Istanbul

Places of Interest - Turkey

introduction

Istanbul or Paris of the East is the cultural heart of Turkey and a must see for every tourist going to Turkey. It has the largest port and most inhabitants of the country but is not the capital (that’s Ankara). The city is the only one of its kind which is partly located in Europe and also in Asia and is divided by the water passage of the Bosporus coming from the Black Sea and empties into the sea of Marmara.

Founded by Greek settlers in the 7th century BC. the city became famous and rich when it became the capital of the great East Roman and later Byzantine Empire. Many tourist attractions of today date from that period such as Aya Sofia. In the 15th century it was conquered by the Muslims who turn the capital of the vast Ottoman Empire and renamed as "Istanbul". The old medieval city center is a UNESCO site and home to many Roman and Ottoman relics like Topkapi palace, the Blue Mosque and of course the bazaar where you can spend days in.

But Istanbul has more to offer - just enough of the tourist historical sites? Stroll through the busy shopping street Istiklal Cadessi and imagine yourself in a big Western city. Taksim square is where almost every demonstration begins and you will probably recognize it from TV. Finally, the unofficial capital of the country houses the three main football clubs of the country; Besiktas, Fenerbahce and Galatasaray with their very fanatic supporters. Try to catch a game while being in Istanbul.

highlights

In the district Sultanahmet in Istanbul you will find most of the big tourist attractions of the city such as Haghia Sofia, the blue Mosque, Topkapi Palace and the great bazaar of Istanbul.

Haghia Sofia / Aya Sofya:

If there is a site you really should not miss with a visit to Istanbul, it is the Aya Sofya. Roman Emperor Justinian had it built in the 6th century AD. and it would be the largest church until the conquest of the city by the Ottomans in the 1453.

The aim of the construction was to give the grotesque of the ancient Roman Empire (Byzantine) new glory. It was built on the old Acropolis. When the Muslims conquered old Constantinople, this cathedral was transformed into a mosque. In addition to the beauty of the church/mosque itself, you can take a look at the galleries that are filled with beautiful mosaics. The most admirable are those in the south wing (15,000,000 TL entrance).

The big bazaar (Kapali Carsi)

If you need something it’s best go to the first and largest indoor shopping mall in the world which is in Istanbul's big bazaar. It is a medieval labyrinth with about 4500 shops but also a police station, mosques, banks, restaurants and some remaining small shops where they still make goods in the traditional way.

Take your time for the bazaar because the chance that you get lost in one of the many similar alleys, squars and/or streets is considerable high. Perhaps the best time to enjoy this opportunity is to order a Turkish tea somewhere quietly and watch the busy local and tourist life fly by.

Blue mosque / Sultan Ahmet Camii

On the spot where there used to be a palace, Sultan Mehmet I decided in 1603 to build a mosque that would silence the Aya Sofia. The name blue comes from the fact the colour of the tiles that are used in a gallery which is unfortunately closed to the general public.

Some say that the exterior of the mosque is as beautiful as the inside of the aforementioned Aya Sofia.

Topkapi palace: see below (museum).

Other attractions:

The Hippodrome, Basicilica Cistern, galatators, and the Galata bridge.

history

A Greek settler asked the Delphi oracle in Egypt to establish a new colony to which the oracle responded; "towards the blind". When one day the Greek saw a natural harbor on the other side of a Greek village on the European side of nowadays Turkey and he founded "Byzantium" named after their king Byzas. The Greek city state was first conquered by the Macedonians and then - without bloodshed – came under the control of Rome. It became the capital of the Eastern Roman Empire - the later Byzantine Empire.

The city was perfectly defensible since it was surrounded by water on three sides, the Bosporus was on the important water trade route and closer to the important East. Rome was in the beginning the more important counterpart, but over the years all political and economic power passed over to the new capital. The Roman Emperor Constantine baptized the city Constantinople and most of the city's sights were built in those more than 1000 years of rule. The city was one of the largest and most beautiful cities in the world during late antiquity and the early and high middle ages. The Greek language had gained the upper hand on Latin since the 7th century, when the court also used Greek as the official language. The population was fanatic orthodox Christian.

The Crusades were meant to protect Christianity from Islam, but because the intentions of the individual crusaders were often nothing more than the preservation of life, they plundered Constantinople before the Muslims came. Most of the treasures collected in centuries, many of which were still from imperial Rome, were dragged to Western Europe, destroyed or melted down. Most valuables went to Venice where they can still be seen today. The Venetians were also the initiators for this plundering trip because they wanted to take this opportunity to eliminate the trade competition of Constantinople. The city remained in Latin hands until 1261 after which the Greeks managed to recapture the city. Since the plundering, the city was considerably impoverished and it also no longer managed to control the trade routes around the Black Sea, where her biggest income came from. This began the decline and not much more was built and entire neighborhoods were even abandoned.

What the Muslims call the liberation of the city, the Christians call the fall of Constantinople in 1453 - some call this conquest the end of the Middle Ages. The city was actually the only piece of land that the emperor still held. Large parts of Anatolia and the Balkans had already been conquered by Sultan Mehmed II. The Muslims made it their administrative, commercial and cultural center of the ever-growing Ottoman Empire.

Mosques were built (and the largest church was made a mosque, the palace and the city were called Istanbul and flourished as always.) Many intellectuals fled to Western Europe and especially to Italy - this was an important factor in the development of the " Renaissance. "The majority of the population of the new capital was about 60% Muslim, but there was still a large Greek minority of a quarter who, oddly enough, still owned most of the trade, and there were many Jews.

Armenians The Ottoman Empire grew and took over almost all the countries that fell under the Byzantine Empire In spite of the decline of the Ottoman Empire in the 19th century, with the city moving along, Istanbul remained important, the famous first luxury international train between Paris and Istanbul - the Orient Express - illustrates that Turkey was one of the losers of WWI and fought a war afterwards with Greece.

When Ataturk (Father of the Turks) also made Ankara Capital in 1923 because Istanbul was too vulnerable to warships, Istanbul was deprived of its international status - it became an important national city. In the same year, a large population exchange started between Turkey and Greece where the city left much of its population (Armenians too were forced to leave the city).

Istanbul lost its cosmopolitan multicultural character. In 1955 a pogrom directed against Greeks took place, with between 13 and 30 deaths. Dozens of shops were looted for two days and some churches were set on fire. The riots broke out after the false news that the house of Ataturk in Tessaloniki would have been blown up by a Greek extremist. After the riots, most Greeks left the city, except for a small community. Due to the immigration of many farming families from the Anatolia countryside, this vacuum was filled in and the city once again grew.

Despite all these incidents in the 20th century, Istanbul has regained much of its former glory - it remains, thanks to its impressive history, a unique city on the border between Europe and Asia and attracts thousands of tourist worldwide every year.

history (2004 and 2008)

You have two international airports in Istanbul - one is about 10 km west of the city center (in the European part) and is called Ataturk - this is the largest. In addition, there is the newer Sabiha Gokcen airport; it is located about 18 km east of the center and is slightly smaller but growing.

The bus station (otogar) that you will use the most is the large Istanbul otogar about 10 km west of the city center. Come in time because it is a super big bus station and many companies depart from here to the interior of Turkey but also to European cities. Sometimes it is better to get off at Harem otogar, which is on the other side of the Bosporus (on the Asian side) - here you can easily take a ferry to the European side is - so you are much faster, cheaper and more fun in the center.

Istanbul - Safranbolu: you can take a bus for about 30 Lira - the trip takes about 6 hours.

Name: Topkapi palace

Price: 10 euro entrance + 10 euro treasury + 10 euro harem + 3 euro Adalet Kulesi

Time: 9:30 - 17:00 Tues closed - Harem closed during lunch - 11:00 to 12:00 and 13:00 to 14:00 (Adalet Kulesi)

Content:

This is the main attraction of Istanbul besides a visit of the Aya Sofia. The palace where the sultan had been lived for about four centuries is built by Mehmet the conqueror immediately when the Ottomans took Constantinople. Mahmut II would be the last sultan in 1839 who really lived here. The complex consists of different buildings with, among other things, a separate harem, the treasury, kitchens and other lodgings all situated in a beautiful large garden consisting of four courts.

It is a glimpse into the life of a sultan at its peak and the faces from a time of 1001 nights will stimulate your imagination. An expensive, very touristy (and busy) tour but one that you have to make. Be sure to take half a day (not even more) to see this highlight.

Name: Hostel Sinbad

Address: Kucukayasofya Mah., Demirci Resit Sk

Price: € 20 single room

Phone nr. : 0090 212 5182305

Website: http://www.sinbadhostel.com/

Content:

In a quiet neighborhood near the center is this hostel where you can get a tiny single room. Showers and toilets are in the corridor; but there are several types of rooms (23 I think) present in this building - including a dormitory. Breakfast is included and is served (by a slightly grumpy girl) in a beautiful glass café where you have a view of the "Bosporus".

Name: Hostel Yakamoz

Address: Cankurtaran Mahallesi, Kutlugun Sokak No: 14

Price: € 14 single room

Phone nr. : +90 212 458 69 16

Website: http://www.yakamozguesthouse.com

Content:

This hostel is in the center but in a very quiet corner without neighbors. It is a very small and almost family hostel with a large dormitory and some other rooms - I had (I assume) the largest single room with its own toilet and shower. Clean, large, tidy and on the street side with a large window and modern air conditioning. Breakfast is included although the breakfast room is a bit clinical.

Highly recommended.

Some tips that I wrote down when I was in Istanbul:

Do not go with a taxi - go walking or take a local tram - taxis are expensive, take you to places that you do not want to drive, and what is more fun than to take a place in the tram;
Walk to the other side of the district "Sukanahmet" where all the old Turkish houses are still standing (from wood notes) - not crowded at all, not touristy while you are just a stone's throw from the major attractions.

Istanbul

Places of Interest - Turkey

introduction

highlights

history

history (2004 and 2008)

see also:

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