Istanbul Friendly

Showing posts with label old city. Show all posts

Wednesday, 22 July 2015

Not all of us have much time to spend in a city. Istanbul, is both luckily and unfortunately is a complicated city with lots of sights. However, I'll offer you a one-day-route that will make possible for you the say "I visited Istanbul".

So, let's begin.

First stop: Historical Peninsula

Before we start the tour: Choose your hotel wisely. Sultanahmet hotels have many choices, but you can try Beyazit or Laleli, which are also close so that you won't spend much time on the way to Sultanahmet.

If you try to visit every single of the museums at Sultanahmet, a whole day wouldn't be enough for you. So, if you aren't into archaeology, you may not insist to visit Istanbul Archaeological Museums (though, I would never recommend you to skip it). Both Istanbul Archaeological Museums and Topkapi Palace take at least three hours with even fast pace.

Keep in mind that Istanbul is a very crowded city with locals and tourists, so you may have to wait in the long queues. Basilica Cistern is one of the places you should visit, and it takes really short time, but it has a limited capacity that causes long queues.

Don't skip Hagia Sophia ever. It also won't take much of your time. You can add your tour Sultanahmet Mosque, or the Blue Mosque, as you probably know it. If you have time, you can add Hagia Irene to your plan.

Don't forget to walk former Hippodrome arena. There you have three columns to see: Obelisk of Theodosius, Serpent Column, and Walled Obelisk. And a fountain: German Fountain.

If you are lucky and you managed to visit those places until 2 or 3 o'clock. You may hurry to see the Museum of Great Palace Mosaics, and Turkish and Islamic Arts Museum.

Second stop: Istiklal Street

You shouldn't be too late for Istiklal Street, because there also museums and churches to visit there. I suggest you to start from Galata, so you can finish your tour on Taksim Square. Then if you should get going, you'll be only five minutes walk to Havatas buses, which takes you to either Ataturk International Airport, or Sabiha Gokcen International Airport.

If you have time and energy, you can walk down from Sultanahmet, passing from Gulhane, Sirkeci, Eminonu, and Karakoy. You can stop by the New Mosque and the Egyptian Bazaar at Eminonu. The Grand Bazaar will take longer when you walk, but if you are staying at a Beyazit hotel, you may put it first on your list before Sultanahmet.

You can also directly take the tram to Karakoy. Then if you take the historical Tunnel, you'll miss Galata Tower and the Mawlawi House Museum. The way up to the Istiklal Street from Karakoy is a little bit steep. You can also walk down after the Tunnel, but you'll have to walk the half way again. Choose how you like it.

Istiklal Street is mainly famous for its restaurants and bars that obviously get better after evening. So, you don't have to hurry to eat and drink something. Sights first! Then, you'll relax.

Just walk slowly in order not to miss the obvious sights. There are many sights on side streets, but we'll focus on the main street for the sake of time. The Church of St. Mary Draperis will be on the right and it won't take much of your time. You also need to hurry to see the Church of St. Anthony of Padua, which is on your way on the right. You should plan accordingly.

Istiklal Street is also famous for its passages, so you may see a couple of them. Hacopulo Passage is one of the most famous and cosiest passages around. So, you may take a tea break there, and may be you may find some souvenirs.

Asmalimescit, Algerian Street, and the Flower Passage are beautiful places, but you may only take photos of their facades, and return later for food and drink. You may finish your tour with Holy Trinity Church and Taksim Square (and maybe additionally Gezi Park, if you're interested).

P.S.: If you have to days, you may try this solution: for one day Sultanahmet and for the other day Istiklal Street. Have fun!

Monday, 5 January 2015

Istanbul is different than the European cities. It has several centers and the attractions are scattered all around the city. However, the best possible option for the old city is generally the historical peninsula (which includes Sultanahmet, Eminonu, Karakoy), and particularly the Sultanahmet district.

Sultanahmet has a very old and interesting history. It was used by the Ottoman people and the sultans as a center of trade and socialization. Today when some old people say "I'm going to Istanbul", they mean the historical peninsula.

Where is Sultanahmet?

Sultanahmet is in Fatih, but you won't need to visit Fatih's center. Shortly: On the north, Binbirdirek (where the cistern is). On the west, Kucuksayasofya (Small Hagia Sophia, there is also a sight with the same name). On the east, Cankurtaran (near the archaelogical museum, there are traditional old houses. Also on the east, Bosphorus. It is also near Cagaloglu, which was the heart of book market, before the big bookstores, the internet and the e-book. And near Gulhane, where Gulhane Park, Topkapi Palace and Istanbul Archaelogical Museum are.

It is very easy to go there, transportaion means are vast. The easiest way to Sultanahmet is the Kabatas tram. You'll get of the tram at Sultanahmet station. There are also English announcements in the tram. When you hear the sexy voice saying Blue Mosque, you are there. If you get off on the wrong stop, don't worry. The distances are reasonable, so you can easily walk back and by that time you can look around you. If you like, you can walk from Eminonu, Sirkeci and Karakoy. If you walk from Karakoy, you will walk on the Galata Bridge. There you can see the part of the Golden Horn.

What is in Sultanahmet?

1. Sultanahmet Square

The most famous part of Sultanahmet is Sultanahmet Square. In the Byzantium area, it was known as Hippodrome, which means the area of horses and riders. The Ottamans used to call it "the Horse Square". There are many sight there (to be elaborated below), including three obelisks, Hagia Sophia, Blue Mosque, German Fountain, and many traditional shops reminiscent of the old market place.

2. Hagia Sophia

Hagia Sophia has always been an important religious center. It was built as a church. After the Conquest of Istanbul, it was converted into a mosque. Today it is a museum, but there are disputes that it should be a museum and be open to worship. But I think it should stay as a museum, or should be a church, as it used to be. (There are enough mosques and the splendid Blue Mosque is already a few meters far.)

This Hagia Sophia is actually the third one. Previous two were destroyed during the riots. There are some marble ruins from the second one. Hagia Sophia had many fresks, but they were covered with Islamic symbols, when it converted into a mosque. The red stone which gives the masterpiece its colour was brought from Egypt (green from Greece, white marble from Marmara Island of Balikesir, yellow from Syria, black from Istanbul). Hagia Sophia's architecture is creative for its time. Different solutions were tried to hold the huge dome.

This is a newer photo.

3. Sultan Ahmet Camii (Blue Mosque)

Sultan Ahmet Camii, or Blue Mosque, was ordered by the Ottoman Sultan Ahmed I and the architect was Sedefkar Mehmet Aga. It is called the Blue Mosque, because it was (and is) decorated with blue, green and white tiles, and the big and the half domes were decorated with mainly blue engravings. One of the most important things about it is that there are 20.000 Iznik tiles in it. There are buildings adjacent to it: madrasahs, shops, Turkish baths, fountains, graves, etc. It is actually one of the biggest complexes in Istanbul.

4. Yerebatan Sarnici (Basilica Cistern)

As mentioned above, this is not exactly on Sultanahmet Square, but it is so close that I have never felt it belongs to somewhere else than Sultanahmet. It is the biggest closed cistern in Istanbul. It is from Byzantian time. You get in from a small building on the west of Hagia Sophia. You have to pay for the ticket, because today it is a museum, not a cistern as before. There are two Medusa heads inside, one is upside down. There are differently decorated columns. A single unique, green column is called the teardrop stone. People put their thumb on it, make a full circle while making a wish. There is a restaurant and small souvenir shops down there, but they may be a little pricy. Some people throw changes into the low water in order to make their wishes come to true. It is totally up to you. Beware, the humidity can be problematic for asthma patients.

5. Alman Cesmesi (German Fountain)

German Fountain is situated opposite of the tomb of Ahmed I. This fountain was actually brought from Germany. The marbles and precious stones were brought in pieces and brought together in Istanbul. It is a present of Wilhelm. Its style is Neo-Byzantian. It is decorated with golden mosaics on the inside. There are Ottoman inscription on the fountain.

6. Obelisk of Theodosius

When you say "dikilitas (obelisk)" at Sultanahmet, people will directly understand this one, although there are two more. It was brought from Egypt by the Roman Emperor Theodosius I in 390 AC. This magnificent obelisk has great hieroglyphs on it. The obelist stands on 4 columns over a stone block. The block has reliefs on two sides, and Greek and Latin inscriptions on the other two sides.

7. Serpent Column

This is one of the oldest artifacts from Hippodrome that has endured -at least, partly. It originally had three serpent heads at the top. But today all are broken and only one of them is displayed at Istanbul Archaelogical Museum. It was made after the victory of Greek cities against Persian army in 479 BC, and it was erected at Apollo Temple in Dephi. Emperor Constantine brought the obelisk to Istanbul in 324. It was thought to have magical powers, such as protecting the city against insects and reptiles.

8. Walled Obelisk (Constantine Obelisk)

This 32 meter obelisk will immediately get your attention. Constantine VII ordered it to be restorated, but as its date is unknown, the obelisk has been attributed to him since 10th century. It is thought to be coated with gilded bronze plaques and to have a sphere at the top.

9. Firuz Aga Mosque

This mosque was ordered by Firuz Aga, the chief keeper of treasury of Bayezid II. It dates back to 1491. It was built in Bursa style. It has a single minaret on the left.

10. Museums

Such a historical place like Sultanahmet cannot be thought without museums. My favorite is Turkish-Islamic Arts Museum. It is very well arranged and you can see important historical works of art from different dates. There are calligraphy, rugs and tiles. The building was built in 1524 and was then the palace of Pargali Ibrahim Pasha (at the time of Suleiman the Magnificent). Great Palace Mosaic Museum is at Arasta Bazaar. The entrance is a little hidden compared to other museums. The mosaics are from the Great Palace of Constantinople, which is unfortunately destroyed except a few pieces.

What About Gulhane?

Gulhane is actually is another district, but it is very close to Sultanahmet and an old city tour cannot be thought without it. Therefore I will mention there shortly. Gulhane Park is one of the city parks of Istanbul, like Gezi Park. In the park, you can visit Istanbul Museum of History of Science and Technology in Islam. The museum is well organized, but have in mind to see almost no original pieces.

Topkapi Palace is world famous. It is huge, so spare at least half a day to see the whole palace. It has different parts that may not be open when you go. Some parts may demand extra fee than the one you pay at the enterance, such as the treasury and the harem. Topkapi Palace also houses the fourth biggest diamond in the world, the Spoonmaker's Diamond. Remember, Topkapi Palace isn't in Topkapi. Topkapi is an utterly differet district where there are mainly industrial stuff (and no attractions at all).

Istanbul Archaelogical Museums have three parts that are together on a big area: Archaelogical Museum (main building), Museum of the Ancient Orient, and the Museum of Islamic Art. It was founded by the famous painter and museum curator Osman Hamdi Bey. These are one of my favourites around the world. It is one of the biggest museums in the world, indeed.

What to eat at Sultanahmet?

The first thing you'll be told is "Sultanahmet meatball". One restaurant is the original one, but it is always so crowded that you can try the other one that makes also good meatballs in a traditional atmosphere. You can eat the traditional dishes and drink the traditional drinks, but some restaurants may be pricy due to the touristic rush. I also like boiled or grilled corn sold by peddlars. Don't forget to compare the prices. There are also restaurant chains that can be found anywhere in Istanbul. I'd rather to try traditional tastes. You can check the restaurant from the apps you have on you mobile phone, if you cannot trust where you are about to sit.

What to buy from Sultanahmet?

The rule is also applicable here: compare the prices. There are many souvenir shops with lots of traditional stuff. Don't look so eager and don't hesistate to bargain. Pretend to be going away. The prices will probably fall down. Carpets are very widespread, but handwoven ones may really be expensive. If you don't understand whether the carpet is handwoven or not, it is possible that you buy a machine-woven carpet at the price of a handwoven one. In my opinion, if you are not a passionate collector, try little souvenirs, like magnets and postcards that are cheaper and safer.

A cat sleeping on the products of a traditional store.

Tuesday, 18 November 2014

Istiklal Street, or Istiklal Avenue, is between the Taksim Square and the Tunnel (the second oldest in the world). Istiklal Avenue is famous for its night life, but it has many attractions that shouldn't be missed at daytime. Although the street is losing its essence year by year, it seems that it will not lose its top 10 position in Istanbul.

Istanbul is a great metropolis with lots of interesting things, but Istiklal Street is probably the most colorful part of it. You can play authentic entruments, sing in any language you want, wear a Napoleon costume. You can go drunk, or go mad. That's why Istiklal Street is still one of my favorite streets, despite the meaningless gray concrete of the Taksim Square and attempts to ban alcoholic beverages.

Istiklal Street houses restaurants, bars, shops, bookstores, cinemas, passages, cultural centers, embassies (that's actually why Istiklal Street was made for, wait for the history section) and many more. It is almost impossible to get bored here. Here there are also a lot of activities and gatherings are going on throughout the year.

A little warning: You will learn the meaning of "crowded" here, especially you're walking at the weekend. You should be careful about pickpockets, but it doesn't mean that there is a pickpocket at every corner. Just being careful would be enough. And don't believe the people who invite you a place assert to be great for the tourists, or you'll probably learn the meaning of "expensive".

History

A little bit history will show why Istiklal Street is different than the other parts of Istanbul. Istiklal Street has a very long-standing past. First appearance of the city is after Byzantium era. At that time Galata was a Genovese colony (and the Galata Tower is a Genovese structure.), but the part that Istiklal Street lies today wasn't.

The old city of Istanbul is actually is actually Suriçi (the historical peninsula), which includes Sultanahmet, Topkapı and Eminonu. (Although my grandmother lived in Istanbul, she would say "I'm going to Istanbul" when she was going to Eminonu.) The opposite and newer part of the Peninsula was called Pera (the part over Karakoy and Galata.)

Originally Pera consisted wineyards, orchards and couple of houses. After Ottomans got hold of the city, the trade of Galata developed dramatically. As Latins grew more crowded, they had to find new residences, one of which was Pera. The more the trade developed, the more migrants came from the historical peninsula, including colonies of Venice, Pisa and Amalfi, the French, the Netherlander and the English.

Today Istiklal Street houses lots of embassies which were places at that time. You can see most of them while walking down the street. Beautiful buildings indeed. But you won't probably enter and take photos, because it's forbidden. The embassies and consulates at Istiklal Street are France, Netherlands, Sweden, Russia, England, and the near ones are Italy, Germany and Greece.

Sights

Let's return to present and start from the beginning next to the Taxim Square, and learn about some of the important/interesting buildings or places.

Holy Trinity Church (Aya Triada Kilisesi): When you are about to enter Istiklal Street from Taksim Square, you will see the dome and the towers of this church. I would like to say "the whole of it" but there are some ugly buildings in front of it. There are some petitions to demolish them, so the chuch will show it's glory, but for now you can enter there from the side street. It is an eastern orthodox church. According to the tablet in front of the building, the date it was built is September 14th, 1880.

French Consulate and Cultural Center: This plain and nice building is not only for visas. It has a cosy restaurant and cafe in it. If you want to learn French, here is the place. There is also a cinema hall where you can watch selected movies (not the movies in theatres).

Çiçek Pasajı (originally Cité de Péra, literally Flower Passage): This gorgeous and famous passage was built after the big Beyoglu fire in the place of Naum Theatre in 1876. It had 24 shops and 18 luxurious apartments. In 1908 the owner changed. Lots of flower shops were opened the armistice years and so the name changed. In 1940's the pubs started to attract numerous customers. Today it is mostly remembered by its pubs, but pubs that are usually preferred by intellectuals, writers and artists. It had collapsed all of a sudden in 1978 and it wasn't rebuilt until 1988. The façade of the building is one of the most decorative ones at Istiklal Street and the interior is just as good as that. The prices may be a little bit high, but entering and taking photos are free.

Galatasaray Lisesi (Galatasaray Highschool): Galatasaray Lisesi is importand both historically and touristically. It is in the middle of Istiklal Street and many people meet there (another famous meeting point is Burger King, the one next to the square). It is one of the oldest educational institution in Turkey and the education language is French. You won't probably be able to enter the building, but you can watch its huge doors, reminding its glorious days.

Cezayir Street (Algerian Street): It is also called French Street. It is a nice narrow street with lovely building and cosy pubs. As for me, it looks like a street in a small European city.

Hacopulo Passage (Hazzopulo Passage): There are many historical passages at Istiklal Street: Çiçek Pasajı (as mentioned above), Rumeli Passage, Atlas Passage, Halep Passage, Aznavur Passage, Suriye (Syrian) Passage, Elhamra Passage, Markiz Passage, Avrupa (European) Passage. But Hazzopulo is an outdoor passage with teahouses stuffed with the youth. There are also second-hand booksellers and many old stores (Madam Katia Hats, wine house, and so on) that matches well with the nostalgic atmosphere.

Church of St. Anthony of Padua: This is the biggest church in Istanbul, in terms of the building and the congregation. It was first built on Galata in 1230 under the name of Saint François. It was burnt down two times in 1639 and 1660. After 1696, the church was moved to Pera and named as St. Anthony. The architecture of the church is very stunning indeed. The church with red brick façade was built in the place of the old one in 1906 and was opened to worship in 1912. The style is Italian Neo-Gothic. The shape is Latin Crucifix. There is an entrance with two buldings for the sake of the church. You will see this 38 meter long entrance first, then the yard and the church.

Mısır Apartment (Misir Apartimani): Apartman is the Turkish word for apartment. When it is written "apartimani", it is an older spelling and means that you're about the deal an old apartment. It is the neighbour of the Church of St. Anthony of Padua. When the Trocadero Theatre was demolished in 1910, Misirli Abbas Halim Pasha (Misirli = Egyptian) built this apartment as winter mansion. It is one of the first reinforced concrete in Istanbul. There are offices, restaurants, art galleries and many more.

Church of St. Mary Draperis: This church is a little bit hidden compared to the Church of St. Anthony of Padua. You go down some stairs before entering the church. It was established in 1584. It is an old Catholic Roman Parish, actually one of the oldest in Istanbul. The church has a neoclassical enterance that with a little statue of Virgin Mary. This can be seen on the street, but to see the square plan of the church, you have to enter from the gates.

Narmanli Inn (Narmanli Han): This beautiful building was built in 1831. It was used as Russian Embassy until 1880 and Russian prison until 1914, then became a property of Narmanli Family and used as a residence. It hosted many famous writers and artists, including Ahmet Hamdi Tanpinar, the writer of magnificent novel, The Time Regulation Institute (Saatleri Ayarlama Enstitüsü).

Crimean Memorial Church: It is an Anglican Church situated on the Kumbaraci Yokusu. It was built as a memorial for Crimean War in 1868. It has a Neo-Gothic style. Today its congregation is Sri Lankan and Far Eastern.

Asmalimescit: Asma means grapevine, mescit means small mosque, alltogether "the small mosque with grapevines". Because Bayezid II had had a mescit built there. And some time at recent history there was a brothel there (how ironic), so my parents didn't like the idea of me going to the Istiklal Street. But the reality is it was gone with the wind before I even heard of it. I cannot spend much time in Asmalimescit anyway, for the fear that food and drink may be pricy (especially for students). For cheaper drinking options, you can take a look at Nevizade or Kucuk Beyoglu (Little Beyoglu).

Transportation

Istiklal Street is closed to the traffic. The transportation vehicle on the street is the nostalgic tram. It is usually too crowded, so I always prefer going on foot. You can use Sishane metro to reach the other end or just walk down there. But unless there is a storm or a police interference, I don't think it's necessary and boring then walking on the street.

You will probably have no difficulty to arrive at Istiklal Street. As Taksim is a very central place (in fact, more central than the old city), you can either come from Beyazit and Laleli, or from the Anatolian coast, Kadiköy and Bostanci. And good news: The metro line from Aksaray to Yenikapi has just opened. From Atatürk International Airport, you can directly come to Istiklal Street.

Where to Stay

There are many hotels at Istiklal Street, and some are very luxurious. Not so luxurious ones may also be somewhat expensive from hotels situated in other districts. You may try Elmadag, Harbiye and Pangalti (Pancaldi) hotels for price comparison. Nisantasi and Tesvikiye may be as expensive, but if you are willing to walk for a while or take a taxi, Fulya is also a pretty alternative. Karakoy hotels and Eminonu hotels are close to both Taksim and Sultanahmet. There are also some hostels there.