Sultanahmet and Historic Istanbul
It's just after midnight and Tim and I are back from a very, very busy day filled with innumerable sites.
We headed out from our hotel and stopped to get breakfast at a little bakery on our street. We each got a simit (very similar to a bagel), which are 1₺ (Turkish lyra, approx. 43¢), and ate them while we walked up to to the square with the obelisks I mentioned last night. Once at the square (which I have discovered was the Hippodrome of Constantinople in the Roman Empire days), we started our cultural forays by visiting Sultan Ahmed Mosque (aka the Blue Mosque). Completed in 1616, the mosque is absolutely stunning. We spent a bit of time soaking it all in before heading out, past the Hagia Sophia, to Topkapi Palace.
More a massive complex than just a palace, Topkapi served as the residence of the sultan of the Ottoman Empire for more than 400 years. Constructed in the mid-1400s, the palace grew over the subsequent centuries into a sprawling mass, employing more than 2500 people. On a sight at the northern edge of the thumb-shaped southern peninsula of the city, the palace has amazing views over the Golden Horn and Bosporus Strait out to the Marmara Sea. Tim and I entered through the Imperial Gate into the first courtyard (of which there are three, all many acres) and bought our Museum Passes (entry to eight museums for a set price).
Before we went to actually look at the palace, we popped into the Hagia Irene. Built in 548 and greatly repaired in the 8th Century following an earthquake, the building was completed as it stands today. A church for almost 1,000 years, after the Ottomans took control of Constantinople (feel free to sing), the building became a military storehouse. While the interior today still much resembles an elegant, though derelict warehouse, the space itself is quite grand and is used for concerts thanks to phenomenal acoustics.
We spent a bit of time in the museum shop before heading through the Gate of Salutation into the second courtyard and the main portion of the palace. We started at the palace kitchens (a massive complex with gorgeous brick vaults, arches and domes. About three minutes into our exploring, Hilary's parents met up with us to spend the day. The kitchens and the china and other kitchenwares displayed were marvelous, and took almost an hour to get through. We then explored other areas of the palace until 12:30 when we took a brief break to grab some food and drink at a cafe at the rear of the plaza overlooking the water.
The weather could not have been more obliging, and we enjoyed sahlep (a Turkish winter drink comprising milk and orchid root) and pastries in the sun with the water and city as a backdrop. At that point, it was in the mid-50s, but the sun made it very comfortable. Following our recharge, we got back to exploring the palace grounds including the harem, and didn't leave until after 3:00.
From the Palace, we headed next door to the Hagia Sophia. A site to behold due to the shear scale, I was excited to see if after hearing so much about it through architecture school. The engineering is simply unbelievable. Built by Constantine and completed in 537 after only five years of construction, it held the title as the world's largest cathedral for almost 1,000 years. A mosque after the rise of the Ottoman Empire, Ataturk declared it a museum when he came to power as the first president of the Republic and began to liberalize the country. While it's gone through a lot in the last millennium and a half, the scale of the building is astounding, the fact that it was built in the 500s is even more unbelievable and the vestiges of its former Christian incarnation (which are numerous) make the experience all that more interesting. Simply put, words nor pictures describe the experience.
After Hagia Sophia, we crossed the street and went down into the Cistern of Philoxenos. Also built by Constantine (the guy was ridiculously industrious), and located between the Hippodrome and Hagia Sophia, the cistern held more than 10 million gallons of water under a palace that stood on the site. The space, with 16' vaulted ceilings supported by ornately 242 ornately decorated columns, now only has a foot or so of water in it, with catwalks traversing through the massive space. Another one of those instances when there is really no great way to describe it, it was quite the sight to see.
Back up at street level, the four of us decided to catch a tram from Gülhane to Eminönü to head over to the Spice Bazaar to wander around. Off the tram, we cut through the forecourt of Yeni Comi (New Mosque) completed in 1665. We then wandered the spice market for a bit, taking in the colorful mounds of spices and the accompanying smells. Hungry from the day's adventures, we stopped for çay (pronounced "chai" - though not like chai in the states, rather it's just Turkish black tea) and borëk (almost like kugel with some cheese inside). After filling our stomachs and resting our feet, we hit a few shops before heading to Eminönü where Tim and I caught the tram to Sultanahment and Hilary's parents headed home.
Tim and I regrouped at the hotel for a bit before going back to Sltanahment and catching the tram all the way back up to the end of the line at Kabataş (where we were yesterday) and, instead of taking the funicular, trekked up the massive hill to Taksim. From Taksim, we made our way down İstiklâl Caddesi (the inverse of our walk last night); while less crowded than Saturday, the street was still filled with people. We followed the street all the way down, past the Tünel we took yesterday, into Karaköy. On the walk, we passed by Galata Tower and an old synagogue.
We continued the walk, following the tram line back toward Sultanahment, crossing the Galata Bridge where there were still hundreds of people fishing. We stopped for dinner of kebabs near Sirkeci and then completed the walk back to our hotel via the Blue Mosque.
With our itinerary planned for tomorrow, we are hoping for a day with a bit less walking, but no fewer sights to see! And sorry, but the pictures take too long to upload and I am tired. You'll just have to wait for me to put them on facebook!
We headed out from our hotel and stopped to get breakfast at a little bakery on our street. We each got a simit (very similar to a bagel), which are 1₺ (Turkish lyra, approx. 43¢), and ate them while we walked up to to the square with the obelisks I mentioned last night. Once at the square (which I have discovered was the Hippodrome of Constantinople in the Roman Empire days), we started our cultural forays by visiting Sultan Ahmed Mosque (aka the Blue Mosque). Completed in 1616, the mosque is absolutely stunning. We spent a bit of time soaking it all in before heading out, past the Hagia Sophia, to Topkapi Palace.
More a massive complex than just a palace, Topkapi served as the residence of the sultan of the Ottoman Empire for more than 400 years. Constructed in the mid-1400s, the palace grew over the subsequent centuries into a sprawling mass, employing more than 2500 people. On a sight at the northern edge of the thumb-shaped southern peninsula of the city, the palace has amazing views over the Golden Horn and Bosporus Strait out to the Marmara Sea. Tim and I entered through the Imperial Gate into the first courtyard (of which there are three, all many acres) and bought our Museum Passes (entry to eight museums for a set price).
Before we went to actually look at the palace, we popped into the Hagia Irene. Built in 548 and greatly repaired in the 8th Century following an earthquake, the building was completed as it stands today. A church for almost 1,000 years, after the Ottomans took control of Constantinople (feel free to sing), the building became a military storehouse. While the interior today still much resembles an elegant, though derelict warehouse, the space itself is quite grand and is used for concerts thanks to phenomenal acoustics.
We spent a bit of time in the museum shop before heading through the Gate of Salutation into the second courtyard and the main portion of the palace. We started at the palace kitchens (a massive complex with gorgeous brick vaults, arches and domes. About three minutes into our exploring, Hilary's parents met up with us to spend the day. The kitchens and the china and other kitchenwares displayed were marvelous, and took almost an hour to get through. We then explored other areas of the palace until 12:30 when we took a brief break to grab some food and drink at a cafe at the rear of the plaza overlooking the water.
The weather could not have been more obliging, and we enjoyed sahlep (a Turkish winter drink comprising milk and orchid root) and pastries in the sun with the water and city as a backdrop. At that point, it was in the mid-50s, but the sun made it very comfortable. Following our recharge, we got back to exploring the palace grounds including the harem, and didn't leave until after 3:00.
From the Palace, we headed next door to the Hagia Sophia. A site to behold due to the shear scale, I was excited to see if after hearing so much about it through architecture school. The engineering is simply unbelievable. Built by Constantine and completed in 537 after only five years of construction, it held the title as the world's largest cathedral for almost 1,000 years. A mosque after the rise of the Ottoman Empire, Ataturk declared it a museum when he came to power as the first president of the Republic and began to liberalize the country. While it's gone through a lot in the last millennium and a half, the scale of the building is astounding, the fact that it was built in the 500s is even more unbelievable and the vestiges of its former Christian incarnation (which are numerous) make the experience all that more interesting. Simply put, words nor pictures describe the experience.
After Hagia Sophia, we crossed the street and went down into the Cistern of Philoxenos. Also built by Constantine (the guy was ridiculously industrious), and located between the Hippodrome and Hagia Sophia, the cistern held more than 10 million gallons of water under a palace that stood on the site. The space, with 16' vaulted ceilings supported by ornately 242 ornately decorated columns, now only has a foot or so of water in it, with catwalks traversing through the massive space. Another one of those instances when there is really no great way to describe it, it was quite the sight to see.
Back up at street level, the four of us decided to catch a tram from Gülhane to Eminönü to head over to the Spice Bazaar to wander around. Off the tram, we cut through the forecourt of Yeni Comi (New Mosque) completed in 1665. We then wandered the spice market for a bit, taking in the colorful mounds of spices and the accompanying smells. Hungry from the day's adventures, we stopped for çay (pronounced "chai" - though not like chai in the states, rather it's just Turkish black tea) and borëk (almost like kugel with some cheese inside). After filling our stomachs and resting our feet, we hit a few shops before heading to Eminönü where Tim and I caught the tram to Sultanahment and Hilary's parents headed home.
Tim and I regrouped at the hotel for a bit before going back to Sltanahment and catching the tram all the way back up to the end of the line at Kabataş (where we were yesterday) and, instead of taking the funicular, trekked up the massive hill to Taksim. From Taksim, we made our way down İstiklâl Caddesi (the inverse of our walk last night); while less crowded than Saturday, the street was still filled with people. We followed the street all the way down, past the Tünel we took yesterday, into Karaköy. On the walk, we passed by Galata Tower and an old synagogue.
We continued the walk, following the tram line back toward Sultanahment, crossing the Galata Bridge where there were still hundreds of people fishing. We stopped for dinner of kebabs near Sirkeci and then completed the walk back to our hotel via the Blue Mosque.
With our itinerary planned for tomorrow, we are hoping for a day with a bit less walking, but no fewer sights to see! And sorry, but the pictures take too long to upload and I am tired. You'll just have to wait for me to put them on facebook!
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