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The most remarkable monument here is undoubtedly the Egyptian obelisk inscribed with hieroglyphs. This magnificent obelisk was originally erected before a temple at Karnak in 1450 B.C.E. Egyptian obelisks were transported to Rome, along with the monuments of other civilizations, as result of the Roman desire to demonstrate their power. Accordingly, Constantine I commanded that ancient monuments also be erected in the city for purposes of beautification. The obelisk is named after Emperor Theodosius the Great, who erected it in the center of the Hippodrome in 390 C.E. Bearing reliefs on all four faces, the bronze sphere at the top fell in the earthquake of 865 and was never restored. The inscription reveals that it was dedicated by Thutmose III an 18 generation descendant of the god Amon thanking him for the wealth, power, talent and sunlight that he showered on the earth. The obelisk stands on a base which also bears reliefs on four sides. The subject of the reliefs on the upper part of the base features Theodosius I at the Hippodrome while those in the lower section depict the actual erection of the obelisk, with the hauling and raising of the stone by the use of ropes. The two inscriptions one in Greek, the other in Latin, indicate that the erection of the obelisk occupied a total of 30 days. The obelisk, a witness over the centuries to various riots, wars, fires, and celebrations, was described as a charm protecting the safety of the city by the 17th-century Ottoman writer Evliya Çelebi. Directions: At Sultanahmet Square
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The bronze column situated between the two obelisks has a memorial that the Greeks erected to commemorate their victory over the Persians in 479 B.C.E. Brought from the Greek city of Delphi, the Serpent Column, consists of the intertwined torsos of three serpents. It is believed that a three-footed cauldron which symbolized the god Apollo, who was thought to bring victory, was situated between the serpents' heads. Today neither the heads of the entwined serpents or the cauldron survive intact; however, one serpent head was recovered in an excavation conducted in the square and is on exhibit in the Istanbul Archeological Museum. Directions: Between Blue Mosque and Turkish-Islamic Art Museum at the Sultanahmet Square
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The Eminonu district, bordering the Golden Horn, is the ancient heart of Byzantine Constantinople's business district when the city was surrounded by walls. It is home to many famous mosques as well as the major transportation hub for trains and ferries. But the center of the district is fascinating as we found walking to the Rustem Pasha mosque behind the Spice Bazaar.
There are no famous boutiques here and the very narrow streets are jammed with shoppers most of whom are local trade seeking bargains. There are innumerable small stores as well as handcarts and goods laid out on blankets in the street. Many blocks are devoted to one item, be it clothing, toys, food, tools, or kitchen appliances, with abrupt changes in character as one crosses a street or turns a corner.
We found knock-offs of many famous clothing brands on sale here, bought a few, extremely inexpensive, hard but not impossible to tell from the real thing. And we probably still paid more than we might have had we chosen to do more than minimal bargaining. Leave a Comment Directions: between the Spice Bazaar and the Rustem Pasha Mosque.
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The Spice Bazaar is one of the oldest bazaars in Istanbul and second in size to the Grand Bazaar. There are 88 booths in an L-shaped building with the main entrance facing the Yeni Mosque with a major facade. It was constructed on the order of Sultan Mehmed IV"s mother Hatice Turhan Sultan, who with other members of Ottoman nobility is buried in an adjacent mausoleum. The initial intent was to sell spices imported from Egypt ( an alternate name is the Egyptian Bazaar ) with rent going to support the adjacent mosque. It was designed by royal court architects and opened in 1660.
Today the visitor is overwhelmed by the intense scent of innumerable spices ground and displayed in the booths. Herbal medicines, nuts especially pistachio, roots, seeds, meats, and dried fruits are also sold here. Some stores specialize in candies. As tourists have discovered the bazaar there are also a few places with clothes, jewelry, and souvenirs. In the narrow crowded streets surrounding the bazaar all varietes of home goods, linens, kitchen utensils, and most everything else are for sale in a hectic noisy environment.
All the candy stores feature lokum, AKA Turkish Delight. Originally made as early as the 15th C, the main ingredients were honey molasses and flour. The candy was created by one Ali Muhiddin Haci Bekir to satisfy grown tired of hard candies. The original name was "rahat lokum" translated as comfortable morsel. Since the 19th C, sugar and starch are the main ingredients with a wide assortment of flavors and sometimes containing varied nuts. Popular flavors included walnut almond chocolate pistachio and almond. Adding rosewater and lemon gives a pink tinge. The family of Haci Bekir still maintain a store in Eminonu selling lokum, although not in the bazaar itself. The result is a soft gelatin-like substance which is a little sticky to the touch. We were unimpressed, didn't much like it, and didn't see anybody else eating it either.
Far better were the dried fruits containing assorted fillings, including fruit and nut colored pastes and some with whole pieces of nuts. Dried dates and apricots were the favored fruits but a wide variety were available. Delicious. We ate so much that a real dinner was out of the question.
We did, however, pass on the Turkish Viagra - advertised on signs with the eye-catching phrase " Do It Six Times In One Night". Leave a Comment Directions: right across from the Eminonu tram stop next to the large Yeni Mosque.
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Beautiful. The prayer hall of Rustem Pasha is small and harmoniously proportioned. The walls are covered with Iznik tiles with a high proportion of the red color, which is unusual because of the difficulty of creating this color. There are more of these early Iznik tiles than in any other mosque. The columns, minbar, and mihrab are also covered in tiles, all with geometric and floral designs. There are over 2300 of these strikingly colorful tires. The simple elegant dome is supported by four mini-domes and is lit by over 70 windows, 24 in the main dome and the rest along the walls. The arches supporting the domes are composed of red and white stones, carrying on the red theme.
The Rustem Pasha mosque was restored in the 1960's and open freely to the public, but remains foremost a mosque serving its community. It is a lasting memory from our trip and should not be missed. Leave a Comment
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This exquisite jewel box is far below the tourist radar, located northwest of the Spice Market, in a busy commercial district of Eminonu in a setting of narrow streets lined by small stores. On our visit, we were alone with a few men at prayer, able to appreciate the amazing beauty of this masterpiece by Sinan, the royal architect of Suleyman the Magnificent. It was built between 1561-3 commissioned by Grand Vizier Rustem Pasha, Suleyman's son-in-law, or by his wife Princess Mihrimah after his death.
The mosque is relatively small ( a grand vizier could not build a more impressive mosque than a sultan ) and set on an octagonal base over a group of stores. There is a single dome and only one minaret. The exterior is simple, except at the entrance where the wall is covered by Iznik tiles and the exquisite doors ( partly covered in image 1 ) are carved with inlays.
There are no lines and no crowds at Rustem Pasha Mosque - just walk up, put your shoes in the untended box at the entrance, and walk into an almost empty prayer room. This mosque is everything that the Blue Mosque is not, and is an absolute must-see.
RUSTEM PASHA - (1500-1561) - was the Bosnian son in law of Suleyman most famous for conspiring with Roxelana, the sultan's wife, to paint Prince Mustafa as the leader of a revolt and have him removed as heir apparent. Mustafa was beheaded, and Roxelana's son Selim became the new prince and first in line for the sultancy. The beginning of the decline of the Ottoman Empire has been dated to Selim, whose major interests were alcohol consumption and visits to the harem. No library building for this guy. History has named him Selim the Sot. Enough said. Leave a Comment
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The Roman fascination with water is manifest in Istanbul by up to 100 or more underground cisterns for water preservation. Like the Sultan and Column cisterns, huge columns support an arched roof with water covering the columns, hence the name applied to this largest and most famous of the cisterns. Unsuitable for bus tours and often excluded from private tours, the Yerebaten Cistern should be a must-see in Istanbul, especially since it is located right across from the Hagia Sophia and adjacent the Hippodrome.
Following the Nika Revolt (532), Emperor Justinian commissioned among other projects the creation of a great cistern under the Basilica, a commercial square, so originally known as the Basilica Cistern. With an area of almost 105000 sq ft, the cistern holds up to 2,800000 gallons. The arched roof is supported by 336 30 ft high columns. Most of these were taken from older buildings as some are doric and others Corinthian in style, made of different types of marble. Some are clearly comprised of segments from two different columns. The brick walls and floors are 5 feet thick, waterproofed with plaster.
Under the Ottomans, who preferred running to still water, the cistern fell into disrepair. Stories of people dropping buckets through their house floor and coming up with water and the occasional fish persisted through the centuries and an occasional European visitor descended into the cistern, but the first directed exploration would wait until a German expedition in the 1900's. Restorations began in 1985 and the cistern opened to tourists several years later.
Today one walks above the water on elevated wooden walkways between the columns allowing one to peer down into the water where innumerable fish often described as overgrown goldfish live a life of luxury ( at least until they are "replaced" every four years ). Looking up to the ceiling and the arches with moving light reflected from the water is eerie.
There are two featured columns. One is the Column of Tears, said to be engraved with tear drop like surface allegedly to recall deaths among the 7000 slaves who built the cistern. The second feature are two columns at the far end of the cistern containing blocks with the head of Medusa - one face on its side and the other upside down. Overenthusiastic romantics have suggested that these positions are meant to symbolize the triumph of Christianity over heathen beliefs. Maybe these fragments just fit better this way into the columns.
The Yerebatan Cistern is a remarkable attraction and should not be missed. Leave a Comment
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Sultan Ahmet I was the Sultan of the Ottoman Empire from 1590 to 1617, and is best know as being the sultan who sponsored the construction of the Blue Mosque. The sultan, his two wives, and a number of their children and other relatives are buried in a mausoleum near the Blue Mosque. The mausoleum is open to the public, and was an interesting side trip after seeing the Blue Mosque. Leave a Comment
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The Mimar Sinan Turbesi is the tomb of the great Ottoman architect Koca Mimar Sinan. Born in the lat 1400s and dying at around the age of 99 in 1588, Mimar Sinan was the most-renowned Ottoman architect and the man who really created the Classical Ottoman style of architecture exemplified by his mosques such as Suleyman Camii and Sokollu Mehmet Pasa Camii in Istanbul and his Selimiye Camii in Edirne, and copied ever since in the likes of Sultanahmet Camii (the so-called Blue Mosque) and, in far lesser form, many other smaller mosques like the vast majority of new little mosques being erected.
The classical style is extremely ubiquitous in Turkey, to the point of becoming tiresome, especially in some rather characterless new buildings that simply are cookie-cutter imitations of the style.
However, this style has become so enduring and ubiquitous for a reason. Sinan melded different stylistic traditions, and built on a vat range of engineering and architectural ideas, to create what was then a new style, and one that led to awe-inspiring structures of great grace, power,engingeering complexity, and ingenuity. These buildings at their best, such as Sinan's are dazzling inside and out, soar to the sky and and immediately strike one with their powerful presence, yet light, graceful structure. They can evoke great emotion and the styl;e was a big break from the prior, heavier structures such as the Selcuk buildings or the Ulu Cami of Bursa (as much as I love that serene and unique structure).
In addition, Sinan designed numerous bridges, commercial buildings, and the like all over the Ottoman empire.
He is buried in his tomb, which he himself designed apparently, and this is in the Suleymaniye area, across the street from one side of the Suleymaniye Camii complex, at a sharp intersection of two streets, one bearing his name. Leave a Comment Directions: In Sulyemaniye, it is across the street from the Suleymaniye Camii grounds themselves, on the north side towards the Golden Horn.
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Istanbul has a new era despide the famous museums,bosphorus,restaurants,churches and mesdgits the modern side of istanbul has a new venture .We have a new speed truck ( the best of the world) FORMULA ONE is organized in Istanbul Parc as it was last year
Dont miss this activity in may .In 2008 the prices of the hotel rooms raised to 400 usd per night please be in a hurry to book your place and your ticket Address: istanbul parkDirections: very near to sabiha gökçen airport
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