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Published: November 6th 2011
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Merhaba Istanbul
My first few days in Istanbul were days spent in heat not in the climate sense because since arriving from Israel I experienced a 15 degree drop in temperature and not the kind of heat I would get from a “vacation boyfriend” (not that I didn’t get t offers after my first hour in Istanbul) but I finally succumbed to some sort of travelers illness. Not to worry, it wasn’t anything that a little Advil and Imodium could not cure. So for three days, I dragged myself out of bed and out to see the marvels of the Asian side of Istanbul. On the second day, France joined me. It was so nice to share a room and an itinerary in such a historical country with someone that I had a long history with too.
This city is enormous and chalk full of mosques, bazaars and byzantine beauties. It is yet another distinct city with its own special spice smells, apple tea, Turkish delight (Lokum) of every flavor, the best pistachios in the world and a place where one can tell time without the reference of a watch due to the call of the muezzin five times a
day. Istanbul was founded in 1453 after Mehmet’s II began a 53 day siege of Constantinople. On May 29, it became the third capital of the Ottoman Empire. The last Byzantine Emperor Constantine XI was killed in battle and the city was renamed Istanbul and rebuilt.
The Haghia Sophia (Aya Sofia) is one of Istanbul’s most famous and popular attractions. The snaking line at the entrance to this huge Byzantine church, with a dusky red exterior and huge dome that measures 56m high, even for November was testament to its beauty and enormity. A church was first built on this site; its present form dates back to the mid-6th-century when it was built by Emperor Justinian I. Within the Aya Sofia, are 10th century mosaics. Of special note is the mosaic of Christ flanked by Emperor Constantine IX and his wife, Empress Zoe. Disputes are ongoing as to whether Haghia Sophia should be a mosque, cathedral or museum. Opposite this towering masterpiece is yet another mosque, the Blue Mosque or the Sultanahmet Camii. The mosque’s location was intentional, being bigger therefore emphasizing the superiority of Islam over Christian Byzantium. You can approach the mosque’s courtyard via the Hippodrome where the
full impact of the mosque’s six soaring minarets and cascading domes appear before you. The number of minarets created controversy at the time of the mosque’s construction, as the only other mosque with six minarets is at Mecca. This was the last of the imperial mosques commissioned by the 19 year old Sultan Ahmet I. The courtyard made from Marmara marble is actually the same size as the interior of the prayer hall and, ironically more peaceful since the inside was full of tourists snapping photos. Across from these two majestic mosques is the Million Stone, a landmark from where distances from Byzantine’s capital, Constantinople to other important cities were once written and the street Divan Yolu leads directly to Rome. Next to the Million Stone is the Basilica Cistern, one of the most interesting sites that I visited. It dates back to the 6th century when water came from the Belgrade Forest which is 19km away and later the 16th century Maglova aqueducts. What was most fascinating besides going underground and discovering this water world, were the two Medusa head columns found in the cistern. One is upside down and the other at a 45 degree angle. The reason
for these two heads is still a mystery.
Another city walk took me the Galata Bridge where we watched fishermen cast their lines into the Bosphorous to pass the day. This was also from where one can see the famous Galata Tower, a 63m high landmark built by the Genoese in 1348 on the other side, the European side of Istanbul. This was where we did as many locals do, we had one of the freshest fish sandwiches for only 6TL about $2 straight from boats that grill the fish and serve them on fresh buns. To top off an amazing afternoon, we took a Bosphorous Cruise to the Black Sea and returned to see the mosque Yeni Camii (new mosque) lit up for the evening and yet another azan (call to prayer) from the many surrounding mosques.
Of course, I couldn’t miss the most popular tourist attraction, the Topkapi Palace. This huge complex was built by Mehmet II in 1478 at a strategic point overlooking the Bosphorous. Several thousand people lived within this city that was within a city. The palace contained residences, offices, the seat of government, soldiers’ training grounds and a harem. The harem contained 300 rooms;
girls and women were brought from all over the Ottoman Empire. The only other people allowed in were the Sultan and his sons and eunuch slaves from Ethiopia and Sudan. The highlight is the Treasury where one can see among everyday items encrusted with emeralds, rubies and other precious gems – the 84-carat Spoonmaker’s Diamond. Yes, it was ginormous and guarded by a simple unarmed security guard!
Shopping was never a problem in Istanbul since here there two bazaars. The grand dame of them all, the Grand Bazaar built in 1453. That’s five centuries of shopping! It has over 4 000 shops and 60 lanes. It is a domed bazaar and thick stone streets. The other bazaar is the Egyptian Spice Market that was built to finance the building of the new mosque, Yeni Camii. What was once filled with spices such as peppercorns, coriander, henna and dried herbs brought from Egypt has now made way for the sale of t-shirts, gold jewellery, fabric shops, Nescafe, baklava and Turkish delight.
The sites were endless, exotic and rich with history and that was only the Asian side in Sultanahmet, the heart of the old city. We did not even get over
to the modern side, the European Istanbul. Well as they say, “There’s always next time.”
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