the top of Mt. Ararat – the tallest mountain in northeastern Turkey – poor Noah and his family were starving. But after 150 days inside a boat with a zoo-full of animals, there wasn’t too much left to eat. Mrs. Noah did her best, gathering whatever bits of food she could find and concocting a dish that is a favorite in Turkey until today.

The official name of this dessert is “asure” (pronounced “ashura”), which is the tenth day of the first month of the Islamic calender. In the early days of Islam, it was a fast day, and it remains a day of mourning for the Shiite Muslims.

But eat this dessert, and mourn no more. Widely known as Noah’s Ark Pudding, it is a kind of sweet cooked porridge containing everything but the proverbial kitchen sink. Fish around, and you will find raisins, dried apricots, peaches, figs, pomegranate seeds, whole grains of wheat – and an assortment of BEANS. I found kidney beans and chick peas in mine. All of this was topped with shredded coconut and some unidentified spice.

Now, this may sound horrible, but it is actually quite tasty. Asure is served as a dessert course in restaurants and little dishes of it are displayed in the windows of Istanbul’s pudding shops.

Blachernae Imperial Palace was built in the 11th century by emperor Alexius I. This area was originally outside of the Theodosian Walls. In 627 A.D., the walls were expanded. This created a weakness which would be exploited by invaders in the following centuries.

Major restoration work is underway, closing off the palace’s interior to visitors.

First of all Basilica Cistern is not a basilica at all. It's a huge, underground, water storage tank build during the reign of emperor Justinianus in 6th century by the work of 7000 slaves. At that time the big number of raids and besieges caused several times a destruction of the aqueducts and the canals outside the city. That's why the emperors decided to establish a number of cisterns. Even most of the churches basements were carefully sealed and plastered with water resistant mortar and transformed into underground tanks. In 7th Century all the cisterns in the Byzantium Istanbul had a total water storage capacity of 1.000.000 m3!
The water of the Basilica Cistern came from a point called Egrikapy in Belgrade Woods, 19 km. north from the city centre, by a system of aqueducts, which can still be seen in Edirnekapi district.
The cistern is a vast building of 140 m. long and 70 m. wide. In this cistern, which can be reached after walking down 52 steps on stone stairs, there are 336 columns each 9 m. high spaced at a distance of 4.8 m. apart. There are 12 lines of columns each line comprising of 28 columns. These columns are considered to have been collected from ancient buildings. They are made of various types of marble and granite stones and they are mostly of one piece each, although some of them are of two pieces placed on top of each other. The heads of 98 columns are in Corint style while as the rest is in the Ionic and Doric style.
The cistern's 4.80 m. wide brick covered wall and its brickcovered base have been made waterproof by being plastered with a special mortar. The cistern with its area of 9800 m2. has a water capacity of 100.000 tonnes.

Inside the cistern aou will find a small bar, and during the high season the place hosts various cultural events - concerts, dance performance.
Anyway, don't forget that inside the cistern the the temperature is much lower then outside. And - during the summer - it's not unpleasant! :)