So – getting back to İstanbul – there is so much to see and do it is hard to know where to begin. But the city is divided naturally into sections so it is best to focus on one area in a day; this is what we did.
The historical heart of İstanbul is on the European side, south of the Golden Horn waterway. Topkapı Palace was the home of the Sultans from 1465 until the nineteenth century. It was home to up to 4,000 people and contained mosques, schools, a hospital and workshops, as well as a 400-room harem. The ‘crown jewels’ are on display there – including thrones made of solid gold and an 86 carat diamond.
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| the gateway to Topkapı palace |
Right next to this is Ayasofya, the stunning church which later became a mosque and is now a museum. Finished in 537 on the site of two older churches, it was the largest cathedral in the world for nearly a thousand years. The dome, which is 55 metres above the floor and not supported by any columns, was one of the most ambitious structures of its time. Although various earthquakes have caused the dome to collapse, it has always been rebuilt and still stands almost 1500 years later!
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| Ayasofya |
Just along the street from Ayasofya is the entrance to the Yerebatan Sarnacı – an underground water cistern open to the public. What is so amazing about a water cistern you might ask? This one was built in the sixth century under the command of the Byzantine Emperor Justinian. It contains 336 marble columns, brought water from 19km away for use at the Byzantine palace and later at Topkapı and can hold up to 80,000 tons of water. Bet you’re impressed now!
That’s another thing that makes İstanbul so unique – the histories of the Byzantine and Ottoman Empires converge here to make everything bigger and grander. One of the stories I love is that of Sultan Mehmet – known as The Conqueror – and how he took Constantinople from the Byzantines. His Ottoman troops put the city under siege from across the Golden Horn, but they couldn’t access it by boat as the Byzantines had put a boom across the entrance to the waterway. His solution? To build a road of greased logs and make his men carry the ships and boats – estimated to be about 80 in number – over land! After his victory Sultan Mehmet the Conqueror made the city the capital of the Ottoman Empire and had Topkapı Palace built as the home of the Sultans there.
Another place worth a visit in Istanbul, and one that gives you a view over the site of all this turbulent history, is the Galata Tower. Itself built in 1348, it is situated on the European shore but north of the Golden Horn, looking across towards Topkapı and Ayasofya. I have to admit to having an attack of vertigo when I stepped out onto the parapet – but the walkway IS 51 metres above the ground with only a waist-high wall around it. Not wanting to miss out, I made a slow and very tentative tour of the whole walkway and then disappeared inside. Luckily, Cem took the time to take some photos!
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| view from Galata Tower |
