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Published: January 13th 2016
Inside the Mosque
Sultan Ahmed Mosque, IstanbulHello my fellow travelers!
This is the third of 18 posts I'll make about my trip to Turkey and the Balkans in 2013 and it will cover my first day in Istanbul.
I didn't get much sleep during the bus ride because the bus was quite substantially delayed due to a large protest that we had to drive through as we came closer to Istanbul. It was a bit scary as there were raging fires outside and the protesters banged at the sides of the bus. For a moment I thought they were actually ready to storm the bus, but the driver got us through it all and during this I kept in touch with my host in Istanbul, Abdullah. He, most kindly, waited up for me until I arrived at 3 am. His wife even made an evening meal for us and I was given not only my own room but my own entire floor, talk about hospitality.
Abdullah had to get up early for work and I left with him, with only a couple hours sleep I can't say that I was at my best to take on a city such as this, but I sure
Wishing Column
Hagia Sophia, Istanbul was going to try. My first stop was at a beautiful Ottoman Mosque from the 16th century, aptly named Murat Pasha Mosque after the man who commissioned it.
Next I set my aim for the jugular of Istanbul, the grand Sultan Ahmed Square, a beautiful place surrounded by magnificent buildings such as the Sultan Ahmed Mosque, Hagia Sophia and the huge Topkapı Palace. Here I began with the Sultan Ahmed Mosque, or as it is also commonly known as, the Blue Mosque. It's called so because of all the blue tiles that's lined inside it. It's remarkably beautiful and I'm very happy that it is open to visitors and that it's free of charge. All that's asked is that you behave in a respectful manner which seems quite fair to me. That meant no shorts or shoes, no photography during prayer and no loud noises, all-in-all quite simple rules to follow according to me.
After my visit at the mosque I walked across the square to visit the Hagia Sophia. During my visit it was serving as a museum but it has since been turned back into a mosque. It was a bit expensive to enter and there
was quite a long line to get in but it is a must visit in Istanbul. It was undergoing extensive restorations though and during my visit it's interior was not quite at the same level of splendor as the Sultan Ahmed Mosque.
There are still amazing things inside though such as the imperial gate mosaic, which depicts Emperor Leo VI the Wise prostrating before Christ, the reason for the name of the gate is because that's where the emperors entered the cathedral from. There's also the southwestern entrance mosaic which depicts the Virgin Mother with Baby Christ in her lap, to her left stands Emperor Constantine offering a model of the city and to her right stands Emperor Justinian, offering a model of the Hagia Sophia.
Within the museum is also the sarcophagus of Empress Eirene who was the wife of Emperor John II Comnenus who ruled the Byzantine Empire from 1118 to 1143. Her sarcophagus was moved here in the 1960s from the monastery where she was originally buried.
This has been the seat of prominent religious leaders from several faiths since the 6
th century though so it's historical significance can't be overstated. I imagine that
after the restorations it will look quite amazing and I hope to visit it again at such a time.
Inside there is also a column called the wishing column where you can put your thumb into a hole and then twist your hand in a circle without letting go, if you succeed to complete a full circle it's supposed to fulfill your wishes. The column is quite moist which is said to be a miracle performed by Saint Gregory the Miracle Worker and it's supposed to cure many illnesses. I of course tried it but I unfortunately couldn't quite go the full circle.
While I was taking a sweaty hike through a series of elevated corridors leading up to the art gallery on the second floor I met a cheerful man. He said (through heavy panting) that if I thought this was tough I should wait until I was married to two women then I'd know what tough really means. I laughed and said that I was quite content with just one which made him laugh hard as well.
The last thing I visited at the Hagia Sophia was the tombs of several sultans which are buried
there. The first of these was the tomb of Mehmed III which contains 26 sarcophagi of the sultan and his family. He ascended the throne after the death of his father Murad III in 1595 and he ruled during the Long Turkish War. He was known as an idle sultan with a tendency to want to run from battles. Despite this he managed to secure a couple of strong victories in the war, but also suffered several defeats, all-in-all the conflict proved very indecisive.
In this tomb is also the sarcophagi of his son Ahmed I who ruled after the death of his father in 1603. He's most famous for the construction of the Sultan Ahmed Mosque and the fact that he broke the Ottoman tradition of fratricide by not executing his brother upon his enthronement, while his father had executed 19 of his brothers upon his enthronement.
Next I visited the tomb of Selim II who ascended the throne after the death of his father Suleiman the Magnificent in 1566. He was a very unlikely candidate to the throne and only came to power after the death of several of his brothers, many of them at the
hands of his father. Perhaps due to this he was known as a generous and benevolent sultan who did much for his people.
The next tomb I visited was that of Murad III, the father of Mehmed III, his rule was mostly defined by his war against the Safavid Empire. His tomb contains no les than 54 sarcophagi as he had a very large family. Next to his tomb is the tomb of princes where four princes and one daughter of Murad III are buried, this tomb was smaller and felt less grand than the others.
The final tomb, or rather tombs, that I visited was those of Mustafa I and Ibrahim I whom are buried in the former baptistry of the Hagia Sophia, in total there are 19 sarcophagi in their tomb. Mustafa I ruled during two different periods, but was overthrown both times to to mental instability. Ibrahim I was the son of Ahmed I but similarly to Mustafa I he was also deposed and executed to due to mental health issues.
Now I really needed something to eat and while looking around for a place to
get some food I somehow managed to sign up for a tour of the Bosporus not to mention getting pulled into a carpet shop by a crafty salesman, didn't buy anything though but he was still a nice chap.
The tour on the Bosporus was really nice and a great way to see much of the splendor of Istanbul as many of the sights are located by the water or well visible from it. On the boat I met a couple of nice guys from Saudi Arabia whom I talked a bit with while enjoying the ride. The tour guide was good as well and yeah, even though it was a bit pricey I think it was well worth it, especially since I have a bit of a tight schedule. Plus that it's kind of cool to be hovering on the line that separates Europe from Asia.
When we made landfall again I headed back up to the Sultan Ahmed Square, past the massive walls of the Topkapi Palace. This time I wanted to take a look at the Basilica Cistern, which I didn't really expect much from based on what I had read before my trip but
boy was I taken by surprise! It's quite easy to miss if it wasn't for the line at the door. It's a fairly unmarked door at a quite inconspicuous building. The line was rather long and while waiting I bought some grilled maize, cheap and delicious!
Once I paid the entrance fee and walked down into the underground cisterns I was struck by sheer magnificence! As you come down the stairs an amazing view opens up before you, revealing row after row of massive columns illuminated by a red light. It casts an eerie glow that reflects in the water at the base of the columns and beneath the calm surface you can see fish swimming serenely.
Trust me, that first view when it all dramatically opens up before you is in itself worth coming here for! The area is very large and once you're down here there aren't that much people either so you can easily walk around in peace and quiet. Make sure that you go the full way inside the cistern for a special treat, large Medusa heads! Seriously, don't miss this one because it's awesome!
Back above ground I went for a stroll
Protests
Istanbul in Gülhane Park, it's a nice park which offers a good retreat from the hectic city. I followed the wall of the Topkapi Palace through the park until I came to a gate guarded by two armed soldiers, turned out I had reached the VIP entrance. I stayed and talked with them for a while, both of them where really nice.
Next I walked around kind of randomly and first came upon the Sublime Porte (basically the entrance to the government of Istanbul) where I couldn't enter for logical reasons. Then I came to the 18th century Nuruosmaniye Mosque which is considered to be one of the finest Ottoman Mosques in Istanbul and it is indeed quite beautiful and well worth a visit when you're in Istanbul. After that I walked through the Grand Bazaar though I didn't stop to buy anything before I headed to the Column of Constantine, also known as the Burnt Column, which commemorates when Byzantium was declared the capital of Rome.
Finally I came upon the 15th century Gazi Atik Ali Pasha Mosque which is also quite wonderful, well worth a visit. Istanbul really is a great place to visit beautiful mosques and
Night Snack
Abdullah's Home, Istanbul I recommend you to visit as many as you can while you're here.
I felt quite content with my day after all of this and decided to return to Abdullah where I was met with a nice meal and a nice conversation, we spent the evening talking about deep things such as faith and politics, it was highly enjoyable.
Tomorrow I will visit the Topkapi Palace, the Galata Tower, the Süleymaniye Mosque and the New Mosque before I meet up with Adbullah after his work is done to spend the evening together.
Until tomorrow I wish you all peace and happy travels!
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