Great Istanbul is divided into 32 districts, each of them has a local municipality elected by the people living in the neighborhoods belonging to that district. There is also the Metropolitan Municipality taking care of all the districts in general, having duties such as coordinating and controlling the activities of the District Municipalities, selecting solid waste disposal sites, building and maintaining city roads, bridges etc, providing burial facilities, operating a public transport system, and so on.
İstanbul is divided in two by the Bosphorus, a narrow 30km strait that links the Black Sea and the Sea of Marmara, separating Europe from Asia. Feeding into the southern end of the strait from the European side is the Golden Horn, an inlet of water that starts as two small streams about 7km from the mouth of the Bosphorus. The quarters along the Golden Horn are dominated by light industry, while the majority of İstanbul’s residential suburbs are located along the shores of the Sea of Marmara and on the hills above the Bosphorus.
İstanbul effectively has two city centres, separated by the Golden Horn but both situated on the European side of the Bosphorus. The Sultanahmet district is the historical core of the city, while Taksim lies at the southern end of an extensive business district. The two can easily be made out from the water, distinguished respectively by the landmarks of the Topkapı Palace and the modern Marmara Hotel.
Most visitors spend the majority of their time around Sultanahmet, the centre of both the Byzantine and Ottoman empires. The most visited sites are close to each other on or around the main road and tramline of Divan Yolu – namely Topkapı Palace, Aya Sofya, Sultanahmet Camii (the Blue Mosque), the Museum of Turkish and Islamic Art, and the Kapalı Çarşı (covered bazaar). Downhill from Sultanahmet is the major transport hub of Eminönü, where trams connect with the city’s largest ferry terminal and the main train station. This district is handy for the Mısır Carşısı (spice bazaar) and Galata bridge, gateway to the Golden Horn.
West of the covered bazaar, the district of Beyazit – stretching to the crown of one of the city’s seven hills – is home to İstanbul’s university and the impressive Süleymaniye Camii. West of Beyazit lie the commercial district of Laleli and the transport hub of Aksaray, with the overtly Islamic, mosque-studded, districts of Fatih and Zeyrek beyond.
Some 6km west of Topkapı Palace, stretching between the Sea of Marmara and the Golden Horn, are the remarkably intact Byzantine city walls. It’s simple enough to get out here by bus or train for a walk on the fortifications at Yedikule and a visit to the spectacular frescoes and mosaics of the Kariye Museum. Further out, Eyüp is home to one of the most important mosques in the Islamic world.
ilaSultanahmet is the Istanbul of postcards and history. This small peninsula has witnessed more history than most countries. If you see only one building while here, make it the Haghia Sophia (‘Holy Wisdom’, Sultanahmet Square, 522 1750). After close to 1,000 years as a church and then 500 years as chief mosque of the Ottoman Empire, it’s now revered by Christians and Muslims alike. Directly north of Haghia Sophia is the imperial enclave of Topkapı Palace (Bab-ı Hümayün Caddesi, Gülhane, 512 0480, closed Tue). The palace was the hub of Ottoman power for more than three centuries, and for lavish decor and exquisite setting, it is a must-see.
From Sultanahmet and Eminönü, you’re most likely to cross the Golden Horn by the Galata bridge, entering the port area of Karaköy, then heading up the steep hill to the ancient Galata district. Near the northern end of Galata bridge is the Tünel, the French-built underground funicular railway, which chugs up to Beyoğlu, the city’s elegant nineteenth-century European quarter. From the upper Tünel station, an antique tram runs the length of Beyoğlu’s pedestrianized boulevard, İstiklâl Caddesi, to Taksim Square, the twin focal points of the modern city’s best hotels, bars, clubs and restaurants.
North of Taksim, and on the metro line, are the city’s newest business districts of Harbiye, Etiler and Nişantaşi, location of many airline offices and embassies. Downhill from Taksim, on the Bosphorus shore, lie Beşıktaş and Ortaköy, inner-city districts with scenic waterside locations and a number of historic palaces and parks. Across the straits, in Asia, the main centres of Üsküdar and Kadıköy form part of İstanbul’s commuter belt, but also have a few architectural attractions and decent shops, restaurants and clubs.
Most short-stay visitors spend all their time in Sultanahmet, home of İstanbul’s main sightseeing attractions: the Topkapı Palace, heart of the Ottoman Empire; the Sultanahmet Camii (better known as the Blue Mosque); and the greatest legacy of the Byzantine Empire, the church of Aya Sofya. Here also are the ancient Hippodrome, the Museum of Islamic Culture (housed in the former Palace of İbrahim Paşa), the Yerebatan underground cistern and the Kapalı Çarşı, the largest covered bazaar in the world. The monumental architecture, attractive parks and gardens, street-side cafes, and the benefits of a relatively traffic-free main road (courtesy of the tramline) combine to make this area pleasant for both sightseeing and staying.
On the negative side, large numbers of persistent hustlers gather around the Hippodrome and Divan Yolu Caddesi, badgering new arrivals to visit their carpet shop or offering to act as a guide. Ignore them in a friendly but firm manner, otherwise you’ll end up spending more time (and money) on carpet shopping than you dreamed possible.
European Side
Beyazit is the district centred on the buildings of İstanbul University and the covered bazaar. Relatively little explored by tourists, it’s a quarter that deserves some time, and the university and its surrounding mosques – Nuruosmaniye, Beyazit Camii and Süleymaniye – are all interesting. Then of course there’s the bazaar itself, as well as the most famous of İstanbul’s secondhand-book markets and a couple of its oldest hamams.
The main approach from Sultanahmet to Beyazit is Divan Yolu, a major thoroughfare that gained its name because it was the principal approach to the Divan. Hordes of people would pour along it three times a week to make their petitions to the court. These days it still gets crowded, but its once shabby, run-down demeanour has given way to a more upmarket spruceness.
At 64m by 56m, the Binbirdirek Cistern (Cistern of a Thousand and One Columns) is the second largest cistern in the city. It’s open to the public in the incongruous guise of a shopping mall, and is accessible via an entrance in its impressively thick retaining wall on Atmeydani Sokak. Originally the hall was over 12m high, as can be seen from the small area of four columns excavated to the original floor. The cistern is thought to have been built under the palace of Philoxenus, one of the Roman senators who accompanied Emperor Constantine to the city. It dried up completely around the fifteenth century and was later used as a spinning mill until the early twentieth century.
Continuing along Divan Yolu, you’ll pass the elaborate 1838 Tomb of SultanMahmut II and the seventeenth-century library building of the Köprülü Külliye. The latter is now home to a handicraft shop and café and a small Press Museum (Mon– Sat 10am–6pm; free) containing exhibits on the press and printing dating back to the sixteenth century.
At the next road junction is the Çemberlitaş (“the hooped stone”), a burnt column of masonry, also known as the Column of Constantine. Erected by Constantine the Great in 330 AD, it commemorated the city’s dedication as capital of the Roman Empire. For the next sixteen centuries the city was known as Constantinople. The column consists of seven drums of porphyry surmounted by a statue of the emperor. The iron hoops from which it derives its Turkish name were bound around the joints in the porphyry after an earthquake in 416 damaged the column. The current scorched condition dates from the great fire of 1779, which destroyed much of the surrounding area.
Across Vezirhanı Caddesi from the column is the celebrated four-hundred-year old Çemberlitaş Hamamı (daily 6am– midnight; 15YTL, 22YTL with massage; Websitewww.cemberlitashamami.com.tr), founded in the sixteenth century by Nur Banu, one of the most powerful of the Valide Sultans. Its central location means that the masseurs are well used to foreigners, making it a good place to be initiated into the rites of the Turkish bath.
Turn up Vezirhanı Caddesi to the Nuruosmaniye Camii at the back of the covered bazaar. Begun by Mahmut I in 1748 and finished seven years later by Osman III, this mosque was the first and most impressive of the city’s Baroque mosques, and set the fashion in Baroque and Rococo architecture for the following century. The architect is unknown, but its radical design suggests foreign influences.
Further along Yeniçeriler Caddesi, the Gazi Atık Ali Paşa Camii is one of the oldest mosques in the city. It was built in 1496 by Atık Ali Paşa, a eunuch who rose to the rank of grand vizier under Sultan Beyazit II. Its design, a rectangular room divided unequally by a huge arch, predates that of the larger, more famous mosques. The gardens boast a quiet café that offers nargile and is frequented by students from the nearby university and migrant Turks from the Balkans.
Beyazit Meydanı, the main square of Beyazit, marks the principal approach to İstanbul University. Here, entered through a small bit pazarı, or flea market, is the famous Sahaflar Çarşısı, the secondhand-booksellers’ market. A little enclave of wonderful shops, it’s run by some of the quarter’s best-known and worst-tempered characters. The Ottoman book market dates back to the eighteenth century, but long before that there was a Byzantine book and paper market on the site. After the conquest it lost its original identity to the spoonmakers, though booksellers gradually moved back in once printing and publishing were legalized in the second half of the eighteenth century.
The Ottomans were uneasy with human pictorial representation and used calligraphy for artistic expression. On the west side of the square the tradition is reflected in a small Museum of Calligraphy (Mon– Fri 9am–4pm; free), formerly a theological college, now containing some interesting examples of this highly developed Ottoman art form.
To the east of the square, Beyazit Camii, completed in 1506, is the oldest surviving imperial mosque in the city. It has a sombre courtyard full of richly coloured marble, including twenty columns of verd antique, red granite and porphyry. Inside, the building is a perfect square of exactly the same proportions as the courtyard (although the aisles make it feel elongated). The sixteenth-century fittings, including the carvings of the balustrade, mihrab and mimber, are all highly crafted. Walking straight past the mosque from Beyazit Meydanı and on through the Sahaflar Çarşısı, you’ll find another entrance to the covered bazaar.
İstanbul University commands an impressive position at the crown of one of the city’s seven hills. The fire tower located in the grounds, Beyazit Kulesi, is a landmark all over the city. The main building and some of its subsidiaries have a certain grandeur, especially when approached through the main gateway (the best time to do this is at 9am in term-time, when the national anthem, the İstiklâl Marşı, is played and everyone in the vicinity freezes for the duration).
İstanbul University has been a centre of political activity of the Left, the Right and Muslim fundamentalists, with occasional demonstrations, lock-ins and even violence on the campus. Parts of the university have since been relocated to Avcilar on the Edirne highway, and in recent times student unrest has died down, though feelings still run high about wearing religious garb. In 1999 trouble erupted over the ban on headscarf-clad female students attending courses and this remains a controversial issue today.
The location of the university is historically significant. It occupies the site of the Old Palace of Mehmet the Conqueror – imperial residence from 1453 until it burned to the ground in 1541. The palace was rebuilt to serve as a residence for concubines who had been retired after the accession of a new sultan. What’s now the main university building was constructed by the French architect Bourgeois, in 1866, to house the Ministry of War. This moved to Ankara in 1923, along with the other departments of state, when the university (which until then had been scattered around the city in various medreses of the imperial mosques) was relocated here.
Apart from the monumental gateway, where you enter the campus, the most impressive building on the site is a small köşk, to the right of the entrance. This is part of the original Bourgeois complex and has Baroque interior decoration.
Istanbul University Educational Institutions, The Bazaar Area and Environs You won’t find much to do here, other than appreciate the open space — the campus, with its long greensward and giant plane trees, originally served as the Ottoman war ministry, which accounts for the magnificent gateway arch facing Beyazit Square and the grandiose, martial style of the main buildings. In the garden is the white-marble 200-foot Beyazit Tower, the tallest structure in Old Stamboul, built in 1823 by Mahmut II (ruled 1808-39) as a fire-watch station, although you can no longer ascend.
Yes, Virginia, Istanbul is in Europe. This fact is more than obvious in the modern, pulsating heart of the city known as Taksim Square and in the sprawl of surrounding neighborhoods. Technically, the entire district is called Beyoglu, although colloquially it refers to the neighborhood formerly known as Pera (the turn-of-the-20th-century corner of the city that is today centered around the Pera Hotel). But Beyoglu can also (confusingly) refer to the neighborhoods of Karaköy, Galata, Tünel, Taksim, Nisantasi, and Çukurçuma, to name just a few. So as not to confuse my readers with a short description of every corner of Istanbul, it’s important to know that neighborhoods generally bear the name of a major landmark, and that neighborhood delineations are not that clear-cut. All you need to know is that today, Beyoglu attracts artists, diplomats, ex-pat journalists, and just plain commuters along its streets full of gentrified cafes, restaurants, bars, discos, and brightly lit pastry shops. It’s also helpful to know that if Beyoglu is the heart and soul of modern Istanbul, then Istiklal Caddesi is its lifeline. This hectic shopping street bisects the district from Taksim to Tünel, where the street disappears amid narrower streets heading downhill past the Galata Tower and down to Karaköy, the Golden Horn, and the Galata Bridge. But I’m getting ahead of myself. Let’s start at the very beginning.
Taksim Square, New Town This square at the north end of Istiklal Caddesi is the not particularly handsome center of the modern city. It’s basically a chaotic traffic circle with an entrance to Istanbul’s subway system, a bit of grass, and the Monument to the Republic and Independence, featuring Atatürk and his revolutionary cohorts. Around the square are Istanbul’s main concert hall (the Atatürk Cultural Center), the high-rise Marmara Hotel, and, on a grassy promenade, the 23-story Ceylan Inter-Continental. On Cumhuriyet Caddesi, the main street heading north from the square, are shops selling carpets and leather goods. Also here are the entrances to the Hyatt, Divan, and Istanbul Hilton hotels; several travel agencies and airline ticket offices; and a few nightclubs. Cumhuriyet turns into Halâskârgazi Caddesi. When this street meets Rumeli Caddesi, you enter the city’s high-fashion district, where Turkey’s top designers sell their wares.
Proudly standing at the head of Istiklal Caddesi is Taksim Square. Popular culture thrives here, a magnet for radicals with no other outlet, including a subculture of transvestites, recently made popular by various television personalities, in the neighborhoods around the square. Nightclubs, seedy bars, and Internet cafes take up a good amount of local real estate, or at least whatever the high-rise hotels left undeveloped. Standing at the center of Taksim Square is a statue of Atatürk and the founding fathers of Turkey, representing on one side the War of Independence and on the other the Republic. The Atatürk Cultural Center (Atatürk Kültür Merkezi) mars the skyline looking more like a condenser of an air-conditioning unit than the grand opera house that it is. In addition to the State Opera and Ballet, the AKM houses the Symphony Orchestra and the State Theatre Company. Performances by outside companies are presented here along with art exhibitions in the galleries.
A concentration of full-service, high-rise hotels targeting businesspeople makes the area around Taksim a perfect place for bustle and convenience, not to mention the availability of a proper cappuccino. The location is also connected to a transportation network that includes the cable car/tramway along Istiklal Caddesi that connects Taksim Square with Tünel, the very short funicular at Tünel, a plethora of municipal buses, and a daunting network of dolmuses (minivan-type public transportation). Unfortunately, the area also attracts the indigents and pilferers of Istanbul, so leave your valuables in the hotel and stick to the main avenues after the sun goes down.
Istiklal Caddesi ends at Tünel, which also refers to the one-stop funicular called Tünel; to make matters worse, both the upper and lower entrances of the funicular are called Tünel. To avoid confusion, I refer to the area around the upper entrance as Tünel and the lower as Karaköy. If you decide to take the funicular up or down, you’ll be missing one of Istanbul’s more characteristic neighborhoods — known as Galata. Galata historically referred to the fortified area between the Atatürk and Galata bridges and extended up from the shoreline to the Galata Tower. Istanbul’s earliest settlements were found in and around Galata, today a hodgepodge of steeply sloping streets radiating from the tower. Where Karaköy and Galata merge, you’ll find a wealth of architectural monuments left by the European communities that thrived here during the Ottoman period, as well as a small community of street urchins and — on the fringes — at least one brothel.
At the bottom of the hill is Karaköy, a functionally messy transport hub and essentially home to a guild of plumbing and electricity suppliers. Recent additions (and well-received upgrades) include the Istanbul Modern, as well as the tea gardens and waterpipe cafes located near the museum’s entrance. The northern/modern neighborhoods of Beyoglu meet the city’s southern/historic sister on the Galata Bridge, which spans the estuary of the Golden Horn. The structure is in its umpteenth incarnation and serves not only as a thoroughfare but also as a destination. The lower level of the bridge was recently developed to house restaurants, bars, and even backgammon cafes, offering the visitor yet another irresistible view-filled venue. On the southern shore of the Golden Horn is the Old City, which refers to the open-air museum enclosed within the ancient city walls. It encompasses the districts of Eminönü and Fatih, whose names are also attached to neighborhoods within the districts.
Beyoğlu: Small version of Istanbul Beyoğlu is as ancient as Istanbul, as diversified as Turkey and also a colorful mosaic of many cultures, traces of which are in its each corner.
Beyoğlu is the small version of Istanbul. At the same time, it is as ancient as Istanbul, as diversified as Turkey and also a colorful mosaic of cultures. Beyoğlu, also called Pera, is able to embrace all kinds of people, shops, cafes, bars, cinemas, theaters and restaurants, you can see in every part of Istanbul.
Beyoğlu, which has been hosting people of different races, languages, religions and cultures for thousands of years, is not only a cradle of art and entertainment life but is also a center for trade for centuries. In the present Beyoğlu region, mainly Genovese, Byzantine and Ottoman influences are visible particularly in Galata and Pera. Various ethnic groups living in this region have a great role in establishing the current texture of Beyoğlu.
Now, what about exploring Beyoğlu that comprises regions such as Taksim Square, Cihangir, Tarlabaşı, Galatasaray, Galata and Tünel with their own unique features, and streets which are always active for 7/24.
Then, let’s start with Taksim Square… This place is the intersection point for all the roads leading to Dolmabahçe, Maçka, Şişli, Şişhane, Tünel and Cihangir and therefore it is one of the knot points distributing and adjusting the city life. In fact in Arabic the word “taksim” means “to distribute”, “to share” and “to scatter”. In the past, water was distributed to the city from this region that is why it has this name.
When you go to Taksim Square, the first building that attracts your attention will be Atatürk Cultural Center with its majestic appearance. Atatürk Cultural Center is one the most significant platforms where various types of art such as theater, opera, ballet, dance and music are performed. The center of the square is honored with the presence of The Monument of Rebuplic. This monument exposes how the Turkish nation coming out of the War of Independence with a victory founded the Republic, and in official festivals it becomes even more splendiferous embellished with colorful garlands. The benches surrounding the monument can serve as ideal places to rest before you start advancing through the active streets of Istiklal Avenue.
Beyoğlu has the most active night life in İstanbul, and upon leaving the entertainment locations by the earliest lights of the morning, the residents of Istanbul come to these buffets. We strongly recommend those who want a snack, Bambi with its delicious sandwiches and special mix fruit juices and Kızılkayalar with its hamburger of a unique taste with its special sauce. Another region we advise you is Talimhane. This region is closed to traffic. The most significant characteristic of Talimhane is that tourist hotels of all economic classes are lined up side by side.
Beyoğlu’s vital point: Istiklal Avenue Beyoğlu’s vital point is Istiklal Avenue without doubt. This avenue is the most important part of the unique texture of Beyoğlu. The centers for food and drinks, entertainment and culture-arts are lined up one after another here. Perhaps the most important feature of Istiklal Avenue is that life goes on nonstop in cycles of 24 hours.
Maybe the most significant symbol of this avenue is the nostalgic tramcar that extends from Taksim Square to the Tünel. The crowd reaches its peak in this street particularly at weekends as it is constantly flooded with visitors and the residents of Istanbul. In fact it is said that human circulation on the street approaches 2 millions during the weekend.
The avenue has the scent of history with its buildings bearing the traces of the 17th and 18th century architecture, churches of various sects and periods, apartments decorated by Christian figures such as angels and Virgin Mary and trade inns.
Without a doubt, the first destination of all visitors to Istanbul, both Turkish and foreign, is the Historical Peninsula. Upon stepping onto this peninsula, one can gaze directly at some of the world’s most important historical monuments. Among these historical treasures are Hagia Sophia, the Blue Mosque, Yerebatan Cistern, the Archeology Museum, Topkapı Palace, and the Süleymaniye Mosque. You will also come face to face with the centuries old churches, mosques, and houses along the Golden Horn.
The cradle of the meyhane culture: Nevizade When talking about Istiklal Avenue, one should also mention meyhanes. Meyhanes form the common culture for the Turk, Armenian and Greek people and they are located along the Istiklal Avenue and its narrow streets particularly on Çiçek Arcade and Historical Nevizade Street. In meyhanes, rich dining tables are laid where various mezes are accompanied by rakı. The customs are composed of tasting mezes and traditional Turkish meals, sipping the rakı slowly and listening to the fasıl during a long period of time.
The primary address for cultural and art activities Along Istiklal Avenue it is possible to come across many cinemas, theaters, art centers and art galleries.
Every year, the street hosts comprehensive organizations such as International Istanbul Film Festival or International Istanbul Jazz Festival, and since such activities intensify particularly during the summer months, the art lovers of Istanbul and students constantly visit the avenue during that season. There are also the embassies of countries such as Netherlands, Sweden, Russian Federation, Britain, Greece, Italy and Spain on this avenue. At the same time, the street hosts cultural centers of different countries.
At the northern end of İstiklâl Caddesi is Taksim Square, the heart of modern İstanbul. The size of Taksim Square is undeniably impressive, which is just as well since there’s little else to be said in its favour. As an imitation of a grand Western plaza, it’s not a great success, lacking the essential monumental architecture to balance its broad expanse and robbed of any real atmosphere by its confusing traffic system. It is however, a central pivot of İstanbul’s, and indeed Turkey’s, main business area and is regarded as a symbol of the secular Turkish republic. Indeed in 1997, when the fleeting Islamist Virtue Party’s government unveiled plans to build a mosque in the square, they were soon forced to abandon the idea in the face of public disapproval.
Taksim in Turkish means “distribution” and the low stone reservoir on the south side is the building from which Taksim Square takes its name. Constructed in 1732 to distribute water brought from the Belgrade Forest by aqueduct, the taksim’s octagonal annexe, located on the İstiklâl Caddesi side, has stone bird-houses above its door that are carved to look like miniature Ottoman houses.
Steps on the north side of the square above the main bus terminal lead up to the pleasant Taksim Parkı, with its bench-lined paths and open-air tea gardens. The rare occurrence of a park here – wholly untypical of traditional Islamic city planning – is a glorious relief after you’ve been grubbing around in the backstreets of the old quarters.
The Atatürk Cultural Centre (see “Atatürk Kültür Merkezi or AKM”) is to the east of the square and is one of the leading venues for İstanbul’s various international festivals. It is also home to the State Opera and Ballet, the Symphony Orchestra and the State Theatre Company (though tickets for anything worthwhile tend to sell out a long time in advance).
Taksim Square is the most known modern city center of Istanbul. Many hotels and restaurants are in or near the Square and on Istiklal Street, and there is a local bus terminal for public transportation and the main subway station. Istiklal pedestrian street has many bars, night clubs and movie theaters therefore it’s always busy with young people almost for 24 hours a day. The Square is also the meeting place to celebrate New Year’s Eve, parades, public concerts and other shows.
The most important monument in Taksim Square is the Independence Monument (Istiklal Aniti in Turkish), standing at the beginning of Istiklal pedestrian street. This is also the turnaround point for the old tram which is the only vehicle permitted on Istiklal Street beside official (police and government) cars.
The monument was made by the Italian sculptor Pietro Canonica and opened in 1928, it describes Atatürk, founder of the Republic, as a military commander-in-chief and a statesman. Since it’s opening, the monument became the center spot of official ceremonies in Istanbul.
On its south façade overlooking the Siraselviler Street, there is Atatürk, Ismet Inönü and Fevzi Çakmak in the front and other figures behind them symbolizing the foundation of the Republic. On the north façade overlooking at Cumhuriyet Street, the War of Independence is symbolized. On the east and west façades, the Turkish Army is symbolized with a soldier holding the Turkish Flag.
Across this monument on the other side of the Square, there is a huge building which is Atatürk Cultural Center. In the early years of the Republic, an opera building was started to build which was completed after a long construction period of 13 years. It was opened with the name of Istanbul Cultural Palace in 1969 but suffered a great damage because of a fire in 1970. It was renovated and was given the name of Atatürk Cultural Center in 1978, known as AKM in Turkish. Today, several national and international concerts, operas, meetings, exhibitions and premiers are held in AKM, especially performances of Istanbul State Theaters, State Opera and Ballet, State Symphony Orchestra, State Turkish Classic Music Chorus, and International Istanbul Festival attract many spectators.
During the late Ottoman period Sultan Mahmut I arranged Taksim as a point where the main water lines from north of Istanbul were collected and branched off to other districts of the city. Therefore the Square took its name from the big stone reservoir located on the west side of the square (taksim means distribution in Turkish).
During some of the daily city tours in Istanbul you may have a chance to pass thru this lively Square.
Beyoglu: the romance of 19th-century Istanbul (BEY-oh-loo) is the district on the north bank of the Golden Horn, from Karaköy (Galata) and the Galata Bridge to Taksim Square.
In the 1800s this was the newer, more European section of Istanbul (Constantinople). Embassies were built here, foreign merchants lived and worked here, and they shopped at the posh boutiques along the Grande Rue de Péra, now called Istiklal Caddesi.
This was also one of the neighborhoods favored by the sultan’s Jewish subjects and still has many beautiful small synagogues.
Galatasaray Square, midway along Istiklal Caddesi, is where the first European-style lycée (high school) was built by the Ottoman sultan during the 19th century. Also here is the famed Çiçek Pasaji (Flower Passage) dining and taverna district.
At the southern end of Istiklal Caddesi near Tünel Square is a Whirling Dervish hall in which the Mevlevi dervishes still whirl. More…
Today Beyoglu is enjoying a cultural and architectural revival. The huge embassies are now consulates, the shops are posh again, and Istiklal Caddesi (the Grande Rue) is a popular pedestrian mall filled with strollers day and night.
The pedestrian avenue and its side streets boast lots of nightlife: chic cafe-bars, bistros, restaurants and music clubs.
The Pera Museum (Pera Müzesi) in Beyoglu’s Tepebasi district near the grand old Pera Palace Hotel, is a real gem, and admission is free of charge.
Beyoglu and Istiklal Street
Beyoglu next to the Taksim Square is aan important part of modern Istanbul, it’s a great way to get away from the old city and enjoy modern Istanbul as the local people do. There is so much going on in the approximately 2,5 kilometers (1,5 mile) long street between Taksim Square and the Tünel funicular stop near Galata Tower where you can spend a whole day here. You can find a different kind of Istanbul in every corner, there is a hidden story of the city everywhere. Religions, languages and ethnic groups live brotherly around here, it’s the center of art and culture, many national, international and local activities reach art lovers through the neighborhood.
Beyoglu is mostly a residential area consisting of 45 neighborhoods and about 225,000 residents, but the daily population goes up to a million in this center of commerce, entertainment and culture. It’s one of the most important tourist points and one of the most famous avenues of the city, distinguished brands of business and entertainment world serves in this area as well. Many exquisite boutiques, music and bookstores, libraries, art galleries, cinemas, theaters, cafes, bars, restaurants, pubs, coffee houses, patisseries, chocolateries, and technological centers are lined on Istiklal Street.
Beyoglu has a large number of foreigners of all nationalities living in this neighborhood. The area is also home to significant Turkish Christian and Jewish communities, there are several churches and synagogues.
The Galatasaray Square is almost at the halfway of the Avenue and houses one of the oldest educational institutions established in Turkey during the Ottoman Empire; formerly known as Mekteb-i Sultani (School of Sultans), todays Galatasaray Lisesi (high school) where the Galatasaray football team was founded in 1905.
Across Galatasaray Square there are some historic buildings such as the Cicek Pasaji (The Flower Courtyard) with many small restaurants and taverns, and Balik Pazari (Fish Market) where you can find some fresh fish and vegetables.
On the same street and on its side streets there are several churches such as St. Antoine and Santa Maria, Armenian Churches, Synagogues, old mosques, Pera Palace Hotel built in 1892 by George Nagelmackers, academic and cultural institutions established by various European nations such as Germany, Italy, Austria, and France in the early 19th century, consulates of several nations including Germany, France, Greece, Sweden, Armenia, Russia, Netherlands, Spain, Sweden, and United Kingdom, amongst which the British and German consulates being the most impressive buildings in the area.
To the end of this pedestrian street towards Galata, there is Tunnel, the world’s second-oldest subway, connecting Pera district with Karaköy district on the Golden Horn. Just before Tunnel you can visit Divan Literature Museum which is called as Galata Mevlevihane belonging to Mevlevi order founded by Mevlana, where Whirling Dervish ceremonies are performed twice a month.
In recent years Beyoğlu has been transformed. Its main boulevard, İstiklâl Caddesi, was pedestrianized in 1990 and its antique tramway reinstalled. Today, the thoroughfare bustles with life virtually twenty-four hours a day, and the side streets off it are host to scores of lively bars, clubs and restaurants, many of which stay open until six in the morning. The sleazier side of Beyoğlu culture has not completely disappeared, but the “adult” cinemas, hostess bars and unofficial brothels that remain have been exiled to a few streets between İstiklâl Caddesi and the parallel Tarlabaşı Bulvarı.
Karaköy functions as a passage between Taksim and the Historical Peninsula. With its busy dock, the district is a way port for the ships. Therefore it is one of the important regions where land and sea trade is very active, as in the past.
During the ages of Ottoman Empire, Karakoy, was located at the mouth of Golden Horn, down the Galata Tower and the east of Azapkapı region. It was one of the centers for trade and sea transportation, rather than a settlement area, like it is today.
Today, finance sector is also very interested in the region because of its busy port and active trade life, and the region is full of people and is active during the whole day since it is the way port for the ships traveling between two sides as well as for the local and international ships. When you go to Karaköy, you should go to the restaurants by the seaside and eat fish or fried mussel and also do not forget to taste the baklava of the famous Gulluoğlu behind the Rıhtım Street!
Directly across the Golden Horn from Eminönü is the district of Karaköy, reached via the Galata bridge. It’s been a port area since Byzantine times, when the north shore of the Horn was a separate settlement from Constantinople. In the late nineteenth century, the dockside was home to İstanbul’s least salubrious rooming-houses and seediest taverns.
Once over the bridge, you will have reached the port area of Karaköy, from where you can either walk up to Beyoğlu on the steep Yüksek Kaldırım Caddesi, past the Galata Tower, or take the Tünel underground train (daily 9am–9pm; 0.90YTL); the Tünel entrance is on Tersane Caddesi, just to the left of the first road junction beyond the bridge. There is also a useful tourist office in Karaköy’s main ferry terminal to the right of the bridge.
Karaköy’s port and Ottoman shipyard was once enclosed within the walls of the Castle of Galata. In 1446 the Byzantines stretched a great chain across the mouth of the Horn to prevent enemy ships from entering. Originally constructed around 580, the subterranean keep of the castle is thought to be preserved as the Yeraltı Cami, or “Underground Mosque”, on Kemankeş Caddesi. Inside is a forest of thick columns, supporting a low, vaulted ceiling. Two tombs in one corner purport to be those of Muslim martyrs killed in the first Arab siege of Byzantium (674–678 AD).
At the far end of the port area is another mosque, the Kiliç Ali Paşa Camii, constructed in 1580 by Sinan, and essentially a smaller copy of Aya Sofya. Kiliç Ali Paşa was one of the great Ottoman admirals, an Italian by birth who was captured by Algerian pirates and converted to Islam.
One of the city’s newest attractions is the Istanbul Modern (Meclis-i Mebusan Caddesi, Antrepo 4, Karaköy, 334 7300, http://www.istanbulmodern.org), a good collection of modern local art.
Galata Bridge with its unique scenery This two-floored bridge is at the mouth of the Golden Horn, uniting Karaköy and Eminönü. The history of it dates back to many years ago. First built in 1845, the bridge had to be rebuilt for five more times for centuries due to the fires and repairs. Today people are always fishing on the top of the bridge and there are meyhanes, narghile cafes and beerhouses below and it is possible to have moments of pleasure in Galata Bridge accompanied with the sunset or the sea view.
Old Galata and Pera neighborhoods were inhabited since the Byzantine Empire. During the 19th century Ottoman Empire, the street was known as Grande Rue de Pera and the district became a center for foreigners, Levantines, Ottoman intellectuals and western culture admirers. After 1923 the street’s name was changed to Istiklal (Independence in Turkish) to commemorate the War of Independence led by Atatürk.
he most obvious landmark in the area is the Galata Tower, but there are a few other interesting places to stop and break the steep ascent on the way up from Galata bridge to İstiklâl Caddesi. The Zülfaris Synagogue on Meydanı Perçemli Sokak is home to the Jewish Museum (Mon & Thurs 10am–4pm, Fri & Sun 10am–2pm; 1YTL). Its small but fascinating display includes documents and photographs donated by local Jewish families, chronicling Turkish Jews since they first came to the country over seven hundred years ago.
About 400m below the Galata Tower, on Yanık Kapı (or “Burned Gate”) Sokak, is the only remaining Genoese city gate. Somewhat the worse for wear, it still boasts a marble slab bearing the Cross of St George. Of the many churches that once crowded the narrow streets of Galata, few original structures now remain. One notable exception is the unusual building on Fütühat Sokak, now a mosque known as Arap Camii. With its tall square tower and pyramidal roof, it was, under the Genoese, the largest church in Galata. It was converted into a mosque to serve the needs of the Moorish community that settled here in the early sixteenth century following their expulsion from Spain. It stands on one side of an attractive closed courtyard, decorated with assorted pieces of ancient marble.
About 100m below the tower, at Galata Külesi Sokak 61, is an even more unusual relic, the British prison. Under the capitulations granted by the Ottomans, Western powers had the right to try their citizens under their own law, rather than the draconian Ottoman code, so consulates possessed their own courthouses and prisons. The court as an institution of the consulate originated in the 1600s, but the current building dates from 1904 and today houses the Galata House restaurant-café. The owners will happily show you graffiti left by former inmates, including a sketch of the Rock of Gibraltar and the poignant words, “An unfavourable wind has brought the ship of my life to this shore.”
The exit from the upper Tünel station in Beyoğlu is fronted by a small square from which İstiklâl Caddesi (known as the “Grand Rue de Pera” prior to Independence) heads 1.5km north towards Taksim Square. Make a brief detour a few metres down to the right, along Galipdede Caddesi, and an unassuming doorway on the left leads to the courtyard of the Galata MevlevÎhane, also referred to as the Divan Literature Museum (daily except Tues 9am–4pm; 2YTL). A former monastery and ceremonial hall of the whirling dervishes (see “The dervish festival and ceremony”), the building now serves as a museum to the MevlevÎ sect, which was banned by Atatürk along with other Sufi organizations because of its political affiliations. Exhibitions include musical instruments and dervish costumes and the building itself has been beautifully restored to late eighteenth-century splendour. The Whirling Dervishes perform sema dances to Sufi music at 5pm on the second and last Sunday of every month (May– September at 5pm, October– April at 3pm; 25YTL), with the main ceremony on December 17, the annual Mevlâna holiday.
Further along İstiklâl Caddesi, on your right, is the Botter House, a fine Art Nouveau apartment building with a carved stone facade and wrought-iron balcony. Commissioned in 1901 as a showroom, workshop and family house by Dutchman Jan Botter, tailor and couturier to Sultan Abdülhamid II, it is one of a number of structures around İstanbul designed by the Italian architect Raimondo D’Aronco. Further up on the right is the newly restored Palais de Hollande at İstiklâl Caddesi 393. Built in 1858 on the site of the home of Cornelis Haga, the first Dutch diplomat in Constantinople during the fifteenth century, it now houses the Consulate to the Netherlands.
Many other buildings lining İstiklâl Caddesi are also typically European, like the Mudo shop at no. 401, with a beautifully preserved Art Nouveau interior, and selling very expensive toys and retro or kitsch ornaments. The oldest church in the area is St Mary Draperis at no. 429, which dates from 1789, although the Franciscans built their first church on the site in the early fifteenth century. Better known is the Franciscan church of St Antoine at no. 325, a fine example of red-brick neo-Gothic architecture. Originally founded in 1725 it was demolished to make way for a tramway at the beginning of the century and rebuilt in 1913.
Further along İstiklâl Caddesi you can detour down Nuru Ziya Sok to the imposing French Palace, with its large central courtyard and formally laid-out gardens, the residence of ambassadors and consuls from 1831 until the present day. Below the Palace, on Tom Tom Kaptan Sok, stands the Italian Consulate, originally the Palazzo di Venezia, built in the seventeenth century. Casanova stayed here in 1744, and according to his memoirs he didn’t make a single conquest, although one Ismail Efendi claims to have been seduced by him. Turning left off İstiklâl Caddesi, Hamalbaşı Sok, leads in 100m to the British Consulate, an impressive Renaissance-style structure, designed by Charles Barry, architect of the British Houses of Parliament.
The northernmost stretch of İstiklâl Caddesi and its offshoots boasts many of the area’s bars and restaurants, all within easy walking distance of one another (see “Beyoğlu” for reviews). The famous Çiçek Pasaj (Flower Passage) had its heyday in the 1930s when the music and entertainment was supplied courtesy of anti-Bolshevik Russian emigrés. These days it’s home to a collection of attractive but rather overpriced and touristy restaurants – it’s far better to head through to the Balik Pazarı (fish market), particularly Nevizade Sokak, a street dedicated to fish restaurants (all with outside tables), and incredibly lively bars and clubs.
Tünel and Galata Tünel and Galata regions function as a bridge between the Istiklal Avenue and Karaköy region. They have recently become the star of the nightlife in Beyoğlu with the numerous clubs.
Tünel is the last stop of the tram which starts its expedition from Taksim Square and goes through Istiklal Avenue. The name of this region derives from the metro tunnel located just behind the tram stop that works between Karaköy and Beyoğlu. Tünel is the world’s third oldest mass transportation system after the railway systems built in London in 1863 and in New York in 1868 and the best short cut you can take from Galata to Karaköy. Heading from the square to Galata region, it is possible to come across with numerous stores lined up side by side, selling various kinds of music instruments, along Galip Dede Street.
The colorful nightlife When approach into the narrow street right across the tram stop and walk towards Asmalımescit, you see various bars, cafes where you can enjoy Turkish coffee, tea and backgammon and restaurants serving home made dishes. This region hosts meyhanes such as Yakup and Refik, which have become classics today, and the popularity of the city is increasing constantly and new spots are opened one after another each day.
The name of Galata derives from the Greek word “Galaktos” meaning “milk”. Today the Galata region is one of the most precious historical and touristic regions of Istanbul. Historical buildings left from the Genovese are important elements of the region’s texture. Also, we should not forget about the grand Galata Tower rising on the most beautiful point of the district.
The enchanted passage of Istanbul Thanks to its unique aspect of dividing two continents, Bosphorus stands as a indispensable landmark of Istanbul with its recesses and projections.
Besides the historical and cultural heritage of the city natural beauties also play a considerable role in the formation of Istanbul’s unique atmosphere. Having a geopolitical significance thanks to its unique aspect of dividing two continents, Bosphorus stands among indispensable landmarks of Istanbul with its big and small recesses and projections.
Above Karaköy’s docks the settlement at Galata, initially known as Sykai, is as old as Constantinople itself. The Genoese occupation of Galata began when they gave active support to Byzantine emperor Michael Paleologus in his attempt to drive out the Crusaders. In return, he signed a treaty in March 1261, signing Galata over to them as a semi-independent colony. The Byzantines no doubt lived to regret the privileges granted to the colony when the Genoese repaid them with neutrality during the final siege of Constantinople by Mehmet the Conqueror. The new sultan showed his gratitude by allowing the Genoese to retain their commercial and religious establishments, although arms were to be handed over and the walls torn down. The Genoese subsequently built one of the city’s most famous landmarks here, the Galata Tower.
During the early centuries of Ottoman rule, many Spanish Jews, Moorish traders, Greeks and Armenians settled in Galata, which became established as the city’s European quarter. In time, foreign powers set up their embassies in the area, and it became a popular haunt of visiting merchants, traders, seamen and adventurers.
While Galata was used exclusively to define the area within the city walls, the word Pera (Greek for “beyond” or “across”) was originally used interchangeably with Galata to refer to the area across the Horn from Constantinople. Later it came to denote the district above Galata, present-day Beyoğlu, to which the European quarter gradually spread as Galata became too crowded. By the mid-nineteenth century Pera was the area of choice for the main European powers to build their ambassadorial palaces. The declining empire increasingly relied on the skills of the Galata bankers to secure funds from abroad. The fiscal boom led to the construction of new buildings, designed to reflect the power and status of their owners, and it is this imported architecture that still dominates Beyoğlu. The completion of the Orient Express Railway in 1889 encouraged an influx of tourists, accommodated by a growing number of large hotels, such as the splendid Pera Palas Hotel. Around the same time Pera became a favoured haunt – and subject matter – of a school of artists heavily influenced by European “salon” painting of the nineteenth century.
The nightlife of the quarter was notoriously riotous even in the seventeenth century, when one Evliya Çelebi wrote “Whoever says Galata says taverns.” By the nineteenth and early twentieth centuries, the area had become fashionable for its operettas, music halls, inns, cinemas and restaurants, and it was only after the exodus of the Greek population from İstanbul in the 1920s that Galata and Pera began to lose their cosmopolitan flavour. Other minorities left too, partly as a result of the wealth tax imposed on ethnic communities between 1942 and 1944 and the area declined rapidly.
Cihangir with unique atmosphere Cihangir is the pearl of Beyoğlu… It is the calm side of Beyoğlu with its historical houses, cats, mild slopes, and perhaps its most important characteristic is that it still maintains the “mahalle” (district) culture, which is gradually dying out. Cihangir is both steady and changeable, with its inhabitants who have been living in the same place for years. It is famous for its cafes and restaurants. The inhabitants of this district are mainly the foreigners living in Istanbul, authors, artists, journalists and students.
For visitors, the neighborhood and port of Eminönü (located in the district of the same name), which borders the Golden Horn along the northeastern shore of the historic peninsula, is synonymous with the Egyptian Spice Bazaar. But for a glimpse of the true color of this wild and wonderful city, visitors would do well to explore the frenetic passageways around the bazaar. (Head uphill behind the market long enough and you’re sure to arrive at the Grand Bazaar.)
Eminönü – 55.635 Eminonu district in Istanbul
Eminönü is one of the oldest districts of Istanbul, in the center of Old City area. Being at the entrance of the Golden Horn, the old harbor next to the Sea of Marmara, Eminönü was always an important site since the Byzantine times until today, it was the hub of ancient Constantinople. The city started to grow from this point, thus some of the oldest neighborhoods are located in the district today: Sultanahmet, Sirkeci, Karakoy, Süleymaniye, Cagaloglu, Cemberlitas, Beyazit, Kumkapi, and so on.
During the late Ottoman period, a big train station where the Orient Express used to come and other impressive stone buildings such as Post Office were built in the area. Eminönü continued to be a busy center throught these ages as well.
During the Republic period, roads were widened, a large square was opened, Galata bridge was replaced with a bigger one, Spice market was re-organized, and a tram line was built. Today, Eminönü is one of the busiest districts of Istanbul and it attracts lots of tourists and local people to its bazaars and other historic sites. The district has only 55,000 residents but during the day time it goes up to 2 million people.
The name of the district comes from Ottoman period, when there were many Maritime Customs and the Customs Superintendent offices (Emin in Turkish) in the neighborhood. And “önü” means “in front of”, so this was a neighborhood of courts and customs.
There are several tourist sites in Eminönü such as Ottoman mosques, palaces, old bazaars, churches, and several museums. Some of the important historical and touristic monuments within its boundaries are: Sultanahmet Square (ancient Hippodrome) with the Serpentine Column and Stone Obelisk and Egyptian Obelisk, Bayezit Square (Forum Theodosii of the Byzantines), Hagia Sophia, Hagia Irene Church, Little St. Sophia (ancient S. Sergius and Bacchus church), Basilica Cistern (Yerebatan today), Topkapi Palace, Süleymaniye Mosque, Blue Mosque, Beyazit Mosque, Shehzade Mosque, Yeni Mosque, Nuruosmaniye Mosque, Laleli Mosque, Rüstem Pasha Mosque, Spice Bazaar, Grand Bazaar, Gulhane Park, Istanbul University, and so on.
Sirkeci extends eastward from Eminönü to the streets around the train station, top-heavy with electronics, bookstores, office supply stores, and fast-food joints. The advantage of staying in Sirkeci is that if you’re getting around by taxi, you won’t have to sit in as much traffic, plus the main attractions of Sultanahmet are only a few minutes’ walk away. The downside? A nighttime stroll may be met with inquiries as to how much you charge. (Men get “You want woman?” instead.)
Eminönü Square: A lively city centre The first place that you might visit in this region is Eminönü Square. The distracted passengers on boats and ferries, heading to their homes along the Bosphorus, the pedestrians feeding the birds in front of the New Mosque, and the customers shopping in the Grand Bazaar (Kapalıçarşı) and the Spice Market (Mısır Çarşısı) all endow this square with an unchanging character.
Once the maritime gateway to the city, Eminönü remains one of the largest and most convenient transport hubs, where buses, ferries, trams and trains converge. Sirkecitrain station here is effectively the first and last station of the European rail network (there’s a helpful tourist office inside the station). The Eminönü waterfront – with its line of ferry terminals and small fishing boats serving up fried-fish sandwiches to passing commuters – is likely to be most people’s first introduction to the Golden Horn , the inlet of water that divides the European shore. There are several notable attractions in the area, especially the famous spice bazaar and a couple of worthy mosques, including the landmark Yeni Cami.
Eminönü is within easy reach of Sultanahmet. Catch the tram for three stops, or walk the couple of kilometres down the hill, through the area’s commercial backstreets, invariably thronged with hamals (stevedores) bent double under burdens twice their size.
Just below Cihangir and right near the seashore is the Tophane district. This place is adorned with historical fountains and mosques, and Istanbul Modern Art Museum, one of the important platforms of the art world, is also located in here. You can enjoy the water pipe, tea and backgammon in the cafes lined up side by side under the historical buildings.
It is possible to walk from one end of the avenue (Istiklal Avenue) to the other in 20 minutes with quick steps. It awaits for you with hundreds of shops, venues, restaurants, cultural-art centers in its parallel and cross streets. Perhaps, Beyoğlu is in constant change, renewing itself all the time. Therefore, Beyoğlu is a place where the historical texture protected for hundreds of years is blended perfectly with the opportunities meeting all the demands of the modern life, and this is the reason why Beyoğlu is the pearl of Istanbul…
The avenue has the scent of history with its buildings bearing the traces of the 17th and 18th century architecture, churches of various sects and periods, apartments
The Monument of Rebuplic exposes how the Turkish nation coming out of the War of Independence with a victory founded the Republic.French Street
French Street carries the French atmosphere to Beyoğlu with its roads, cafes, restaurants, wine houses and boutiques.With its steep stairs, Cezayir (Algeria) Street crossed with Hayriye Street which lies just behind Galatasaray High School in Beyoğlu…
Until the end of an urban transformation project that has started in 2003 gave a totally new identity to it! The abandoned Cezayir Street was gone to be replaced by the French Street with new pavements and pink-yellow houses with awnings. In this conceptual work, that aimed to reflect French cultural values, French architects also had contributions.
The buildings which dated back to 1800s and thus witnessing a couple of generations were restored by preserving the historical texture, special musical systems were established and hundred-years-old street lamps working with coal gas were located on the street. French Street was ready to serve, opened with a splendid ceremony. Since that day, the street has become the first address for numerous cultural activities, workshops and exhibitions. The French street is the best place to have a good time by listening to the French chansons and it is also possible to find restaurants offering very special tastes from the French cuisine; cafes, bars,
Tophane is a mixed area of run-down dockland dotted with venerable Ottoman buildings, most notable of which are the Kiliç Paşa Camii dating from 1780, and the more recent Nusretiye Camii (1822). The district is also home to the city’s contemporary art collection, Istanbul Modern (Tues– Sun 10am–6pm; 5YTL, free on Thurs 10am–2pm), in a revamped warehouse on the edge of the Bosphorus, just in front of the Nusretiye Camii. The museum’s interior is all big, blank white walls and an exposed ventilation system, with picture windows giving views across the Bosphorus to the Topkapı Palace. The collection includes the best of modern Turkish art, as well as some intriguing video installations from foreign artists. There’s a reference library, a cinema showing arts and independent movies, and a trendy café with a terrace right on the edge of the Bosphorus. It may not be on the scale of the Guggenheim or Tate Modern, but it is well worth a visit. For it to have to come to fruition under a so-called Islamic government shows just how far Turkey has changed in the last few years.
To reach the museum from Sultanahmet, take the tramway to the stop just west of Nusretiye Camii, from where it’s a three-minute walk.
On the Bosphorus shore at Tophane, on the edge of Beyoglu, is the Istanbul Modern Art Museum.
Up the hill from Sirkeci is the neighborhood of Sultanahmet, centered around the Blue Mosque and the Ayasofya, two massive edifices challenging each other from opposite ends of Sultanahmet Park. The streets south of the Blue Mosque heading down toward the Cankurtaran train stop are oddly neglected, given that here is where you will find the truest representation of the progress the city has made in recent years. (It’s also ripe for robbings, so try to walk back here in groups.) Real estate is being snapped up at a brisk rate, and dilapidated shacks are being transformed into wonderful little special-category pensions that offer a family-style Turkish welcome.
The main avenue of Divanyolu (whose name changes to Yeniçeriler Caddesi and then Ordu Caddesi) bisects the Old City and heads west from Sultanahmet Park past the Grand Bazaar. The road splits at the intersection of Aksaray; the tramway, which follows Divanyolu, continues along the southernmost avenue (Millet Caddesi), while the northern fork becomes the major thoroughfare Adnan Menderes Bulvari.
The western region of the historic peninsula, which roughly extends west of Aksaray, is known as Fatih, a neighborhood known for its religiously fervent character and recognizable for the chadors, floor-length cotton robes, and skullcaps worn by its residents. Here, it’s not uncommon for a restaurant to withhold alcoholic beverages from the locals or ban them altogether. Progressive Istanbulers cringe at the mention of your staying in this neighborhood, but cultural immersion aside, the Fatih district is extremely spread out and farther than you need to go to base yourself – not to mention there’s not a decent hotel in sight.
Sultanahmet Square: Istanbul’s tourist centre If you look around a bit while standing in Sultanahmet Square, the centre of the tourism on the peninsula and, indeed, in Istanbul as a whole, you are sure to spot visitors from many different parts of the world.
You can find many different hotels and hostels in Sultanahmet which are appropriate to your travel budget. If you are hungry, you can enjoy a variety of flavors from both Turkish and world cuisine in the restaurants that crowd the streets near the square and line the avenue that leads to Beyazıt.
If you want to buy gifts and souveniers of Istanbul to give to your loved-ones upon your return, Sultanahmet is definitely the place to find them. There are many small shops that sell a wide variety of jewelry, souveniers, and traditional gifts in this area.
Everything is waiting here for you to discover When speaking of Sultanahmet, to claim that there is nowhere else in the world where different historical monuments are so densely located next to one another. Therefore, in order to explore Sultanahmet to the fullest, we recommend that you spend at least two days here. We can also make a few recommendations for your itinerary while in Sultanahmet.
At the Museum of Turkish and Islamic Arts, you can get a sense of how daily life was lived in Turkey hundreds of years ago. The Archeology Museum, will place you yet again on the path of historical exploration. Following this brief respite, we recommend that you take a tour of the two structures that form of the most important pieces of Istanbul’s skyline, Hagia Sophia and the Blue Mosque. You can experience the magnificence of both the Byzantine Empire and the Ottoman Empire one after the other. The architectural secrets of these two buildings, have yet to be fully unraveled.
You might buy souveniers, Turkish rugs, and carpets either for yourself or for your friends and loved-ones, at the Arasta Bazaar. With your back directly to the Blue Mosque you can make your way directly west toward the tram line, and then begin to walk toward the area of Beyazıt. Beyazıt, with its central square, always full of pigeons, its used bookstores, stocked with titles that are impossible to find elsewhere, and, its many historical monuments, will surely delight you…
From the Çiragan Palace north to the Bosphorus Bridge begins a parade of destinations for the beautiful and not so beautiful people, with a popular stopover at Ortaköy, a vibrant seaside landing with a festive atmosphere that’s pervasive year-round. A number of fishing villages transformed into bourgeois residential neighborhoods follow the Bosphorus road north of Ortaköy, including Bebek, Arnavutköy, and Emirgan; you can visit these by hopping on a local bus or sightsee from the bow of a Bosphorus ferry.
Streets coming from the past The neighborhoods of Balat and Fener, which you approach on your way from Sultanahmet to the Golden Horn, will introduce you to yet another side of Istanbul.
For hundreds of years, this area was inhabited primarily by Greek and Armenians. It still maintains its originality, with its streets lined with old Turkish houses and centuries-old structures still standing here and there.
In order to attain a superb view of the Istanbul’s Golden Horn, you might climb up to Piyerloti Cafe in Eyüp. While drinking coffee, you can take in the pleasure of looking over the entire Historical Peninsula from a panoramic perspective
Soğukçeşme Street While strolling through this street lined with historical mansions, you may say to yourself, “If only I lived here!”
The Jasmine House, the Honeysuckle House, and the Rose House… At one time, the officials of highest rank from Topkapı Palace and Hagia Sophia lived in the mansions on this street, which is so much like a flower garden… The history of Soğukçeşme Street stretches back to the 8th century. It eventually received its name from a fountain that was built in the year 1800. It includes a cistern dating from the Roman Empire, water depots, and antique Istanbul houses, existing in unique harmony with the historical character of its vicinity.
While taking a tour at Soğukçeşme Street, you may experience a longing to live here yourself. And, indeed, you have the chance to do, even if only for a short time. Because the houses received extensive renovations in the 1980s, are now open as hostels. Moreover, the Roman Cistern has been converted into a tavern. The houses are an excellent example of traditional Turkish architecture, and they are decorated in the classic style of the 19th century. Among the first details that catch one’s eye are the velvet curtains, the wardrobes, and the large mirrors.
Istanbul Library Istanbul Library is yet another important location on Soğukçeşme Street. The library was founded by Çelik Gülersoy, a famous lover of Istanbul who spearheaded many important, worthy project for both the street and the area, and whom we sadly lost a few years ago. More than 10.000 rare books on Istanbul are housed in the library, which were opened to visitors in 1990. Ph: (9)0212-512-5730
Kumkapı The unique meyhane culture of Kumkapı, in which rakı is drunk with fish and mezzes, and wandering musician roam from table to table while playing, has existed in this area for hundreds of years.
The area of Kumkapı was first founded as a fishing village during Byzantine times. In that era, it was known as Kostonkalion and its harbour was a common destination for sailors. Sailors, who lived and worked on their boats during the day, made it their first stop in the evenings when they wanted to chase away their bleak solitude. As such, Kumkapı became the centre of meyhane culture. The tradition of the meyhanes, which stretches back into history more than one thousand years, still preserves today.
Crossing Atatürk Bulvarı brings you into Zeyrek, an attractive area notable for its steep, cobbled streets and ramshackle wooden houses interspersed with small mosques. There are also wonderful views of the Süleymaniye mosque complex. Crossing the road is something of an ordeal (local drivers seem to regard it as a Grand Prix test-track) and the convoluted streets of Zeyrek are confusing. It’s worth persevering, however, in order to track down a handful of interesting sights, including two former Byzantine churches in contrasting states of repair.
Geographical aspects of Bosphorus Being one of the arduous passages of the world due to its wavy structure and having a length of 31 km, Bosphorus was formed upon the replacement of the caving-in valley land by seawater in the IV. Geological period, seven thousand years ago. With its deepest part of around 100-120 m, Bosphorus has an average depth of 60 meters. Its width is irregular due to its wavy structure, its widest section is 3500 meters and narrowest section that falls in the Rumeli Hisarı area is around 760 meters. The length of shores is different on both sides. Whereas the European Side with a wavier structure is 55 km, the length of the Asian shore is around 35 km.
Significant in terms of economical and geopolitical means, Bosphorus was always strived to be controlled by plenty of countries for its nature of being the sole seaway linking the seaside countries to open seas. Its international dedication to marine transportation was regulated by the Montreaux Convention regarding the regime of Turkish Straits signed on July 20, 1936.
Bosphorus in mythology Istanbul Strait is known as “Bosphorus” in the world, in other words the Ox Passage in ancient Greek… Let’s get to its mythological story:
“God of Gods” upon knocking down the Titans, Zeus, although married to Hera, has an unavoidable weakness towards women. At every turn, he seeks the ways of cheating on his wife even though he is afraid of her wrath. Cognizant of her husband’s temperament, Hera is quite jealous and tries to take revenge with merciless sanctions from time to time.
One day, Zeus chooses another target: Io. Getting suspicious, Hera sets out to oversee Zeus. Zeus recognizes and covers the sky with clouds to avoid getting caught. Hera insists, blows and dispels the clouds. Just at that time, no any other choice remains for Zeus and he turns his beloved Io to an ox.
However the doubts of Hera are not eliminated. Even the thing she sees is an ox, Hera is not convinced and sends forth all flies, insects and vermins to Io! The poor Io, coming into existence in the body of an ox feels so indisposed that she commences to run from the Aegean to the Black Sea. Io runs so desperately that the land branches off and the path on which she runs submerges. Thus, the “Ox passage”, namely the “Bosphorus” arises.
Once upon a time Bosphorus…During the Byzantion period, settlement in Istanbul was rather concentrated on the Historical Peninsula. Settlements on the Bosphorus were just coastal villages and boroughs. Some of these small fisher villages were small remote settlements, predominantly accommodated by native fisher people. During the Ottoman period, they attract the attention of sultans and high rank statesmen and are employed as popular excursion spots. In 1900’s, Bosphorus was ornamented with waterside mansions. Today Bosphorus accommodates luxurious districts embellished with historical waterside mansions.
Unfurl the sails! When you approach Istanbul from the Marmara side towards Black Sea, you are first welcomed by the unique silhouette of Istanbul… The Emperor’s throne, Sarayburnu, is just on your left. On your way across the shore, you can head towards Golden Horn with a soft turn to left or go straight ahead towards Bosphorus. The Bosphorus is a challenging waterway for huge vessels due to its wavy composition. You can see these districts one by one cuddled up by these bays, on both left and right side on your way to the Black Sea.
While going ahead with Kadıköy on your right that falls just across the Historical Peninsula, you first see the Haydarpasha Train Station. While approaching to Üsküdar, the Maiden’s Tower, renown for the legends of the Bosphorus, salutes you. Then you can find Üsküdar district that hosts plenty of historical mosques and fountains on the right side, and Dolmabahçe Palace and Beşiktaş district on the left side. While advancing under the Bosphorus Bridge, the most striking landmark that will catch your eye will be the Ortaköy Mosque.
On your way ahead, you will pass in front of each of the “must-visit” districts. We strongly recommend you to see Arnavutköy, Bebek, Aşiyan, Rumeli Fortress, Emirgan, Tarabya, Sarıyer and Rumeli Kavağı in the European Side and Üsküdar, Beylerbeyi, Çengelköy, Kandilli, Beykoz and Anadolu Kavağı on the Asian Side.
To appreciate the unique beauty of Bosphorus in full also from the sea and enjoy the cool and blue waters of the Bosphorus, we highly recommend you to take a boat trip, surely equipped with your camera or handycam. In addition to inhaling its unique iodized odor and discovering the districts that extend along both of the sides and have quite different textures, you can absolutely consider repeating this Bosphorus tour in a boat offering dinner at night time and enjoy the delight of Istanbul in accompaniment with dim lights and a romantic atmosphere.
Bosphorus Cruise (4 hours) Start at the Egyptian Market on the Golden Horn in Eminönü, at the foot of Galata Bridge. It’s also known as the Spice Bazaar, and you’ll see why! Board your Bosphorus cruise vessel for the voyage north toward the Black Sea, passing the sultan’s palaces of Topkapi, Dolmabahçe, Yildiz, Beylerbeyi and Küçüksu, and the mighty castles of Rumeli Hisar and Anadolu Hisar. You’ll have the opportunity to visit Rumeli Hisar, the larger fortress, and also the Sadberk Hanim Museum, one of Turkey’s finest private collections housed partly in an Ottoman mansion.
Bosphorus Cruise: the perfect half-day Istanbul excursion, up toward the Black Sea past castles, palaces and Ottoman-Victorian villages
Whether you take a traditional Istanbul ferryboat, or a faster TurYol boat, you’re sure to enjoy a tour-cruise up the Bosphorus. You can do it in as little as 1.5 hours.
You set out from the Eminönü ferryboat docks (on the Golden Horn between Galata Bridge and Sirkeci Station) and head north toward the Black Sea.
Here are the sights you’ll see (including six Ottoman palaces), divided into two parts, the Southern Bosphorus (from the Golden Horn and city center to the Bosphorus Bridge) and the Northern Bosphorus, (from the Bosphorus Bridge to the Black Sea):
Southern Bosphorus The most impressive sights are along the southern shores of the Bosphorus, nearest to the city: Topkapi Palace, the mid-Bosphorus Maiden’s Tower, the Selimiye Barracks (where Florence Nightingale worked), Dolmabahçe Palace, Çiragan Palace, Yildiz Park & Palace, the chic art-boutique-and-cafe scene in the village of Ortaköy, the pretty Ottoman baroque Mecidiye Mosque, and the Bosphorus Bridge.
Northern Bosphorus Beyond the Bosphorus Bridge there’s plenty more to see: Beylerbeyi Palace, the village of Çengelköy, Kuleli Naval Academy, Arnavutköy with its photogenic Ottoman yalis (wooden Bosphorus seaside mansions), Rumeli Hisari (the mighty Fortress of Europe), the town of Bebek with its pretty bay, and Bosphorus University.
North of the Fatih Bridge, second to be built across the Bosphorus, is Anadolu Hisari (the Fortress of Anatolia), Küçüksu Kasri (a fine little rococo palace), the Hidiv Kasri (fine Art Nouveau villa (1900) of the Khedive of Egypt), the pretty restaurant village of Tarabya, the town of Büyükdere (with its excellent Sadberk Hanim Museum), Sariyer (with a fish market and several seafood restaurants on the shore).
Rumeli Kavagi (the farthest northern dock on the European shore of the Bosphorus), and Anadolu Kavagi (the final dock on the Bosphorus cruise-tour) are about 10 km (6 miles) south of the Black Sea, but these docks are as far as the Bosphorus cruises go.
If you take the traditional ferry’s Bosphorus tour all the way to the end, you will have to wait three hours at the northern terminus of Anadolu Kavagi for the ferry’s departure for the return to Istanbul. But you can get off the boat in Sariyer, have lunch, then ride south along the shore.
If you take the TurYol boat, you’ll be back at the Galata Bridge in less than an hour.
Here’s what you’ll see on your Bosphorus cruise, leaving Istanbul’s Galata Bridge at the mouth of the Golden Horn:
Üsküdar (Scutari; Asia) The largest Asian district, directly across the Bosphorus from Istanbul and Beyoglu, was once Byzantine Chrysopolis, the “City of Gold.” Byzantine armies mustered here for expeditions into Asia along the fine Roman roads that started here. Ottoman armies did the same.
Üsküdar is now an important commercial and residential district of greater Istanbul. The large four-towered rectangular building south of Üsküdar is the Selimiye Barracks (1828, 1842-53) which served as a military hospital during the Crimean War (1855-56). It was here that Florence Nightingale worked to establish the practices of modern nursing and hospital care.
Ortaköy & Mecidiye Mosque (Europe) You’ve probably seen photos of the Mecidiye Mosque (1854), the graceful Ottoman baroque mosque standing by the western pylon of the Bosphorus Bridge. The quaint Bosphorus town of Ortaköy is now filled with chic galleries, cafes, boutiques, bars and clubs—a good place to stop for a drink or a meal if you tour the Bosphorus on land. More…
Here’s the northern continuation of your Bosphorus cruise from the Southern Bosphorus page:
After the Bosphorus Bridge and Beylerbeyi Palace, you come to Çengelköy (Asia) A picturesque Bosphorus village with huge old plane tree by the ferry dock, and townfolk relaxing in its shade to sip tea and coffee, play cards or dominoes, and watch boats pass. More…
Kuleli Naval Academy (Asia) Kuleli means “with towers,” so you’ll recognize this Turkish naval college when you pass. It was built in 1800 when Sultan Selim III sought to modernize the Ottoman armed forces. During the Crimean War (1855-1856) it was one of two hospitals supervised by Florence Nightingale (the other was the Selimiye Barracks—see above).
Arnavutköy (Europe) The seafront of this “Albanian Village” is lined with photogenic Ottoman yalis (wooden Bosphorus seaside mansions).
Rumeli Hisari (Europe) The mighty Fortress of Europe was built in just four months during 1452 on orders of Mehmet the Conqueror. Commanding the narrowest part of the Bosphorus (about 700 meters), it cut off Byzantine Constantinople from its grain supplies from the Black Sea coast, making it easier for the sultan to conquer the city in 1453. More…
The town of Bebek, with its pretty bay, is on Rumeli Hisari’s south side. Bosphorus University, founded as Robert College by New Englander Cyrus Hamlin in 1863, shares the hillside with the fortress.
Anadolu Hisari (Asia) Opposite Rumeli Hisari is the much smaller Fortress of Anatolia, built about 1390 by Sultan Yildirim Beyazit I, and strengthened by Mehmet the Conqueror in preparation for his conquest of Constantinople in 1453.
Küçüksu Kasri (Asia) Palace No. 6: The “Sweet Waters of Asia,” famed in 19th-century European visions of Istanbul, meander from the Asian hills into the Bosphorus by this fine little rococo palace finished in 1857 for Sultan Abdül Mecit I.
Çubuklu & Hidiv Kasri (Asia) Atop the promontory at Çubuklu is the fine Art Nouveau villa (1900) of the Abbas Hilmi Pasha, Khedive (Viceroy) of Egypt, now a boutique hotel and restaurant. The khedive, a quasi-independent monarch, spent his summers in Istanbul.
Tarabya (Europe) From the Greek Therapia (healing), this Bosphorus town got its name from its healthful atmosphere. Today its small bay is surrounded by indoor/outdoor restaurants. Several grand old Ottoman-era summer embassies of European powers (including Great Britain and France) stand in their gardens on the Bosphorus shore.
Büyükdere (Europe) This town is home to the Sadberk Hanim Museum, a distinguished small art and ethnography museum founded by the wealthy Koç family in a historic yali (seaside mansion) and a modern gallery. If you have the time and enjoy fine art, and/or have an interest in Turkish history and culture, don’t miss it!
Sariyer (Europe) The largest town on the northern Bosphorus shore, with a fish market and several seafood restaurants on the shore. Buses, minibuses and taxis run north to the Black Sea beach resort of Kilyos. This is a good spot to leave your Bosphorus boat so you can return to Istanbul by bus, minibus or taxi.
Rumeli Kavagi (Europe) The farthest northern dock on the European shore of the Bosphorus, it has a small beach and several seafood restaurants.
Anadolu Kavagi (Asia) Final dock on the Bosphorus cruise-tour, there are seafood restaurants (if you haven’t brought a picnic), and you can hike uphill to the seven-towered Genoese fortress on Yusa Tepesi (Joshua Hill) to enjoy the view.
Kilyos (Europe) This northernmost suburb of Istanbul near the mouth of the Bosphorus on the shore of the deep, chilly Black Sea is a favorite beach resort for Istanbullus in hot weather. The ferryboats don’t come this far, but you can take a bus, minibus or taxi here from Sariyer.
Ortaköy Standing as one of the central platforms where both shopping, snacking and entertainment activities are concentrated, the district is every time vivacious.
Ortaköy is a residential area that attracts attention since the very old times of history. Employed as a resort place for sultans during the Ottoman period, the district hosts significant historical assets such as the Çırağan Palace, Ortaköy Mosque, Kabataş Private High School for Boys and Esma Hatun Seaside Mansion.
Resembling both a small center of actual life and a coastal borough, Ortaköy is one of the “must-see” places for everyone visiting Istanbul. It presents you an adorable view along with its square and streets coated with rough cobblestone pavement, the historical Ortaköy Mosque just on the coast and the majestic Bosphorus Bridge just to the left of the district. In various cafes standing on both the coastal line and on cute cross streets on which the Ortaköy Bazaar is situated, drinking traditional Turkish coffee and tea accompanied with smoking narghile has a distinctive delight. You can find bars and night clubs appealing to every delight and economic power.
However, the foremost characteristic of this district is the Ortaköy Bazaar. When you just step on the bazaar, you will find hundreds of small and large stalls lined up side by side where you can find original and quite attractive stuff such as hats, authentic garments, alternative bags, hand-crafted jewelry, watches, every kind of silverware, picture frames, trinkets, key holders, cups, vases, lampshades, leather garments etc. In the bazaar any one of following fashion or alternative dressing styles can find something appealing. Even fortune tellers reading tarot cards are present.
Are you hungry? Then you can have baked potatoes, waffle and home-made pancakes at cute huts lined up side by side just on the left of the bazaar. Or you can snack appetizers at a restaurant which you can come across at every step in the bazaar, or you can also find home-made special Turkish dishes or meals.
Residents of Istanbul rush at weekends to Ortaköy to enjoy the Bosphorus atmosphere and do shopping in the mornings and to have fun at nights. If you prefer to visit the district at an uncrowded time for enjoying its texture and air better, we recommend you to have breakfast at one of the cafes in the morning during weekdays and luxuriate in viewing the square and splendid silhouette of Bosphorus.
Ortaköy is 1km from Beşiktaş, past Yıldız Parkı and the Çırağan palace. This former Bosphorus backwater was traditionally an area of tolerance – a mosque, church and synagogue have existed side by side for centuries – though its erstwhile character has been hijacked by flash nightclubs, expensive restaurants and theme bars springing up in even the tiniest of fishermen’s cottages.
To get to Ortaköy take a #23/B, #B/2, #40/A or #40 bus from Taksim, or a #25, #25/A or #30 from Eminönü; or you can take a bus or ferry to Beşiktaş and walk (about 15min). This last way is the best bet on public holidays and weekends as the traffic is dreadful on this road.
When Ortaköy was just a tiny fishing village, university students and teachers used to gather here to sip tea and discuss weighty topics. It’s a time remembered in the name of the Sunday entel, or “intellectual”, market, a crowded affair held on the waterfront square, which sells all kinds of arts and crafts. There are also daily market stalls selling trendy silver jewellery and sunglasses on the waterfront, or Ortaköy boardwalk as it’s rather pretentiously known. This is also the location of the attractive, Baroque Büyük Mecidiye Camii, built in 1855, and some of the liveliest teahouses on the Bosphorus. Just to the left of the mosque is a small jetty from where short cruises head up the Bosphorus as far as the second (Fatih) bridge, touching on both the European and Asian sides en route for (3YTL). Cruises also head the other direction, down to Kız Kulesi (Maiden’s Tower) off Üsküdar at 1pm, 3pm and 5pm (7YTL). Finally, the small Sinan hamam (daily men 8am–10pm, women 8am–7.30pm) in the centre of the district is much better value than many of the larger baths, at under 12YTL per person, or 16YTL with a massage.
Distinguished districts of the Bosphorus Districts lying on both sides of the Bosphorus contribute to the charm of this water passageway that is unique in the world with its quite different textures and residential forms.
A typical Ottoman: Üsküdar When you draw near the Bosphorus from Kadıköy direction, the Maiden’s Tower salutes you before reaching Üsküdar. The history of this tower of legends situated at 150-200 meters off the coast from the Salacak district of Üsküdar dates back to the Byzantion period. When you go ahead towards the centre of Üsküdar and look on the district from the sea, you see the Şemsipaşa Mosque, Ahmet Fountain III and then the Mihrimah Sultan Mosque. Üsküdar district is an old residential area where you can come across distinguished examples of the Ottoman architecture.
An untouched coastal village: Kuzguncuk When you move ahead along the Üsküdar coast, you arrive at the Kuzguncuk district. In this district where people of different religions and cultures live together, you may likely see a church alongside a mosque. The splendid seaside mansions rising at just a little bit ahead of the pier belongsto Fethi Pasha. The surrounding of the seaside mansion is known as the Fethi Pasha Woods.
Beylerbeyi, the heaven of seaside mansions You must see Beylerbeyi, situated below the Anatolian pedestal of the Bosphorus Bridge, from the sea. This region, where every hues of violet and lilac is blended with green particularly when redbuds blossom in the spring, is renown for its seaside mansions. The Beylerbeyi Palace that erects splendidly on the coast, the Hamidievvel Mosque, Arif Bey Seaside Mansion and Debreli İsmail Pasha Seaside Mansion are really amazing.
Çengelköy with its cucumber and tea gardens One of the special districts located along the Bosphorus coast is undoubtedly Çengelköy. Renown for its cucumber, the district is quite crowded especially at weekends with its tea gardens and fish restaurants on the coast. We highly recommend you to visit this fantastic district that also accommodates old wooden houses as well as seaside mansions.
Under the splendor of the Rumeli Fortress After passing off Bebek and Aşiyan, the Rumeli Fortress (Rumeli Hisarı) salutes you with its all majesty. The district that has the same name of the fortress is always vivacious with its fish restaurants and tea gardens on the coast, thanks to its proximity to the Boğaziçi University.
The pearl of the Bosphorus: Bebek When you move ahead towards Black Sea direction from Arnavutköy, the Bebek district welcomes you. Even though palaces and villas are said to be appearing once upon a time in Bebek, the district is embellished with buildings of the near future. First, a gorgeous stone building salutes you on the coast. This is the country house of the Egyptian Ambassador. Then you see the mosque bearing neo-classical tunes. On the hill rising between Bebek and Rumeli Fortress, you can see the Aşiyan Museum.
Another special district of the Bosphorus: Arnavutköy Located between Kuruçeşme and Bebek, the Arnavutköy district was a coastal borough where Greeks settled in the past. Resembling an old fisher’s village with its pier and seaside mansions lined up side by side like beads when looked from the sea; the district brings a different atmosphere in Bosphorus’s general mood with its Greek Church, Etzha Hayim Synagogue, and narrow streets with lots of stairs.
Bosphorus
Bosphorus is a natural strait connecting the Black Sea to the Sea of Marmara, thus being a very strategic waterway. It was a river in the valley during the Tertiary period of the continents, which was drowned by the sea at the end of this period. It’s length is 32 kilometers (20 miles) in the north to south direction, width varies between 730-3300 meters (800-3600 yards), and depth is between 30-120 meters (100-395 feet). Bosphorus strait separates the European part from the Asian part of Istanbul. The surface current flows always from north to south; however, a strong countercurrent under the surface creates swirls and eddies.
Bosphorus comes from a Thracian word which means “passage of the cow”, deriving from the legend of Io who was one of many lovers of Zeus. When Hera, Zeus’ wife, suspected her husband being involved in a love affair with Io, Zeus converted Io in a small cow and tried to send her away from Hera’s rage. She (the cow) swam across the strait but Hera discovered it and she sent big flies after the cow to bite and disturb her all the time, ending Io in the Aegean Sea (thus named Ionian sea).
Bosphorus in Turkish is known as Bogazici, meaning “inner strait”. Since the ancient times it held always an important role because of its strategic location, being the only passage from the Black Sea into the Mediterranean, along with the Dardanelles strait. Especially during the Cold War, the straits were crucial for Soviet navy.
Bosphorus is a very busy waterway with many ships and oil tankers going through it, as well as local fishing and ferries go to the Asian side back and forth. Around 48.000 ships pass through this strait annually, three times denser than the Suez Canal traffic and four times denser than the Panama Canal. Approximately 55 million tones of oil are shipped through the strait each year.
There are two suspension bridges on the Bosphorus connecting Europe to Asia (or vice versa). The first one is known as “Bosphorus Bridge” and was opened on 29th October 1973 between Beylerbeyi and Ortakoy neighborhoods. It’s 1074 meters (1175 yards) long between two pillars, has 6 lanes, 165 meters (540 feet) height of piers. The second one is known as “Fatih Sultan Mehmet Bridge” (or FSM Bridge shortly) and was opened in 3rd July 1988 between Anadolu Hisari and Rumeli Hisari neighborhoods. This one is 1090 meters (1192 yards) long, has 8 lanes, and is 65 meters high from the water surface. The FSM bridge is a part of TEM highway (Trans European Motorway) between Ankara and Edirne provinces. Both bridges are tolled which is paid during passage to Asian direction only. The first one accepts only vehicles with electronic pass system (called OGS) and the second one both OGS and cash. No bicycles nor pedestrian traffic is allowed on them.
Today, a tunnel is in construction between Uskudar and Yenikapi neighborhoods. It’s a big project sponsored and constructed by Japanese companies and will be open by the end of 2009, if not delayed for technical reasons. This tunnel will connect only railways between Europe and Asia, not motor vehicles. Nowadays, a bigger plan is being mentioned for another tunnel which will serve to the cars, and another suspension bridge on the Bosphorus, but these are not certain yet and are just in the planning phase.
Bosphorus is one of the most popular parts of Istanbul amongst its inhabitants, especially during summer for its climate. Its shores are lined with fine neighborhoods, Ottoman palaces, fortresses, old wooden villas, hotels, parks and gardens, restaurants, cafeterias, and so on.
Some of the interesting neighborhoods on the Bosphorus are: Besiktas, Ortaköy, Arnavutköy, Bebek, Rumelihisar, Emirgan, Tarabya, Yeniköy, Istinye, Sariyer, Üsküdar, Kanlica, Beykoz, Anadoluhisar, Beylerbeyi, etc. Best way to see these sites would be taking a nice boat trip along the Bosphorus.
The most obvious day-trip from İstanbul is along the Bosphorus, the upper reaches of which present a mixture of ancient fortresses, waterside villages, historic palaces, walks and views. Sadly most of the Black Sea resorts within easy reach have fallen prey to the developers, and Şile, Ağva and Kilyos have all lost some of their charm. However, the Princes’ Islands in the Sea of Marmara seem to have preserved an independent character and wild beauty, despite the hordes of partying teenagers who descend through the summer months.
One of the world’s most eulogized stretches of water, the Bosphorus is a source of pride for İstanbul’s residents and of admiration for its visitors. The thirty-kilometre strait divides Europe and Asia and connects the Marmara and Black seas, its width varying from 660 to 4500 metres, and its depth from fifty to several hundred metres. Its name derives from the Greek myth of Io, lover of Zeus, whom the god transformed into a cow to conceal her from his jealous wife Hera. She plunged into the straits to escape a gadfly, hence Bosphorus, or “Ford of the Cow”.
Around 80,000 cargo ships, oil tankers and ocean liners pass through the strait each year, while for residents and visitors alike the Bosphorus remains İstanbul’s most important transport artery. The passenger ferries and sea buses that weave their way up and down from shore to shore provide one of the city’s real highlights: along the way are imperial palaces and ancient fortresses interspersed with small fishing villages and wooden yalis (waterside manions), many in a state of precarious disrepair. Despite its pollution the Bosphorus is also full of fish – from swordfish to hamsi (a small fish belonging to the anchovy family) – served at restaurants in villages all the way along the strait.
From Boğaz İskelesi İDO operates the popular daily Bosphorus Tour (Boğaz Hatti), a cruise to Rumeli Kavağı and Anadolu Kavağı, the most distant villages up the Bosphorus on the European and Asian sides respectively. Trips depart daily during summer (June– Oct) at 10.35am, noon and 1.35pm, and return from Anadolu Kavağı at 3pm, 4.15pm and 5pm (7pm at weekends), crisscrossing from one side to the other. The rest of the year there is just one departure at 10.35am, returning at 3pm. The return journey costs 7.5YTL and takes about an hour and a half each way, with stops at Beşiktaş, Kanlica, Emirgan, Yeniköy, Sariyer, Rumeli Kavağı and Anadolu Kavağı. You can jump off in any of these places, but you pay again to re-board.
To tour the Bosphorus and its shoreside villages you’ll need a ferry timetable (vapur tarifesi, available from ferry terminals or the tourist offices), a handful of ferry jetonlar and some bus tickets, or an akbil travel pass. Ferries are reasonably frequent, but if you get stranded up the Bosphorus, buses and dolmuşes run along the Asian and European shores back to the city.
If you prefer to have your itinerary planned in advance, however, take the Bosphorus Tour, which leaves throughout the year from the ferry terminal at Eminönü. To ensure a good outside seat in summer, arrive at least half an hour before departure – it’s not worth making the trip if you have to sit in the bowels of the boat with screaming children, missing all the views. Alternatively, Lüfer (Telephone0216/308 6770, Websitewww.lufertekneleri.com) runs a daily trip during the summer months (June– Sept) on the company’s namesake, a lüfer, a small converted fishing boat, from Beylerbeyi on the Asian side and Çamlıbahçe (between Arnavutköy and Bebek) on the European side. The boat runs up to the Black Sea, where it drops anchor for lunch, swimming and sunbathing before coming back in the afternoon. Tickets cost €20 and you can book through Sultanahmet travel agencies.
The European shore is very built up almost as far as the first Bosphorus bridge. Beyond Ortaköy the scenery mellows and the most charming of the villages, Arnavutköy and Bebek, are popular haunts of the rich, who are responsible for the growing commercialization of once simple waterside retreats. Further north, the fish restaurants in the villages of Sariyer and Rumeli Kavağı make pleasant destinations for lunch or dinner. West of Sariyer is the Belgrade Forest, offering quiet, rural surroundings in İstanbul’s nearest tract of woodland. There are several ferry options on the European side or catch the very useful #25/A bus, which runs from Eminönü along the coast to Rumeli Kavağı.
From Ortaköy the coast road runs north under the first of the two Bosphorus intercontinental bridges – the kilometre-long Atatürk bridge, completed in time to celebrate the Turkish Republic’s 50th anniversary in 1973. A couple of kilometres beyond the bridge is ARNAVUTKÖY, one of the most beautiful of all the Bosphorus villages, especially when seen from the water, famous for its line of yalıs, wooden waterfront mansions with their boat moorings carved out beneath them. The inner village, its streets lined with wooden houses, is worth exploring and it’s also worth trying out one of the few tavernas run by the surviving Greek community, which feature live entertainment. Bekriya, on the second floor of 1 Cadde 90 (closed Sun), is a small low-key meyhane where a lone ud player goes from table to table; Reis, further along at 1 Cadde 115, is a more stylish option, a café-bar with a lovely waterside setting, the hangout of the local youth. In the other direction, again on the waterside, Pupa Tropikal, 1 Cadde 17 (closed Mon), is İstanbul’s only African bar, frequented by Turks, Western expats and Africans alike.
There are a couple of evening boats to Arnavutköy and Bebek from Eminönü; to get back, take the #B/2 or #40/A bus to Taksim, or the #25/A to Eminönü, which stop running at around 11.30pm.
Besiktas – 190.813 Besiktas district of Istanbul
Besiktas is one of the oldest districts and neighborhoods of Istanbul, located on the European side of the city. It’s also considered as one of the city centers, both residential and commercial especially for small businesses. At the same time, besides having a major public bus and dolmus terminal, Besiktas is also one of the sea hubs on the Bosphorus from which boats depart for various neighborhoods on the shores of the Asian side.
According to the old sources, the Ottomans called the area as “Bestas” (five stones) probably derived from 5 columns piled into the coast to moore the ships. But Besiktas literaly means “cradle stone” in Turkish and there are other stories about the origins of this name dating back to the Byzantine period. We know that Besiktas became an important residential area after the Conquest of Constantinople when the Ottomans put an end to the pirates coming from the Black Sea and plundering villages outside of the Byzantine city walls.
According to the census of 2000, the population of Besiktas is about 191.000 and it contains some of the best-known neighborhoods of Istanbul: Bebek, Etiler, Levent, Arnavutkoy, Ortakoy, Ulus, Nisantasi, etc. Several museums and palaces are also located within the boundries of this large district (11.000 square kilometers or 4.247 square miles); Dolmabahce Palace, Yildiz Palace, Ciragan Palace, Feriye Palaces, Ihlamur Pavilion, Naval museum, Barbarossa‘s mausoleum, and so on. Besiktas has many universities and their faculties within the district as well. Some of the 5-star hotels can be found in Besiktas too; Ciragan Palace Kempinski, Four Seasons the Bosphorus (opening by the end of 2007), Conrad International, The Plaza, and Dedeman are some of them. You can also pay a visit to the local market in the district center which covers a large area.
In the Barbaros Square next to the mausoleum of Barbarossa and the Naval museum, young skateboarders gather to practice their tricks, or sometimes small concerts have being organized. Besiktas has also one of the oldest football (soccer) clubs of Istanbul who plays in the Turkish Premiere League; Besiktas or known as BJK, and nicknamed as “Black Eagles”.
Northeast of Taksim Square, along the Bosphorus, the busy suburb of Beşiktaş is one of the best-served transport hubs in the city. Most visitors to Beşiktaş are here to see the Dolmabahçe Palace, successor to Topkapı as the residence of the Ottoman sultans. However, it’s worth aiming to spend a few more hours in the neighbourhood if you can, to visit the city’s excellent Maritime Museum, as well as Yıldız Parkı and palace. It’s also home to one of İstanbul’s three major football teams (see below).
Concrete shopping centres and a sprawling fruit and vegetable market cluster around the main shore road and ferry terminal, in front of which stands the bus station. To get here take bus #23/B, #B/2, #40/A or #40 from Taksim, or #25, #25/A or #30 from Eminönü; ferries run to and from Kadıköy and Üsküdar.
Sariyer – 242.543 Sariyer district in Istanbul
Sariyer is one of the 32 districts of Istanbul on the northern tip of the European side, where the Bosphorus connects with the Black Sea. It is the final stop of local passenger ferries. Some of the major neighborhoods in this district are Buyukdere with many old summer houses, Rumeli Kavagi with many fish restaurants, Rumeli Feneri with fishing boats and a lighthouse near a ruined fortress, and Kilyos famous for its beaches. There are also summer residences belonging to some of the foreign embassies along Sariyer’s coast line.
During the summer time, beaches in Kilyos get very busy, this is where local people go to swim in the Black Sea. And during summer evenings all moderate fish restaurants at Rumeli Kavagi become crowded especially at the weekends and holidays. After Rumeli Kavagi there are few small villages and many green areas. The Koc University is also on the road to Rumeli Feneri.
A few kilometers inland of Sariyer, on the road to Kilyos, there is Belgrade forest which took its name after the conquest of Belgrade by the Ottoman army. It’s a huge forested area with some small lakes, and used to be the hunting ground of the Ottomans. Now, the forest is very popular for picnickers and joggers in every season.
Sariyer has a fine private museum, the Sadberk Hanim Museum founded by Koc family, the richest of Turkey. A superb collection of archaeological and ethnographic items are housed in two old wooden houses.
The small pier connects the district by water to other neighborhoods of Istanbul along the Bosphorus.
Sile – 32.447 Sariyer district in Istanbul
Sariyer is one of the 32 districts of Istanbul on the northern tip of the European side, where the Bosphorus connects with the Black Sea. It is the final stop of local passenger ferries. Some of the major neighborhoods in this district are Buyukdere with many old summer houses, Rumeli Kavagi with many fish restaurants, Rumeli Feneri with fishing boats and a lighthouse near a ruined fortress, and Kilyos famous for its beaches. There are also summer residences belonging to some of the foreign embassies along Sariyer’s coast line.
During the summer time, beaches in Kilyos get very busy, this is where local people go to swim in the Black Sea. And during summer evenings all moderate fish restaurants at Rumeli Kavagi become crowded especially at the weekends and holidays. After Rumeli Kavagi there are few small villages and many green areas. The Koc University is also on the road to Rumeli Feneri.
A few kilometers inland of Sariyer, on the road to Kilyos, there is Belgrade forest which took its name after the conquest of Belgrade by the Ottoman army. It’s a huge forested area with some small lakes, and used to be the hunting ground of the Ottomans. Now, the forest is very popular for picnickers and joggers in every season.
Sariyer has a fine private museum, the Sadberk Hanim Museum founded by Koc family, the richest of Turkey. A superb collection of archaeological and ethnographic items are housed in two old wooden houses.
The small pier connects the district by water to other neighborhoods of Istanbul along the Bosphorus.
Sisli – 270.674 Sisli district of Istanbul
Sisli is one of the major 32 districts of Istanbul on the European side of the city. Although not by the sea, it’s located at the exit from the Bosphorus Bridge that links Asia to Europe. Its total area is about 30 square kilometers and is considered to be a new settlement flourished after mid-19th century to the north of Taksim Square.
Around the 17th century there were only graveyards in Sisli and not much settlement. In the 18th century vineyards, barley fields and several gardens rose in Sisli center and Mecidiyeköy neighborhoods. Other buildings followed in the 19th century especially with the construction of Feriköy and Bomonti breweries and Children’s hospital in 1898. During those years, many non-Muslims and immigrants moved to Sisli forming a rich mosaic in the district. Besides rich villas and houses, Darulaceze elder & poor house was built near Okmeydani in 1895. Rapid development followed when Sisli had the first electric tram in 1913 and many apartment blocks were built around 1920’s. One of the earliest house examples of Sisli is the House of Atatürk which is a museum now.
After the Republic, Sisli became one of the most elite neighborhoods of Istanbul amongst upper-class local people, foreigners and non-Muslims. There are many old mosques, Christian churches, and Jewish synagogues in the district. Lately it became also one of the small business and finance centers of Istanbul especially with some high rises and modern shopping malls such as Cevahir Mall, one of the biggest in Europe. Several hotels also do exist in the district.
Some other important buildings, venues and locations in Sisli district are; military museum, Cemal Resit Rey and Lutfi Kirdar concert halls and exhibition centers, movie and stage theaters, university faculties, Ali Sami Yen football stadium of Galatasaray, exquisite shops at Rumeli street and Nisantasi, fine restaurants and bars in Macka neighborhood, Tesvikiye area, and so on. Istanbul Mayor’s house is also in this district, at Valikonagi.
Hasköy lies a couple of kilometres further up the Golden Horn from Beyoğlu and Karaköy, north of the Atatürk Köprüsü. For centuries the area was a Jewish village, and it still boasts a number of synagogues, cemeteries and many old Jewish houses, though most of Istanbul’s approximately 20,000 Jews have now moved further out of the city. It was also the location of an Ottoman naval shipyard and of a royal park, which was cultivated as a fruit orchard throughout the centuries of Ottoman rule. Today however, it’s a largely unremarkable suburb of old dockyards and light industrial buildings, with only the excellent Rahmi M. Koç Industrial Museum at Hasköy Cad 27 (Tues– Fri 10am–5pm, Sat & Sun 10am–7pm; 6.5YTL; Websitewww.rmk-museum.org.tr) making the trek out here worthwhile. Constructed in the eighteenth century as a factory making anchors and their chains, the museum’s arching brickwork and spacious halls have been authentically restored. The work was carried out by Rahmi M. Koç, one of Turkey’s most famous – and wealthiest – industrialists, to house his private collection of models, machines, vehicles and toys, originating from all over Turkey and Europe but mainly from Britain. The best time to visit is Saturday afternoon when there are special exhibitions based around the collection of slot machines, the old Kadıköy– Moda tram and the history of flight.
Upstairs, the starboard main engine of the Kalender steam ferry, made in Newcastle-upon-Tyne in 1911 and decommissioned in the 1980s, is the main exhibit – press a button and you can see its pistons move. Downstairs are a number of old bikes, from penny-farthings to an early Royal Enfield motorbike complete with basket chair for side carriage. The model railway is disappointing in terms of moving parts; far better is the ship’s bridge, reconstructed from a number of Turkish and British vessels of the 1920s to 1940s. All the instruments are explained in English, with sound effects and working parts, including an echo sounder, an early dimmer switch and a very loud alarm bell. The museum’s ongoing projects include raising the Australian navy’s first submarine, sunk off Gallipoli in World War I. For those disinclined to contemplate the marvels of the industrial age, the Café du Levant (closed Mon) in the museum grounds is a good French bistro.
The easiest way to get here is to either catch bus #47/A from Eminönü, on the opposite side of the Horn, or the ferry that runs between Eminönü and Eyüp, getting off at Kasimpaşa ferry terminal, from where it is a short walk to the museum.
Asian Side
The Asian side is a quiet and predominantly upper-class residential area interspersed with a smattering of architecturally notable mosques and synagogues. The tree-lined shopping section along Bagdat Caddesi attracts a local clientele, but frankly has nothing exceptional to offer a foreigner accustomed to a cosmopolitan afternoon out. Üsküdar covers a lot of territory worthy of a student of architecture; otherwise, stick to the already impressive structures on the European side. Beylerbeyi Sarayi, the summer palace of the sultans, commands the right banks of Üsküdar above the Bosphorus Bridge, and just up the hill at Çamlica is an incomparable view of the Bosphorus.
The Golden Horn in Istanbul
The Golden Horn, or Haliç in Turkish, is a horn-shaped fyord on the European side of Istanbul and is fed by two small streams. It is a natural harbor where Byzantine and Ottoman fleet and commercial ships were anchored. Today, it’s surrounded by parks and promenades with ancient sites around it. Its name comes from the color of the water when at sunset it shines with a gold color because of the reflection of the sun.
Golden Horn was an old trading harbor and a popular residential area during the Byzantine period. Its entrance was blocked by a huge chain to stop unwanted ships to enter. During the Ottoman period it was largely inhabited by Jewish immigrants from Spain. The mixtures of Armenians, Greeks, Gypsies and Turks living along its shores reflected the city’s colorful ethnic mosaic.
In the beginning of 16th century Leonardo da Vinci projected a bridge to be built over the Golden Horn for the sultan. It was intended to be a single span of 240 meters (787 feet), 8 meters (26 feet) wide, and 24 meters (78 feet) high from the water, but it was never built.
In the first half of 18th century the Golden Horn was famous for its tulip gardens where upscale people came to enjoy and row with their boats at the romantic sunset. Many poets called it as “Sadabad” in their poems, or “place of bliss”. Later on, Cibali cigarette factory was built in 1880 followed by other factories, which today houses a private university, and the Golden Horn was industrilized.
With the population explosion in the 1950’s and ineffective building laws, the Golden Horn became an ugly storage of grey city-sewage and industrial waste with a terrible odor. But in the 1980’s an urban clean-up began, clearing up these factories and building proper sewage systems around the Golden Horn. Now, its shores are green once again with parks, promenades, and playgrounds. There is still lots to do but at least now people don’t have to change their course because of the bad odor, and they can even fish there.
The Golden Horn The derivation of the name Golden Horn is obscure (the Turkish name, Halic, simply means “estuary”). One fanciful suggestion is that it was coined during the fifteenth-century siege of the city, when all the gold and precious objects the Byzantine citizens could collect were thrown into the inlet to save them being taken by the advancing Ottoman forces. Visitors in Ottoman times wrote about the area’s perfumed waters, though by the 1950s the author Yaşar Kemal described it in The Sea-Crossed Fisherman as “a filthy sewer filled with empty cans and rubbish and horse carcasses, dead dogs and gulls and wild boars and thousands of cats, stinking . . . A viscid, turbid mass, opaque, teeming with maggots.” Recent years have seen a huge improvement, though swimming is still not recommended!
Despite the pollution, the Golden Horn is one of the finest natural harbours in the world and its fortunes have been closely linked with those of the city. On two separate occasions, capture of the Horn proved to be the turning point of crucial military campaigns. The first occasion, in 1203–04, was when the Crusaders took the Horn and proceeded to besiege the city for ten months, until they breached the walls separating the inlet from the city. The second was a spectacular tour de force by Mehmet the Conqueror, who was prevented from entering the Horn by a chain fastened across it and so carried his ships overland at night and launched them into the inlet from its northern shore. Mehmet then constructed a pontoon across the top of the Horn over which he transported his army and cannons in preparation for the siege of the land walls, which were finally breached in 1453.
For the Ottoman Empire, the Horn was a vital harbour, supplying the Genoese, Venetian and Jewish trading colonies on its northern shore. It was also a site for ship construction, still very much in evidence, though most shipbuilding yards have moved east of İstanbul to Tuzla.
Downhill from the bazaar quarter is the Golden Horn, lined by long-neglected neighbourhoods that are now candidates for gentrification. The water is spanned by the modern Galata Bridge, which links the old city with the new to the north. Beyoglu is the commercial and cultural centre of town, concentrated around pedestrianised Istiklal Caddesi.
Fener and Balat are old neighborhoods of the Golden Horn, with traditional old wooden houses, Byzantine churches, and a couple of old synagogues belonging to the first Jewish community who was settled here. The Orthodox Patriarchy resides here as well.
Fener, Balat and the Golden Horn Take a journey through the neighborhoods surrounding Golden Horn. It will particularly attracts with its fish restaurants located in renovated historical buildings.
The Golden Horn forms a natural harbour at the very mouth of the Bosphorus, and divides Istanbul’s European Side into two sections, separating the Historical Peninsula from Beyoğlu to the north. Today, the Turkish name of the Golden Horn, Haliç indicates both the body of water itself and many neighborhoods in the vicinity. This area has always been an important center of fishing, agriculture, and transportation. In honor of the fact that it has provided abundance since its first settlement, the area is known as the Golden Horn. Golden Horn particularly attracts with its fish restaurants located in renovated historical buildings.
Fener The neighborhood of Fener has the honor of belonging to the UNESCO World Heritage List. It is located within the district of Fatih, on the western side of the Golden Horn. Balat, the neighborhood adjacent to Fener, is as old as Istanbul’s history itself. The area was first known as Fanarion, after the most important lighthouse in the Golden Horn, which was located here. A wide variety of historical churches, mosques and houses are located in Fener. The Patriarchate is still located here, and, as a result, the area is an important centre for the Orthodox Church.
Balat Like Fener, the neighborhood of Balat is also in the UNESCO World Heritage List. From Byzantine times onward, this neighborhood tended to be the area of choice for Istanbul’s Jewish community. The areas architectural monuments, churches, synagogues, public baths, and markets preserve their rich historical quality even today. It is almost as though an historical picture of Istanbul over the past 2000 years spreads out before you.
Haliç has always been an important center of fishing, agriculture, and transportation.
The Patriarchate is still located in Fener, and, as a result, the area is an important centre for the Orthodox Church.
Like Fener, the neighborhood of Balat is also in the UNESCO World Heritage List.
Piyerloti Cafe is the best place from which to view the Golden Horn
Eyup neighborhood towards the end of the Golden Horn is an important site for Muslims who are coming to visit and pray for the tomb of Eyub El Ensari, who was a companion of the Prophet Muhammad and died during the Arab siege of Constantinople in the 7th century. Around the mosque and the hills are covered with cemetaries from the Ottoman period. The Pierre Loti Cafe on top of the hill overlooking the shrine is a peaceful place to enjoy the view of the Golden Horn having a traditional Turkish coffee or tea.
There was no bridge over the Golden Horn before the 19th century. Small boats provided transportation between the two shores. The first Galata Bridge, which connects present day Karaköy to Eminönü, was built in 1836, rebuilt in 1845, again in 1912, and lastly in 1993. The Unkapani (also named as Atatürk) Bridge further up the Golden Horn handles the flow of traffic between Beyoglu and Saraçhane. The third one over the Golden Horn is called the Haliç Bridge with the highway passing thru.
Eyüp – 255.912 Eyüp district of Istanbul
Eyup was established after the conquest of Constantinople, and it was Istanbul’s first Ottoman Turkish settlement. The district is located just outside of the city walls on the south bank of the Golden Horn and takes its name from the tomb of Eyyub al Ensari, a companion of the Prophet Mohammed, who is believed to have died here when Arabs sieged the city in the 7th century.
Eyup began to develop shortly after the conquest, when Sultan Mehmed II built a tomb over the grave of Eyyub el-Ensari and a mosque next to it after his mentor, Aksemseddin, saw the place in his dream. The first settlers were from Bursa and the first neighborhoods were named Cami-i Kebir, Kasim Cavus, Uluca Baba, Abdulvedud, Sofular, Otagcibasi, Fethi Celebi and Mehmed Bey.
The most intense period of development occurred during sultan Süleyman‘s rule in the 16th century. Beside the mosque, theological schools, public fountains, cemetaries, hamams) and alms kitchens were built, followed by wooden mansions and pavilions. The Tomb of Eyup el-Ensari (Eyüp Sultan Türbesi in Turkish) became a place of pilgrimage for Muslims since then.
One of the most important ceremonies of Ottoman times was the girding of swords at Eyup Sultan. The ceremony was performed with prayers and recalled the significance of the new sultan’s standing. Probably this tradition came from the Byzantine period when the power of the head priest at the Leon Makelos monastery, which was located here at that time, included girding the emperor, military commander and nobles as they left for war.
The existence of Eyup’s tomb attracted many Ottomans who wished to be buried here in order to be close to the saint, that is why there is a large number of cemeteries in the district. These tombstones with inscriptions are good examples of the stone-carving art. Lately, local municipality re-organized and renovated some of the cemetaries here.
Eyup Sultan Tomb draws huge crowds here on religious and public holidays. It is also a popular place to visit for newly-weds and little boys before their circumcision parties.
Cafe Pier Loti is another popular place in Eyüp, standing on a hilltop just above the cemetaries and overlooking the Golden Horn. It’s fame derives from the French writer, Pierre Loti, who used to come here to meditade and write his poems about the romantic city of Istanbul during the second half of 19th century. Today, you too can enjoy this great panorama while having your Turkish coffee or tea.
Eyüp is one of the holiest places in Islam, its mosque being the site of the tomb of Eyüp Ensari, the Prophet Mohammed’s standard-bearer. Muslims come here from all over the Islamic world on pilgrimage – if you’re going to come, try not to visit on Fridays, out of respect for conservative worshippers.
The mosque is most easily reached by boat up the Golden Horn from Eminönü – it’s the last ferry stop before the Horn peters out into two small streams, and the mosque and tomb are about a ten-minute walk from the ferry terminal on Camii Kebir Caddesi. Or catch the #39/A bus from Eminönü, which drops you off at the ferry terminal.
One of the small group of companions of the Prophet, Eyüp Ensari was killed during the first Arab siege of Constantinople (674–678); a condition of the peace treaty signed following the siege was that his tomb be preserved. Later, the mosque here, Eyüp Camii, hosted the investiture ceremonies of the Ottoman sultans: indeed, mosque and tomb face each other across the courtyard that was used for the ceremony. The exact site is marked by a raised platform surrounded by railings, from which two plane trees grow.
The original mosque, built by Mehmet the Conqueror in honour of Eyüp Ensari, was destroyed in the eighteenth century, probably by the same earthquake that put paid to Fatih Camii. The present Baroque replacement, filled with light, gold, pale stone and white marble, was completed in 1800. The tomb of Eyüp Ensari (Tues– Sun 9.30am–4.30pm) is far more compelling, however (footwear should be removed and women should cover their heads before entering). Its facade and vestibule are covered in tile panels from many different periods and, although the overall effect is a bit overwhelming, the panels constitute a beautiful and varied display of the art form; you could spend weeks visiting individual buildings to see as many different designs and styles.
There are a number of other important tombs in the Eyüp district, as it was a popular place of burial for Ottoman dignitaries. Two of these, the tombs of Sokollu Mehmet Paşa and Siyavus Paşa (Tues– Sun 9.30am–4.30pm), stand opposite each other on either side of Camii Kebir Caddesi, five minutes’ walk from Eyüp Camii towards the Golden Horn. Five years before his assassination, Sokollu Mehmet Paşa commissioned Mimar Sinan to build his tomb. It is an elegantly proportioned octagonal building of around 1574, notable for its stained glass, some of which is original; connected to the tomb by an elegant three-arched colonnade is a former Koran school. Siyavus Paşa’s tomb, on the other hand, was probably actually built by Sinan for the children of Siyavus Paşa, who had died young. It’s decorated with İznik tiles.
Eyüp is still a popular burial place and the hills above the mosque are covered in plain modern stones interspersed with beautiful Ottoman tombs. To the north of the mosque, off Silahtarağa Caddesi, Karyağdı Sokak leads up into the Eyüp cemetery. Following the signs up this lane through the graveyard – most beautiful at sunset with an arresting view of the Golden Horn – it takes about twenty minutes from Eyüp Camii to reach the romantic Pierre Loti Café (daily 8am– midnight) overlooking the Horn, where waiters in Ottoman costume serve up Turkish coffee. The café was made famous by the autobiographical novel of Pierre Loti (the pen name of Julien Marie Viaud), a young French naval officer and writer of romantic novels and travel books, who fell in love with the green eyes of a Circassian harem girl called Aziyade in nineteenth-century İstanbul.
Crossing the Golden Horn Any number of buses cross the Golden Horn via two bridges: Galata Köprüsü (from Eminönü) and Atatürk Köprüsü (from Aksaray). Most useful is the #T1 from Eminönü, which crosses Galata Köprüsü to Karaköy and follows the coast road around to the ferry terminal at Kabataş before climbing the hill to Taksim Square. From there the route continues in a loop to cross the other Golden Horn bridge, Atatürk Köprüsü, travelling under the Aqueduct of Valens on Atatürk Bulvarı to Aksaray, where it takes a left turn along Ordu Caddesi through to Beyazit before skirting around Sultanahmet back to Eminönü. The #T4 follows exactly the same route but in the opposite direction.
From Eminönü there are regular commuter ferries on the short hop across to Karaköy, though there is little need to catch one when the easiest and most interesting way to cross the Horn is to walk over the Galata Köprüsü from Eminönü past the fishermen and hawkers.
Despite being the vital link between the two sides of European İstanbul, the Galata Köprüsü (Galata bridge) is not exactly beautiful. Recent developments have improved things, however, with the shops beneath the surface road now thriving, and the tram rumbling across the bridge. In spite of the traffic fumes, the stroll across is very pleasant – past the throngs of anglers and with great views of both shores. On the northern side, look out for the small market on the left where bucket-loads of live fish and crabs are sold.
Kadiköy – 663.299 Kadikoy district in Istanbul
Kadikoy is one of the 32 districts in Istanbul, on the Asian side of the city, at the southern tip of the Bosphorus Strait opening to the Sea of Marmara. Before the foundation of Byzantium it was known as the “land of the blind” according to a legend and its ancient name was Chalcedon. Once prominent in the history of Christianity, it hosted important Ecumenical Council meetings in the 5th century.
Kadikoy is one of the fastest growing districts in Istanbul for the last 25 years, it has areas of up-market shopping with fashionable shops, fine dining and entertainment making it popular especially for wealthy local people. Nice promenades along the waterside, especially around the marinas and yacht clubs, add value to the district.
Baghdad Avenue is one of the most trendy shopping and dining place here, many cafeterias are full of locals and young people enjoying their life. Moda neighborhood is also famous for its restaurants and cafeterias. Kalamis and Fenerbahce neighborhoods have a nice marina and several yacht clubs, and there is a huge stadium of Fenerbahce soccer team here as well.
Haydarpasa Train Station, built in 1906 in the Prussian architectural style, is connecting Istanbul to the east of Turkey by railways. It was the last stop of the Istanbul-Baghdad railway. Next to the station, there is the commercial harbor of the city with many cranes and silos. Selimiye army barracks in Harem neighborhood and the Marmara high school are the most impressive buildings from late Ottoman period, besides Haydarpasa station. During the Crimean War in the 19th century, Florence Nightingale served at Selimiye as a nurse and today her room is preserved as a museum.
Karacaahmet is a large Muslim cemetery in this part of the city, near Uskudar district.
Across the Bosphorus, on the Asian side, the suburb of Kadıköy may at first seem unpromising, with only views of the European shore to recommend it. However, it’s a lively place, with good shops, restaurants, bars and cinemas. Towards the end of the nineteenth century, when the introduction of steam-driven ferries made commuting across to Beyoğlu feasible, Kadıköy became a popular residential area for wealthy Greeks, Armenians and foreign businesspeople. The main road south from Kadıköy is Bağdat Caddesi, part of the old silk route from China though it’s of little architectural merit, and today is a place to pose, and to shop for the clothes to pose in.
In Kadıköy itself, the best place for clothes is Gen Azim Gündüz Caddesi (formerly Bahariye Caddesi), which is a right turn off Söğütlüceşme Caddesi, the wide, steep street leading uphill from the ferry jetty. There’s more fun to be had sorting through the great mounds of junk, old carpets and kilims that can be found for sale in the bit pazar (flea market) on Özellik Sokak.
Directly south of Kadıköy is the more upmarket suburb of Moda, reached by taking Moda Caddesi off Söğütlüceşme Caddesi and turning left up any of its side-streets. It’s a pleasant area for aimless wandering, particularly popular with courting couples who cruise Moda Caddesi, stopping at Ali Usta, at no. 266, a well-known ice-cream parlour that attracts vast queues on summer evenings.
Üsküdar – 495.118 Üsküdar district in Istanbul
Usküdar is located on the Asian side at the entrance to the Bosphorus. Originaly Üsküdar was called Scutari and it was located between Salacak and Pasalimani neighborhoods, but it expanded during the years and now it stretches to Ümraniye on the east, to Kadiköy in the south, and to Beykoz in the north.
During the Ottoman period, Usküdar was the third Muslim judgeship of Istanbul, besides Galata and Eyüp. The Muslim people coming from Anatolia resided in Usküdar after it was taken by sultan Orhan Gazi in 1352. Sultan Mehmed the Conqueror speeded the immigration from Anatolia to Usküdar. The famous Turkish traveler Evliya Çelebi in the 17th century wrote that there were 70 Muslim neighborhoods in Usküdar and most of the people had emigrated from Anatolia. He also stated that there were 11 Greek and Armenian, one Jewish, and no French neighborhoods in Usküdar. This gave an ethnic and culturally homogeneous structure to the district.
Usküdar was the center of trade with Anatolia until the railway was installed in the 19th century with Haydarpasa train station. It was also the starting point for trade with Iran and Armenia. All Armenian and Iranian merchants arrived in Usküdar with their caravans. Therefore Usküdar became a trade town in the 16th and 17th centuries.
Usküdar was always a quiet and modest area, its streets and houses were nice and well maintained. Karacaahmet cemetery, the oldest and largest Muslim cemetery in Istanbul, is located in Usküdar. There are many cypress trees in the cemetery, and with its vegetation it is more like a park than a cemetery.
Every year people going to Mecca for pilgrimage were sent from Usküdar. The Surre Alayi which brought the presents of the Ottoman Sultans to Mecca and Medina governors were also sent from Usküdar.
The Marmara Sea is means of the transportation for its inhabitants. When you travel by sea to Usküdar, Kizkulesi welcomes you first. This beautiful tower is one of the beauties of Usküdar and the symbol of Istanbul. When you reach the shore, another important site welcomes you; Mihrimah Sultan Mosque, built by great architect Sinan who also built the Süleymaniye Mosque. The Sultan Ahmed III fountain at the Usküdar Square is another important monument. Once at Uskudar, you can also visit Beylerbeyi Palace or experience a traditional Turkish Bath.
Usküdar has changed today, like the rest of Istanbul. Unfortunately nothing much remains of the shore-side palaces built in the 18th century. Its green hills have become cement blocks loosing its traditional architectural characteristics. Just a few streets with wooden houses with balconies and bow-windows are still alive. Today, a large construction is going on in the Square which will be the station of Marmaray Project, a railway tunnel under the Bosphorus.
There are regular passenger ferries to Uskudar from Besiktas and Karakoy districts.
Any number of buses, including the useful #12 and #14, head north from Kadıköy, past the train station and slightly inland, to Üsküdar, passing the Capitol shopping mall in Altunizade.
There’s plenty of evidence of religious conservatism in Üsküdar (a corruption of “Scutari” – the name used for what was a separate town in the late Byzantine era), particularly in the dress of its inhabitants. The area has been characterized by wholesale migration from the more Islamic regions of Anatolia and has long been a centre of Islamic mystical sects.
To get to Üsküdar take a ferry from Eminönü or Beşiktaş, or bus #12 or #14 or a dolmuş from Kadıköy. You’ll be dropped in Üsküdar’s main square and quayside, which doubles as an enormous bus park. From here buses run up the Bosphorus, as far as Anadolu Kavağı (leaving from in front of İskele Camii on Paşa Liman Caddesi), and to the Black Sea resorts of “Ağva” and Sıle”.
Although there are some fine imperial mosques in and around the suburb, modern Üsküdar is primarily renowned as a shopping centre. It has an abundance of street stalls selling fresh produce, particularly fish and vegetables, and innumerable family-run supermarkets that stock obscure varieties of Anatolian cheeses. Secondhand furniture and ornaments are sold at the Üsküdar bit pazar (flea market) in Büyük Hamam Sokak and there are also some reasonable jewellery and clothes shops. Along the quayside at Salacak are some good pavement cafés and bars, offering fantastic views of Topkapı Palace and İstanbul.
The most obvious mosque is İskele or Mihrimah Camii, opposite the ferry landing on İskele Meydanı. This sits on a high platform, fronted by an immense covered porch that is the perennial haunt of old men in knitted hats complaining about the changing times while they peruse the square below. Designed by Mimar Sinan and built in 1547–48, this is the only Ottoman mosque with three semi-domes (rather than two or four), a result of the requirements of a difficult site against the hillside behind.
Directly across the main square from the İskele Camii is the Yeni Valide Camii. Built between 1708 and 1710 by Ahmet III in honour of his mother, it is most easily identified by the Valide Sultan’s green, birdcage-like tomb, whose meshed roof was designed to keep birds out while allowing rain in to water the garden tomb below (now rather untidily overgrown). There is an attractive şadırvan (ablutions fountain) in the courtyard; the grilles of its cistern are highly wrought, their pattern echoed in the stone carvings above.
One of the most attractive mosques in Üsküdar is the Çinili Cami, or Tiled Mosque, which dates from 1640. To get there on foot, take Hakimiyet-i Milliye Caddesi out of the centre and turn left into Çavuşdere Caddesi; after passing Çavuşdere fruit and veg market, continue to climb the same street and you’ll see the mosque on your right. The tiles are mainly blues and turquoise, but there’s a rare shade of green to be found in the mihrab. Below the mosque, in the same street, is the beautifully restored Çinili Hamamı (men 8am–10pm, women 8am–8pm; 12YTL), which retains its original central marble stones for massage and acres of marble revetments. It’s an extremely clean hamam and the pride of its workers.
The Atık Valide Külliyesi is just a short walk from Çinili Cami: go back down Çavuşdere Caddesi and turn left into Çinili Hamam Sokak and you’ll find the mosque on the right. Dating from 1583, the complex is a work of the master architect Mimar Sinan, built for Nur Banu, wife of Selim II and mother of Murat III. The mosque courtyard, meant to be the most beautiful in İstanbul, has been closed for restoration for a number of years and the mosque is entered through a side-door. Worth inspecting are the underside of the wooden galleries on three sides of the interior, which are beautifully painted, and the İznik tiles covering the mihrab.
From Üsküdar’s main square, İskele Meydanı, minibuses to Ümraniye run past the foot of Büyük Çamlıca, the highest hill on the Asian side. If you get off at Kısıklı Camii you can walk up Kısıklı– Büyük Çamlıca Caddesi, turning right just before the Büyük Çamlıca Et Lokantası to reach the park – a walk of fifteen minutes or so. The effort is rewarded by refreshingly cooler temperatures and by spectacular views of the Bosphorus and the European shore. The café on the hill (daily 9am– midnight) has been tastefully refurbished.
To the south of Üsküdar on an island in the Bosphorus, is the small white Kız Kulesi (Maiden’s Tower), also known as Leander’s Tower. Many myths are associated with it: in one a princess, who was prophesied to die from a snake bite, came here to escape her fate, only to succumb to it when a serpent was delivered to her retreat in a basket of fruit. The tower also featured in the 1999 James Bond film, The World Is Not Enough. It’s now a museum (daily except Mon noon–7pm; free), doubling as an expensive restaurant in the evening. It can be reached from Salacak (on the main coast road between Üsküdar and Harem) by boat (midday–10pm; every twenty minutes) and from Ortaköy and Kabataş.
Back towards the ferry landing in Beşiktaş, the Maritime Museum (Deniz Müzesi; daily except Wed & Thurs 9am–12.30pm & 1.30–5pm; 2YTL) on Barbaros Hayrettin Paşa Iskelesı Sok, off Beşiktaş Caddesi, is one of the most entertaining museums in İstanbul. The collection is divided between two buildings, the one facing the water housing sea-going craft while the other, on Cezayir Caddesi, is devoted to the maritime history of the Ottoman Empire and the Turkish Republic. Most of the labels are in Turkish but the best of the exhibits – such as the enormous wooden figureheads depicting tigers and swans, and the display of items from Atatürk’s yacht, the Savarona – need little explanation. Next door, the exhibition continues with a collection of caïques, which were used to row the sultans to and from their homes along the Bosphorus. The oarsmen – the Bostanci – reputedly barked like dogs whilst they rowed so as not to overhear the sultans talking. The largest of these caïques, dating from 1648, needed an incredible 144 oarsmen to power it. The lovely mother-of-pearl inlay of the sultan’s kiosk can be viewed from above via a purpose-built walkway.
A ten-minute walk from the main square in front of Beşiktaş ferry terminal, in the direction of Ortaköy, brings you to the Çırağan Sarayı on Çırağan Caddesi. This sumptuous palace, with 300m of marble facade facing the shore, is now a luxury hotel but was built originally as a palace when Sultan Abdulmecid decided to move his official residence from Dolmabahçe in 1855. It was completed in 1874, during the reign of Abdülaziz, and it was here that Abdülaziz was either murdered or committed suicide – the cause of death was never established. Murat V was later imprisoned here after being deposed by his brother. Following a period of abandonment, Çırağan housed the Turkish parliament for two years in 1908, before a fire reduced it to a blackened shell in 1910. It was restored in 1991 to its present magnificence as İstanbul’s foremost luxury hotel, the Çırağan Palace & Kempinski Hotel (see “Beşiktaş”).
Like Dolmabahçe, Çırağan was designed along the lines of a European palace, but Arabic touches were added on the orders of Abdülaziz – such as the honeycomb stalactites decorating the windows. Unfortunately, the modern block of the KempinskiHotel slightly mars the view of the palace from the Bosphorus, but the Gazebo restaurant provides a magnificent setting for a traditional afternoon tea, while Tuğra (see “Beşiktaş”) is the place for a grand Ottoman night out.
A bridge crosses Çırağan Caddesi from the palace to Yıldız Parkı, which allowed the harem women private access to the park – on the odd occasion they were given permission to enter of course.
North of Kadıköy, across the bay, is the mainline Haydarpaşatrain station, jutting out into the Bosphorus. Completed in 1908 by a German architect as part of Germany’s grandiose plans for a Berlin to Baghdad railway, the palace-like building was presented to Sultan Abdül Hamit II by Kaiser Wilhelm II. The stained glass is particularly impressive, and it’s well worth a look even if you are not heading into Asian Turkey by rail. You can reach it directly by ferry from Eminönü, or it’s a ten-minute walk from Kadıköy ferry terminal.
Directly north of the station, between the sea and Tıbbiye Caddesi, is the Marmara University and the British War Cemetery (daily 7am–7pm), a beautifully kept spot sheltering the dead of the Crimean War and the two world wars. To find it, turn off Tıbbiye Caddesi into Burhan Felek Caddesi, between the university building and the military hospital. A few minutes’ walk northeast of the university, along Kavak Iskele Caddesi, is the imposing Selimiye Barracks (closed to the public), whose northwest wing was used as a hospital by the British during the Crimean War (1854–56). Florence Nightingale lived and worked in the northern tower, where she reduced the death toll among patients from twenty percent to two percent, and established universally accepted principles of modern nursing.
Opposite the barracks, across Çeşme-i Kebir Sokak on Selimiye Camii Sokak, the Selimiye Camii was constructed, along with the nearby hamam, for the use of the barracks’ soldiers. The largest Muslim graveyard in İstanbul, the Karaca Ahmet Mezarlığı, is a ten-minute walk away on Tıbbiye Caddesi, in the direction of Üsküdar. It’s a sprawling place shadowed by ancient cypress trees, thought to have been founded in the mid-fourteenth century and now with an estimated one million graves.
Haydar pasa is Turkey‘s largest and most magnificent railway station which was built in the early 20th century by the German architects Otto Ritter and Helmuth Cuno. A monument to the close Turkish – German relations of the time, the station is in neo-renaissance style and has a U-plan. The inauguration ceremony took place on 19 August 1908, just after the proclamation of the Second Constitution.
The façade is covered in textured sandstone, and the main façade overlooking Kadiköy Bay rests on a foundation of 1100 timber piles. The steep pitched roof is slated, and the interior is decorated with trailing foliage cartouches and garlands, and stained glass window. The ceiling of the circular room at the base of the southeast tower has ribbed vaults, and the upper landings have groin vaults. Flights of marble steps lead up from the quay to the monumental façade flanked by circular turrets with conical roofs, clock tower rising in the form of a crest at the center, baroque decoration, balconies, molded cornices, and pilasters.
This fantastic station building welcomes those arriving in Istanbul from Anatolia by train, and is the last sight of this enchanting city for those leaving. Since 1908 Haydarpasa Station has witnessed many memorable events, both tragic and joyful. During World War I troops boarded trains for the front from here, many never to return, and in 1917 it was badly damaged in a bomb attack. Crowds welcomed Mustafa Kemal Atatürk here on many occasions when he arrived from Ankara.
Once upon a time, passengers of the Orient Express arriving at Istanbul from Europe and those who wanted to continue towards Baghdad, had to take a boat across the Bosphorus and board the train from Haydarpasa station.
With the increase in road transport and air travel, Haydarpasa Station has lost its former importance but it is still a landmark on the Asian side of the city, together with the nearby Selimiye Barracks (of Florence Nightingale fame) and Haydarpasa Medical School.
Consulate England (Great Britain) Mesrutiyet Cad. No:34, Tepebasi (212)3346400 (212)3346401
BEBEK (Turkish for baby) is the beginning of real wealth on the Bosphorus, and the suburbs from here to Sariyer encompass some of the most beautiful, priceless Bosphorus yalıs. The fifteen-minute walk from Arnavutköy follows an attractive park-fringed promenade, popular with swimming children and sunbathing pensioners. City-dwellers drive to Bebek to eat ice cream in the village square, which is also the gathering place for rich-kid bikers. If you arrive by boat, to the left of the jetty is Bebek’s most famous building, the waterfront Hıdıv Sarayı (Khedive’s Palace), an Art Nouveau-style mansion belonging to the Egyptian consulate. North of the ferry terminal, fishermen rent out rowing boats by the hour.
Above Bebek, up the extremely steep Küçük Bebek Caddesi, there’s a little park known as the balkon (balcony) with extensive Bosphorus views and a café. Between the mosque and Bebek Park is Bebek Kahvesi, Cevdet Paşa Cad 137, a century-old no-frills café, always full of people who get together to chat, play backgammon or watch their dogs romp around the park.
A fifteen-minute walk along the promenade north of Bebek, is the impressive fortress of Rumeli Hisarı (Tues– Sun 9am–4.30pm; 2YTL). Grander than its counterpart, Andalou Hisarı, across the strait, this Ottoman fortress was constructed in four months in 1452, before the Ottoman conquest of the city. It houses a small open-air theatre, providing a summer-evening venue for concerts and plays, particularly during the International Music Festival (see “İstanbul’s festivals”). The fortress lies in the shadow of the second Bosphorus bridge, the Fatih Sultan Mehmet bridge. Completed in 1988, it’s amongst the world’s longest suspension bridges (1090m), and spans the Bosphorus at the point where King Darius of Persia crossed the straits by pontoon bridge in 512 BC.
SARIYER is 12km further up the European shore from Bebek, after the unremarkable suburbs of Emirgan and Yeniköy (stops on the Bosphorus Tour), and Büyükdere, with public transport links to the Belgrade Forest. Also a stop on the Bosphorus Tour cruise, Sariyer has a sea-bus terminal for faster connections to the city in peak hours. It’s famous for its milk puddings and böreks, and between ferries there is ample time for a leisurely lunch in any one of the seafood restaurants that cluster around the quayside or in the daily fish market (one of the city’s largest), north of the ferry terminal.
You can idle away some time with a visit to the Sadberk Hanım Museum, Büyükdere Cad 27–29 (Sadberk Hanım Müzesi; daily except Wed 10.30am–6pm; 2YTL), and its beautifully displayed assortment of archeological and ethnographical objects. It’s 300m south of the Sariyer jetty; bus #25/A to Sariyer from Eminönü and Beşiktaş passes by.
The last village on the European Bosphorus shore is RUMELI KAVAĞİ, a 2km dolmuş or short ferry ride from Sariyer. Nicer than Sariyer, with more of a village feel, it’s no more than a string of houses, with some delightful fishrestaurants clustered around its ferry terminal. Particular favourites include Ayder Balik, a classy place where you order fish specials off a big tray; the cheaper Süper Yedigün, which has an open terrace on the roof; and Yedi Gün, whose shrimp casserole is excellent. There’s also a small private swimming beach here, one of the very few along the Bosphorus, though it is often restricted to women and children only.
The easiest way to get here is on the Bosphorus Tour, when restaurant owners expectantly await the arrival of the ferry. If you’re intending to make an evening of it remember that the last bus from Rumeli Kavağı to Eminönü, the #25/A, leaves at 10pm from near the jetty, while the last dolmuş to Sariyer leaves at 11pm, from where there are later buses back to Taksim and Eminönü. There is also a local ferry connecting Rumeli Kavağı with Anadolu Kavağı on the opposite Asian shore, and with Sariyer.
Several kilometres west of Sariyer, off the main road to Kılyos in the Istranca hills, Belgrade Forest (Belgrad Ormanları) was originally a hunting preserve of the Ottomans. The pine, oak and beech forest is now a popular retreat from the rigours of the city. It’s most easily reached by car though determined non-drivers can take a dolmuş from Sırmacılar Sok in the suburb of Büyükdere, on the Bosphorus, to the village of BAHÇEKÖY, on the east side of the forest. From here it is a 1.5km walk to Büyük Bend reservoir and the largest picnic ground in the forest, where there’s a tea garden, first-aid stand and gymnastic equipment in the trees for joggers and athletes.
A sophisticated system of dams, reservoirs, water towers and aqueducts is still in evidence around the forest, which supplied İstanbul with most of its fresh water during Byzantine and Ottoman times. The most impressive of the aqueducts is the Uzun or Long Aqueduct, a 1km walk south of Büyük Bend beyond Kemer Burgaz. Its tiers of tall, pointed arches were built by Sinan for Süleyman the Magnificent in 1563. Close to the reservoir are the remains of Belgrade village; the name came about after the capture of Belgrade in 1521, when a community of Serbian well-diggers, prisoners-of-war of Süleyman, were settled here to take over the upkeep of the water-supply system. In the seventeenth century the forests’ attractions were discovered by the foreign community of İstanbul, who came to seek refuge from a particularly nasty pestilence that was wiping out half the city, and for the next century or so many wealthy Christians had second homes here. In the 1890s the village was evacuated by Abdül Hamid II, who believed the inhabitants were polluting the city’s water supply.
On the Asian side of the Bosphorus are vast suburbs and small villages, all virtually unknown to tourists. The Bosphorus Tour calls in at some of the villages on the way to its final stop Anadolu Kavağı, the last village on the Asian side. Buses run here (stopping at the villages and suburbs in between) from Üsküdar’s main bus station in front of the İskele Camii and ferry terminal, with the #15/D running along the entire coast from Üsküdar to Anadolu Kavağı.
Dolmuşes and buses follow the coast road the two or three kilometres from Üsküdar to KUZGUNCUK. There are ferries across to Beşikataş from here, as well as a good fish restaurant on the shore, İsmet Baba, at Acadiye Cad 96–98 (Telephone0216/333 1232). This is one of those genuine old establishments that it’s hard to find on the Bosphorus these days, with a fine view of Ortaköy Camii on the other side and twenty varieties of meze, the fish of the day and rakı all for around 32–40YTL per person.
A thirty-minute walk from the village up İcadiye Sokak is the Jewish cemetery, with its white marble gravestones laying flat on the ground instead of standing upright. İstanbul’s Jewish community largely originates from 1492, when Beyazit II gave refuge to Jews escaping the Spanish Inquisition; some still speak “Ladino”, a language close to fifteenth-century classical Spanish. The Ottomans benefited from the commercial acumen of the Jewish community, which still plays an important part in the Turkish economy.
The main attraction of BEYLERBEYI, the next village, 500m along and on the other side of the first Bosphorus bridge, is the Beylerbeyi Palace (daily except Mon & Thurs 9.30am–5pm; guided tours 6YTL), a nineteenth-century white marble summer residence and guesthouse of the Ottoman sultans. Much admired by contemporary visitors from Europe – after her stay in 1869, Empress Eugénie had its windows copied in the Tuileries Palace in Paris – the palace is still popular with Western visitors. The interior decoration was designed by Sultan Abdülaziz himself, while some of the furniture, including the matching dining chairs in the harem and the selamlık, was carved by Sultan Abdülhamid II during his six years of imprisonment here up to his death in 1918. The central staircase, with its fanciful twisting shape, is perhaps the highlight, but there are all kinds of details to savour here, from the neo-Islamic patterns on the ceilings down to the beautiful Egyptian hasır, the reed matting on the floor.
ÇENGELKÖY is a pretty village, a short walk from Beylerbeyi, around the next bend of the Bosphorus. Its main landmark building, the kuleli, once served as a hospital under the direction of Florence Nightingale in the Crimean War, though it’s currently closed to the public.
A ten-minute bus ride from Çengelköy is Küçüksu Kasrı, sometimes known as Göksu Palace (daily except Mon & Thurs 9.30am–4pm; 2YTL), which takes both its names from the two nearby streams that empty into the Bosphorus. After passing a boatyard to your left you’ll cross a bridge over the Küçüksu Deresi; get off at the next stop, walk back to the sign saying “Küçük Saray Aile Bahcesi” and you’ll find the palace at the end of a drive. Built by Nikoğos Balian, son of the architect of Dolmabahçe, its exterior is highly ornate – the Rococo carving is best seen from the Bosphorus, the intended approach. The whole of the palace interior is decorated with lace and carpets from Hereke and lit by Bohemian crystal chandeliers. The floors are mahogany, inlaid with rose- and almond-wood and ebony; upstairs is an ebony table on which Sultan Abdülaziz was wont to arm-wrestle with visitors of state.
The KüçüksuDeresi and the Göksu are the streams formerly known to Europeans as the “Sweet Waters of Asia”, their banks graced by picnicking parties of Ottoman nobility. On the north bank of the Göksu stands the Ottoman fortress of Anadolu Hisarı (always open; free), beneath the towering Fatih bridge.
Beyond the bridge, bus #15/D continues to KANLİCA, famed for its yoghurt, which can be eaten at any of the little quayside restaurants. Ferries run back under the bridge and across to Bebek from here and the #15/D continues the 12km or so on to the village of Anadolu Kavağı.
The last call on the Bosphorus Tour from Eminönü is ANADOLU KAVAĞİ, where the boat stops for a couple of hours. The village has a distinct, if dilapidated, charm – balconied houses with boat-mooring stations overlook the Bosphorus, while the main street is lined with excellent fish restaurants and food stands, where fishermen sell their wares directly to the restaurant owners.
Sprawling across an overgrown hilltop above the town, is the Byzantine fortress (always open; free) from which the village takes its name. It affords excellent views of the Bosphorus, and, approaching from above you’ll see various Greek inscriptions and even the imperial logo of the Paleologus dynasty (a cross with the letter “b” in each corner, which stands for “King of Kings, who Kings it over Kings”). To get to the fortress, take Mirşah Hamam Sokak from the dock and walk uphill for half an hour.
From the jetty back in the village, bus #15/D runs to Üsküdar, or catch a ferry to Sariyer on the European side, where there’s a sea-bus terminal and buses to Taksim.
Princes’ Islands: get away to islands with Victorian-era towns free of motor vehicles: walk, bicycle, or take a horse-drawn carriage tour
The nine small islands about 20 km (10.5 miles) southeast of the centre of Istanbul in the Sea of Marmara (Google Map) were called the Princes Islands by foreign chroniclers (because of Byzantine emperors’ practice of sending bothersome princes there to be blinded, exiled or executed), but today’s citizens of Istanbul call them simply Adalar (“The Islands”).
In medieval times they were the sites of monasteries, away from the bustle and temptations of the city., but with the advent of steamships and convenient ferryboat service the 19th century, the four larger islands—Büyükada, Heybeliada, Burgazada and Kinaliada— became summer resorts. Istanbul’s wealthy Ottoman families, especially Greeks, Jews and Armenians, built elaborate Victorian summer cottages along the narrow island-village streets.
The quiet ambience of a century ago is preserved today as no private motor vehicles are allowed on any of the islands. Everyone walks, or rides bicycles, or takes horse-drawn carriages (fayton).
In summer, six to 10 ferries a day make the 90-minute voyage from the Kabatas ferry dock to Kinaliada, Burgazada, Heybeliada and Büyükada.
The voyage is half the fun as your ferry enters steams down the Bosphorus and into the Sea of Marmara, showing you Topkapi Palace, Ayasofya, the Blue Mosque, Seraglio Point, and indeed all of Istanbul, from a different angle.
The Princes’ Islands, in the Sea of Marmara between 15km and 30km southeast of the city, have always been a favourite retreat from the mainland. Four of the nine islands are easily accessible by ferry from İstanbul and, in the summer public holidays, see a steady stream of visitors that threaten to destroy the peace and tranquillity. On the largest island, Büyükada, the local population of 6500 swells each summer to over 40,000. That said, it’s usually easy enough to escape the crowds. Apart from the odd police or utility vehicle, no cars are allowed on the islands, so transport is either by foot, phaeton (horse-drawn carriage), bike or donkey. The proximity to İstanbul of these romantic retreats make them an easy day-trip, but if you do wish to overnight you’ll find accommodation both over-priced and, especially on summer weekends, hard to come by.
The islands have been inhabited since Classical times, but their first claim to fame derived from the copper mines of Chalkitis – modern Heybeliada – long since exhausted (but still visible near Çam Limanı). In the Byzantine era, numerous convents and monasteries were built on the islands and these became favoured – because of their proximity to the capital and ease of surveillance – as luxurious prisons for banished emperors, empresses and princes (often after they had been blinded). After the conquest, the islands were largely neglected by the Ottoman Turks and became a place of refuge for Greek, Armenian and Jewish communities.
In 1846 a ferry service was established and the islands became popular with Pera’s wealthy merchants and bankers, but it was only in the early years of the Republic that the islands became İstanbul’s favourite summer resort. Mosques began to appear in the villages, and hotels and apartment buildings soon followed. A Turkish naval college was established on Heybeliada and the islands received the rubber stamp of republican respectability when Atatürk’s private yacht was moored here as a training ship.
Not all of the islands have romantic connotations. Sivriada, which is uninhabited and cannot be visited, gained public notoriety in 1911 when all the stray dogs in İstanbul were rounded up, shipped out there and left to starve; while Yassıada is best known as a prison island, used for the detention of political prisoners. It was here that Adnan Menderes and two of his former ministers were hanged on the night of September 16, 1961, after a military coup.
Since Büyükada and Heybeliada were declared centres of tourism, they’ve been a focal point for further development and legislation restricting the height of new buildings to a 7.5-metre, two-storey limit is widely flouted. The pressure group Ada Vakfi (the Princes’ Islands Foundation) continues its attempts to preserve what’s left of the islands’ heritage and, despite the changes, the essence of a trip to the islands is still escape from the noise, stress and pollution of the city.
The Black Sea and a few of its resorts are easily accessible from İstanbul and, if you’re staying in the city for any length of time, these seaside villages make good day-trips or weekend breaks. Bear in mind, however, that much of the development along this coast has been uncontrolled, with some resorts appallingly built-up: they can be quite disappointing in high season, particularly, when they tend to fill with disgruntled Russian package tourists.
The nearest resort on the European side of the Bosphorus, KİLYOS is fairly easily accessible by regular minibus-dolmuş from Sariyer, from where there’s a direct road of about 12km. Sadly, the former Greek fishing village has succumbed to a tide of holiday-home development and the beach is dirty. There’s little of interest; the area’s most imposing monument – a medieval Genoese castle – is occupied by the Turkish army and off-limits. The last dolmuş back to Sariyer from Kılyos leaves at around 8pm.
A main road from Asian İstanbul to ŞILE has led to increased development as it’s now feasible to live here and commute into town, or have a weekend summer-house. It’s 70km, or about a 1hr 15min drive from Üsküdar, with several buses departing daily from the bus station in Üsküdar on Doğancilar Caddesi (on the hour 9am–4pm).
Out of season it’s easy to see Şile’s attraction, perched on a clifftop overlooking a large bay and tiny island, with white sandy beaches stretching off to the west. There’s also the pretty French-built black-and-white-striped lighthouse and the fourteenth-century Genoese castle on a nearby island. However, the town is best avoided during the summer months, when it’s far too busy, and the sea has a strong undercurrent, with several people drowning here every year.
Şile’s main historical claim to fame is that it was visited by Xenophon and his Ten Thousand, the army that was left leaderless when its officers were all murdered by the Persians. They stayed in Şile, then known as Kalpe, and Xenophon wrote in his memoirs about how well the site suited the establishment of a city. Apart from tourism, the town’s only other industry is the production of Şile bezi, a kind of cheesecloth that local women embroider by hand and that is sold all over Turkey. There are plenty of unremarkable hotels in town, though you are unlikely to want to stay.
About 50km further along the coast east from Şile, the village of AĞVA is a quieter, marginally less developed spot, more worthy of the journey from İstanbul. To get there, catch one of the Şile buses from Üsküdar, which continue on for another hour to Ağva. The last buses back to Üsküdar via Şile leave at 6pm in summer; in winter they leave at 5pm at the weekend, 3pm on a weekday.
The village is set in a beautiful location between two rivers, the Yezilçay and the Göksü, both of which are fished to provide the livelihood of the local community. Ağva’s beach has fine golden sand, but the currents here are notoriously strong so it’s not recommended that you swim unless there are plenty of people around to help in the event of any trouble. There are a few small hotels in Ağva, some with fish restaurants attached. On the banks of the Yeşilçay River, the Motel Tahir (Telephone0216/721 8012; 4) has simple clean en-suite doubles and serves kiremit kebap in the evenings by the river, though it often closes during winter if it’s quiet.
The islands are easy to reach, but get to the ferry at least an hour before departure in summer, especially on Sundays as the queues can be massive. The Turkish Maritime Lines ferry from Sirkeci pier, Adalar İskelesi, runs to Büyükada, Heybeliada and Burgazada (Mon– Sat 12 daily, Sun 15 daily; 2–3 daily during winter; 1hr 30min–2hr; 4YTL return). There is also a more expensive but much quicker sea bus (deniz otobüs) service from Kabataş (near Beşiktaş) to Büyükada, Heybeliada and Burgazada (12 daily, much less frequently in winter; 25–45min; 12YTL).
Island hopping among the four larger islands – Büyükada, Heybeliada, Burgazada and Kınalıada – is easy, but check ferry times at the dock and don’t rely simply on a timetable; the service is notoriously changeable. An akbil or a handful of jetons makes island hopping easier.
The Princess Islands are a combination of nine islands off the Asian coast of Istanbul, in the Sea of Marmara. Regular or fast passenger ferries are operating to the four of these islands from different parts of the city; from Bostanci neighborhood on the Asian side, from Sirkeci and Kabatas neighborhoods on the European side. Motorists are not permitted on the islands except the ones belonging to the local municipality for public works, therefore you have to walk or rent a bicycle or horse-drawn carriage (fayton in Turkish), even a donkey. Many local people in Istanbul own or rent their summer houses, or just go there at the weekends for swimming in the tiny beaches and for picnicking.
These four islands are called in general as Adalar (Islands) in Turkish and their names are; Büyükada, Heybeliada, Burgazada, and Kinaliada. Sedefada is the fifth inhabited island but it isn’t much popular as the other ones, there is a very small settlement on it. Beside these, Tavsan Adasi, Sivriada and Yassiada have no settlements on them, meanwhile Kasik Adasi is a private island. Yassiada whitnessed a tragic moment in our recent history when one of our early Republic period prime ministers, Adnan Menderes, was sentenced to death penalty after spending his last days of life in a prison on this island.
The name of the islands comes from the Byzantine period, when royal princes and empresses were exiled there. With the intruduction of steamboats during the late Ottoman period around the 19th century, these islands became popular resorts for the rich people who built their wooden houses. Jewish, Greek and Armenian communities were a large part of the inhabitants here. Today, the islands are popular tourist destinations for daily excursions especially in the summer time. There are many monasteries and historic buildings on the islands, besides 19th century Victorian style old wooden mansions.
Prince Islands are comprised of 9 string of islands named; Büyükada, Burgazada, Kınalıada, Sedefadası, Yassıada, Kaşıkadası, Sivriada, Heybeliada and Tavşanadası. They are 2,3 to 15,5 km away from Istanbul. However, the closest and the most popular islands are Büyükada, Kınalı, Burgazada and Heybeliada.
In Roman and the Byzantine era, the islands had been places for the noblemen. After the conquest of Istanbul, they remained abandoned for a while. In time, the Armenians dwelled in Kınalıada, the Greeks in Burgazada, the Jews in Büyükada and the Turks in Heybeliada. Today, they have a cosmopolitan population and are frequently visited as a summer resort and entertainment place. In the islands, you should certainly taste the fish-meze-rakı triple in the fish restaurants situated side by side and enjoy the phaeton carriage. Aya Yorgi Church located on a hill in Büyükada; Monastery of Hıristo in the Kınalıada, the Great Orthodox Sanctuary in Burgazada, with its three bells the famous Aya Yorgi Karipi Church and Monastery are the main buildings you should absolutely see.
Büyükada
Buyukada is the biggest and the most famous of Princess Islands, having an area of 5,4 square kilometers and a population of 7.500 approximately, which goes up to 10-15 times more in the summer. Earlier name of the island was Prinkipo. There are some historical buildings such as Aya Yorgi Church and Monastery from 6th century, Ayios Dimitrios Church, Hristos Church and Monastery, and Hamidiye Mosque built by sultan Abdulhamit II. When you rent a horse-drawn carriage, you can choose between a long route and a short one to visit the island. South of Buyukada is very calm and forested, but the northern side is a heavy residential area being close to the pier, therefore most of the private yachts anchor on the southern tip. Dil promontory on the west is a favorite spot for picnickers. Yoruk Ali beach, Princess beach, Kumsal beach and Nakibey beach are open to the public for swimmers. There are many restaurants, cafeterias and shops situated around the pier. It’s also possible to overnight in small hotels on Buyukada.
Büyükada (the “Great Island”, the original Prinkipo, or “Prince’s Island”, in Greek) is the largest of the islands and has long been inhabited by minorities. It has traditionally been a place of retreat or exile, and Leon Trotsky lived here from 1929 to 1933, when he began to write his History of the Russian Revolution. He spent most of his time at İzzet Paşa Köşkü, an attractive wooden mansion on Çankaya Caddesi, built by a Greek banker and later owned by Abdülhamid’s chief of police. It was also the house where, in 1933, Trotsky’s daughter committed suicide. On the same road, further back towards the ferry landing, is another fine wooden mansion, the Con Paşa Köşkü, with a two-storey colonnaded portico, elaborately carved in honey-coloured wood. These large mansions of Büyükada tend to have beautiful gardens full of magnolia, mimosa and jasmine, and in the surrounding pine forests myrtle, lilac and rock roses grow wild, so the scents of the island on a summer’s evening are one of its most memorable aspects.
The island consists of two hills, both surmounted by monasteries. The southernmost, Yüce Tepe, is the location of the Monastery of St George, probably on the site of a twelfth-century building. Close up, it consists of a series of chapels on three levels, with the oldest – containing a sacred spring – on the lowest level. In Byzantine times the monastery was used as an insane asylum and iron rings set into the floor of the chapels were used for restraining the inmates. To reach the monastery, take a phaeton to the small park on the main road that goes over the hill, from where a steep path leads up several hundred metres to the monastery. Alternatively, take a donkey from the stables at the bottom of this path.
The monastery on the northern hill, İsa Tepe, is a nineteenth-century building. Three families still inhabit the precincts and there are services in the chapel on Sundays. The adjacent café is famous for its wine; at one time this was produced at the monastery itself.
Ferries and sea buses dock at two adjacent terminals on Büyük İskele Cad in Büyükada’s main town, from where the main square and most of the hotels, restaurants and shops are just a short walk away. With motor vehicles banned, there are bike rental shops (13YTL per day) everywhere. Phaeton (horse-and-carriage) tours (for up to four people; short tour 16YTL, long tour 21YTL) leave from the phaeton park off the main square on Isa Çelebi Sok, 50m above the ferry terminal. Donkey rides (about 8YTL per ride) up the hills start from a little park found just up Kadayoran Caddesi from the centre of town.
Accommodation is uniformly expensive, though the chance to stay in a grand restored mansion may be appealing. There are lots of good fish restaurants along the shore to the left of the ferry terminal. One street back from the shore road, İskele Caddesi has a selection of cheaper cafés, selling all the usual Turkish dishes.
On your first visit go to Büyükada, the most interesting island, where you can take an island tour by horse-drawn carriage, or rent a bike and tour the island yourself, and have lunch or dinner, and sip drinks, and even perhaps have a swim at one of the tiny beaches.
Note that the islands get mobbed on summer weekends. In July and August, plan your visit for a weekday (Monday through Friday) if possible.
Büyükada and Heybeliada even have a few hotels, should you want to stay the night, but reserve well in advance in summer, especially on weekends.
Prices are high for food and lodging, as all provisions must be brought to the islands by boat, and because the islands are a popular tourist destination. Unfortunately, ripoffs are not uncommon.
You may want to bring a picnic lunch and beverages with you from Istanbul. Don’t forget your bathing suit as you may find the chance for a dip in the sea.
Heybeliada
Heybeliada, second largest island in the archipelago, was known as Khalkitis or Chalki during the Byzantine period and had many copper mines, which are shut down today. There are some interesting buildings on the island such as the Naval Academy founded in 1773 and the Greek Orthodox High School. The high school is a large building up on the northern hill and in the middle of pine trees, but it’s closed today. Halki Palace is a well-known hotel built in 1862 for the parents of students attending the Greek high School, it was destroyed by a fire and than restored as a hotel in 1995. A small church dedicated to the Virgin Mary stands in the courtyard of the Naval Academy. There are two small museums on Heybeliada; one is the house of Inönü, second president of the Republic, and other one is the house of Hüseyin Rahmi Gürpinar, an early Republic writer. Degirmen (Mill) is a nice picnic area on the side facing to Kasik island. There is also a public beach set in a nice cove and a water sports club on this side of Heybeli. There are many trekking and hiking trails over the hills and through the pine groves. Several restaurants and cafeterias are lined up around the pier which gets very popular during the summer months, especially at the weekends. The island is also busy during the winter months because of many schools and the sanatorium.
Heybeliada, or the “Island of the Saddlebag”, has managed to retain much of its village identity, and there is a strong community spirit among its permanent residents. It’s a beautiful place, known for the beaches to which İstanbul residents flock in their hundreds at weekends. The family of the famous İstanbul writer, Orhan Pamuk, spent the summer in one of the island’s fine wooden Art-Nouveau-style mansions.
Heybeliada’s main point of interest is the nineteenth-century Greek Orthodox School of Theology, the Aya Triada Manastiri, majestically situated on the peak of the island’s northernmost hill. It’s a pleasant fifteen-minute walk through pine forest (or take a phaeton; see “Practicalities”), but getting inside the compound is by appointment only (Telephone0216/351 8563; Mon– Sat 10am– noon & 2–4pm; free). You’ll need to prove scholarship credentials to view the library of 230,000 books, including an important collection of Byzantine manuscripts. The building is set in beautiful grounds, and encloses a pretty, eight-hundred-year-old church, with a stunning gilt iconostasis. Orthodox priests were trained here until the government closed it in 1973 (recent attempts to reopen it have foundered), and you can see the dusty classroom filled with age-blackened desks where the acolytes received instruction.
Other buildings you might come across during a stroll around the island include the Heybeliada Sanatorium, a private home for TB sufferers located off Çam Limanı Yolu on the south side of the island. The Naval High School (Deniz Harp Okulu), on the east side of the island, along the coast road from the main jetty, was originally the Naval War Academy, situated here since 1852. There is also a further orthodox church, that of Aya Nikola, a prominent red-and-cream building with a curious clocktower, just behind the waterfront in the town centre.
There are several beaches around the island, though swimming in the polluted waters is at your own risk.
Ferries and sea buses arrive at Heybeliada ferry terminal on the main quayside of Rıhtım Caddesi. Walking and cycling are good ways to enjoy Heybeliada, its pine forests and hills making for scenic rides and rambles; there’s bike rental near the quayside at Imralı Sok 3. Prices for phaetons from Ayyıldız Caddesi (which runs parallel to the front) to various destinations around the island are posted on a board in the street; tours of the island are also available (short tours for 16YTL, longer ones 25YTL).
The island is more low-key and accommodation is cheaper than neighbouring Büyükada, though booking in advance is recommended, particularly at weekends. The restaurants cater to locals all year round and consequently there are plenty to choose from – generally good, simple and cheap, offering standard lokanta, kebab and pide fare; most are situated on Ayyıldız Caddesi.
Merit Halki Palas Refah Şehitler Cad 88 Telephone0216/351 0025, Websitewww.merithotels.com. Nineteenth-century villa, restored in dubious taste by the Merit Hotel group as the only five-star hotel on the islands, incorporating gymnasium, Jacuzzi and outdoor pool. In the restaurant you can get a three-course meal, usually featuring fish, for around 32YTL a head, served in a lovely poolside setting. 7
Özdemir Pansiyon Ayyıldız Cad 41 Telephone0216/351 1866, Websitewww.adalar-ozdemirpansiyon.com. Cheapest option on the island, with tiny chalet-type en-suite rooms with a shower over squat loos, plus larger rooms in the main block. Both are comfortable enough. Note that prices rise by fifty percent on Friday and Saturday nights. No breakfast. 1
Prenset Pansiyon Ayyıldız Cad 74 Telephone216/351 9388. This converted apartment building with wood-trimmed exterior offers reasonable value, despite most rooms not having views. Friendly management, comfortable rooms with immaculate modern bathrooms, and central heating in winter. Prices rise thirty percent at weekends. 4
The other two islands served by public ferry are Burgazada and Kınalıada, both small and relatively unspoilt, though holiday homes now outnumber those of permanent residents. In winter the villages around their jetties are practically ghost towns.
Burgazada
Burgazada, third largest of the Princess Islands, was known as Panormos during the Hellenistic period. Today, it’s famous for the house of Sait Faik Abasiyanik, a Turkish story writer from the beginning of 20th century, who lived here. His house is now converted into a museum, and in Kalpazan Kaya, a place he used to visit often, there is now a cafeteria offering great views of the sunset. Other places to visit are some churches and monasteries from the Byzantines, such as Hagia Ioannes Prodromos (Aya Yani) church, Christos Metamorfosis Monastery, and Hagia Gheorghios (Aya Yorgi) Church and Monastery. There is a nice sailing and water sports club and many rocky beaches, but the island doesn’t offer much places to overnight. Burgazada was covered with pine forests but in 2003 most of it was destroyed by a big fire unfortunately.
Burgazada has a fascinating small museum (Tues– Fri 10am– noon & 2–5pm, Sat 10am– noon; free) at Burgaz Çayırı Sok 15, on the other side of the square from the church of St John the Baptist (the dome of which is the town’s most prominent landmark). The museum is dedicated to the novelist Sait Faik (often described as the Turkish Mark Twain), who lived here, and the house has been so carefully preserved that you feel you’re trespassing. In the writer’s bedroom a pair of pyjamas is neatly folded on the bed, with a towel on the rack beside it. You get an immediate impression of the man, whose exceptional character is evidenced by the simple bohemian style of furnishings in his island home.
A quarter of an hour’s walk from the ferry terminal to the western part of the island brings you to the Sait Faikrestaurant, which has terraces looking out over a little headland to the sea.
Kinaliada
Kinaliada, smallest of these four islands, has beautiful summer homes which people rent it for the season, and a large Armenian community prefers this island for their summer vacations. Its name Kinali, meaning Henna, comes from its reddish colour because of the iron and copper that has been mined here in the past. Its nice beaches attract many people from the city, Ayazma beach is one of them. Water Sports Club has an Olympic pool as well. The island is very rocky so there aren’t much trees around, and big TV and radio antennas on top of the hill are ruining the beauty of this tiny island. There are several restaurants and cafeterias along the pier, where there is a very modern mosque to the left. Hristos Monastery is located up on a hill and was built by the Byzantine emperor Romanus IV (Diogenes) while he was exiled here and where he was buried. The monastery is open to the public only on Fridays. There are no horse carriages here because of the size of the island, you can easily walk everywhere. There aren’t much alternatives to overnight on the island.
Kınalıada, “Henna Island”, takes its name from the red colouring of its eastern cliffs; in Greek it was known as Proti, since it’s the nearest of the islands to the mainland. Like Heybeliada, Kınalıada’s history is notable for exiles, including Romanus IV Diogenes, deposed after his disastrous defeat at the Battle of Manzikert by the Selçuk Turks. Today, its population is seventy percent Armenian. The island is rather bare and barren and is probably the least impressive of all as it is covered in houses. However, it’s a favourite for swimming and its beaches are less polluted by sewage than those of the other three islands.
Anadolu Rampart Museum
Anadolu Hisarı is located on the Anatolian Side of the Boshporus, the area where Göksu River combines with the sea.
Anadolu Hisarı is located on the Anatolian Side of the Boshporus, the area where Göksu River combines with the sea.
Anadolu Hisarı which was commissioned by Sultan Yıldırım Bayezid who wanted to conquer Istanbul and besieged the city with an aim to obstruct the aid to Byzantine Empire from the Black Sea in 1394, was not given much consideration after the conquest of Istanbul.
Anadolu Hisarı was supported in 1452 by Sultan Mehmed the conqueror during the construction of Rumeli Hisarı in 1452, by adding of some new sections.
The Hisar was used for some time as a prison and this Hisar played an important role in the stopping of Kazakhs attacking Bosphorus in the 17th-18th centuries. In the following years, it lost its importance. Ph: +90 212 263 53 05
Stephan (Bulgarian) Church Stephan (Bulgarian) Church belongs to the Bulgarian minority and is the most interesting church in İstanbul.
The Bulgarian minority of the Ottoman Empire used to pray at the churches of the Fener Orthodox Patriarchy. Due to the nationalistic movements, Bulgarians were allowed to build their own church in the 19th century. First, a small wooden church was built on the shore of the Golden Horn between Balat and Fener squares where the current church is located, but later this was developed into a larger building. An iron frame was preferred to concrete reinforcement due to the weak ground conditions.The construction plans were prepared by Hovsep Aznavur, an Armenian of Istanbul origin. An international competition was conducted to produce the prefabricated parts of the church. An Austrian firm, R. Ph. Wagner, won the competition.
The prefabricated parts were produced in Vienna and transported to İstanbul by ship through the Danube and the Black Sea. After one and a half years work, it was completed in 1898. The main skeleton of the church was made of steel and covered by metal boards. All the metal pieces were attached together with nuts, bolts, rivets or welding. The architectural styles come from the Neo-Gothic and Neo-Baroque periods.
Anadolu Hisarı On the Asian side of the Bosphorus, Anadolu Hisari is a small castle built during the 1390s by Sultan Beyazit.
Anatolian Hisar was strengthened during the construction of Rumelian Hisar in 1452 by Sultan Mehmed the Conqueror with addition of new parts.
The Hisar was used as a prison for some period and it was this hisar which played an important role in prevention of Kazakh invasion in 17th and 18th centuries. In the following years, it lost its importance.
Atatürk Cultural Center Atatürk Culture Center, one of the first platforms that come to mind when speaking of culture and arts, is the most eye-catching building in Taksim Square.
The building, also known as AKM was opened for service in 1969 and it has become an important meeting point for the people in Istanbul with its vast yard.
AKM has a big hall with a human capacity of 1300 seats. In addition, there are concert halls, little theaters, exhibition halls and cinema salons in the building where numerous national and international activities and receptions take place.
Ataturk Olympics Stadium Having hosted myriad of international organizations so far, Atatürk Olympics Stadium, with an attendance capacity of 80.597, is the only stadium of Turkey approved by IAA, FIFA and IOC.
Having hosted the UEFA Champions League Final in Istanbul on May 25, 2005, Ataturk Olympics Stadium, with an attendance capacity of 80.597, is the only stadium of Turkey that fully meets the rules and conditions prescribed by IAA, FIFA and IOC.
In the book titled “Stadio Del Mondo” (Stadiums in the World) published by the Italian Gribaudo Print House, Ataturk Olympiacs Stadium was ranked among the greatest and most significant stadiums of the world.
The west building accommodating areas for technical use such as the dressing room, offices, meeting rooms, clinics, amphitheater and press hall in the stadium covering a total area of 250 thousand square meters, stands over an area of 50 thousand square meters. In addition to the 9-lane main athletics track, an 8-lane illuminated competition and athletics pitch is also present.
On the second floor of the stadium is an amphitheater of 300-person capacity. Accommodating 3 simultaneous translation rooms, the stadium also offers the opportunities of watching demonstrations and making presentations on giant screen.
On the fourth floor are 8 classes of 20 and 24-person capacity for seminar and training purposes. Also on this floor is a meeting and seminar hall covering an area of 400 square meters and a second meeting and seminar hall with a capacity of 156 persons established over an area of 340 square meters is present.
Address: Istanbul Atatürk Olimpiyat Stadı, İkitelli Ph: 0 212 413 3000 (pbx) Fax: 0 212 687 30 97
Web: http://www.ataturkolympicstadium.com
By the way, the five smaller islands—Tavsan, Yassi (Plati), Sivri (Oxia), Sedef and Kasik (Pita)—are not served by ferries and are essentially uninhabited, although Yassiada was the detention site of ex-prime minister Adnan Menderes in 1961 while he was being tried by a military tribunal for subverting Turkish democracy. He was found guilty and executed there.
The Little Hagia Sophia Mosque (Küçük Ayasofya Camii) was built in the 530s as the Church of Saints Sergius and Bacchus by the Byzantine Emperor Justinian and his wife Theodora.
This is on te site where the Nicene Creed was voted for.
Being of the same architectural period, and with a broad dome, it looked like a study for Justinian’s great Church of Hagia Sophia, hence its name, which it seems to have taken when it was converted to a mosque around the year 1500.
Extensive restoration work—interior, exterior and structural—was completed in November 2007 so the sense of noble desuetude that possessed it for so many decades is gone.
Both exterior and interior look virtually brand-new, with smooth plaster and fresh paint. The Ottoman-style decoration inside is pleasant for a mosque, but bears no resemblance to what the building looked like in Byzantine times when gold mosaics gilmmered in the dome and colored marble glowed on the walls.
Some beautiful 6th-century decorative elements remain, however. Note the irregular octagonal floor plan, and the beautiful red- and green-marble breccia columns topped by intricately-carved Byzantine marble capitals. Above the capitals, a band of marble with Greek letters in relief offers evidence of the building’s first use.
To find the mosque, walk behind the Blue Mosque to its east side, through the Arasta Bazaar, and continue straight down the hill on Küçük Ayasofya Camii Sokak, which goes right to the mosque. You’ll see its characteristic flattish dome rising at the base of the hill.
Küçük Ayasofya Camii is a working mosque, so there is no admission fee (though donations are accepted), and the usual rules of etiquette for visiting mosques apply.
1938 British film based on the George Bernard Shaw play of the same name,
The snobbish & intellectual Professor of languages, Henry Higgins makes a bet with his friend that he can take a London flower seller, Eliza Doolittle, from the gutters and pass her off as a society lady. However he discovers that this involves dealing with a human being with ideas of her own.
If you are wondering what relevance this period piece might have in a world where everyone speaks Estuary English, ask yourself whether a Jade Goody would have been considered such a joke if she had been taught to talk posh by a Henry Higgins.
Pygmalion Πυγμαλίων, gen.: Πυγμαλίωνος is a legendary figure of Cyprus. Though Pygmalion is the Greek version of the Phoenician royal name Pumayyaton, he is most familiar from Ovid’s narrative poem Metamorphoses, in which Pygmalion was a sculptor who fell in love with a statue he had carved.
Prof. Henry Higgins: If you can’t appreciate what you’ve got, you’d better get what you can appreciate.
Eliza Doolittle: Walk? Not bloody likely. I’m going in a taxi.
Eliza Doolittle: I washed me face and hands before I come, I did.
First Policeman: [to Eliza and Freddie, who are kissing on the street] Now then, now then, now then. This isn’t Paris, you know.
Prof. Henry Higgins: [directed to Eliza in anger] Get out and come home and don’t be a fool!
Mrs. Higgins: Very nicely put indeed, Henry. No woman could resist such an invitation.
Prof. Henry Higgins: You might marry you know? Youre not bad-looking; it’s quite a pleasure to look at you sometimes-not now, of course, because you’re crying and looking as ugly as the very devil; but when you’re all right and quite yourself, you’re what I should call attractive. That is, to the people in the marrying line, you understand. You go to bed and have a good nice rest; and then get up and look at yourself in the glass; and you won’t feel so cheap.
Mrs. Pearce: You can’t be a good girl on the inside if you are a dirty girl on the outside.
Prof. Henry Higgins: Have you no morals man?
Alfred Doolittle: Can’t afford them guv’nor.
Eliza Doolittle: There’s lots of women has to make their husbands drunk to make them fit to live with.
Prof. Henry Higgins: Yes, you squashed cabbage leaf, you disgrace to the noble architecture of these columns, you incarnate insult to the English language, I could pass you off as the Queen of Sheba!
Prof. Henry Higgins: The rain in Spain stays mainly in the plains.
Prof. Henry Higgins: Heaven help the master who is judged by his disciples.
Prof. Henry Higgins: Now listen to me, Eliza. You’re going to live here for six months and learn to speak beautifully like a lady in a florist shop. If you’re good and do whatever you’re told, you shall sleep in a proper bedroom, have lots to eat and money to buy chocolates and take rides in taxis. If you’re naughty and idle, you shall sleep in the back kitchen among the black beetles and be walloped by Mrs. Pearce with a broomstick. At the end of six months you shall go to Buckingham Palace in a carriage, beautifully dressed. If the King finds out you’re not a lady, you will be taken by the guards to the Tower of London where your head will be cut off as a warning to other presumptuous flower girls. But, if you are not found out, you will receive a present of seven and sixpence to start life with as a lady in a shop. If you refuse this offer you will be a most ungrateful and wicked girl and the angels will weep for you.
In Hampshire, Hereford, and Hartford, hurricanes rarely ever happen.
It is my belief they done the old woman in.
We sold flowers in Covent Garden. We did not sell ourselves.
More than one in five (21 per cent) people between the ages of 11 and 18 describe themselves as active followers of Jesus, and 13 per cent say they are practising Christians who attend church.
Around 13 per cent of teenagers said that they decided to become a Christian after a visit to a church or cathedral, according to the figures.
Whatever young people mean when they identify as “followers of Jesus”, it means we have a great starting point as we seek to equip young Christians,’ said Phil Timson, HOPE’s youth director and one of the team who commissioned the research. ‘The research didn’t define “church”, so for a young person this might include chapel services at faith schools, youth groups, Bible studies, prayer events or any other manner of things that young people could identify as “going to church”.’
The research also shows that young people are open to Jesus and the Christian faith
- 33% of young people have not made up their minds on belief in God
- 56% of young people, when talked to about Jesus, feel comfortable
- Through talking about Jesus with Christians, 1 in 6 (16%) want to know more about Jesus
‘That means there is openness to Jesus and the Christian faith,’ Phil says.
The study suggests that new methods invested in by the Church, such as youth groups and courses such as Youth Alpha, are less effective than prayer or visiting a church building in attracting children to the church.
One in five said reading the Bible had been important, 17 per cent said going to a religious school had had an impact and 14 per cent said a spiritual experience was behind their Christianity.
Youth for Christ showed similar results, suggesting that a surprisingly high number of young people still describe themselves as Christian.
But church statistician Dr Peter Brierley in 2006 suggested church attendance among teenagers was less than half of this, with 6 per cent of 11-14 year-olds and 5 per cent of 15-18 year-olds attending church.
Martin Saunders, a contributing editor for Christian Today and the Deputy CEO of Youthscape, is skeptical about recent media reports on the research but said, ‘If this many young people called themselves Christians, then that number is almost certainly receptive to the faith at least. And when you dive down deeper into the data, 16% of young people said they wanted to hear more about Jesus, and 56% said they’d be comfortable with being told about another person’s faith. Those are really encouraging statistics which should embolden our youth evangelism – especially when it’s done peer-to-peer. There’s a large number of teenagers out there who are essentially waiting for us to tell them about Jesus.
‘If it encourages us that teenagers are receptive to our message, and helps to restore a bit of the Church’s lost confidence, then it’s a useful rallying cry.’
Dr Rachel Jordan-Wolf, the National Mission and Evangelism Adviser for the Church of England, one of the HOPE leadership team said, ‘I know of one church who thought it would be pointless to try to work with young people. When they saw this research, they realised there is hope, and that maybe they should do some youth work. That’s great news!’
Commenting on the youth research results, Katie Harrison, Director of ComRes Faith Research Centre, whose team carried out the research said: ‘We recruited respondents using equivalent online panels to those used in similar studies of adults, for consistency, and asked parents of young people in this age group whether they and their children were happy for their child to participate. This meant we established equivalent methodology and rigour to enable comparison with similar research among adults, while also gaining access and consent.
‘The sample size of 2,000 is large enough to be credible for analysis, and there are some fascinating findings here. It’s important to note that the findings tell us how young people answer these questions; it’s not an observation exercise to monitor actions or behaviour. When we ask young people these questions, these are the answers they give.’
This book aims to provide Christians with a simple description of the origins of Islam, what Muslims believe and how it affects their attitudes, world view, everyday life and culture. Practical guidelines are given for relating to Muslims in a culturally appropriate way, as well as for witnessing effectively and caring for converts.
The author sets out what has become the standard account of Islam and I am very surprised, given his Islamophobic reputation (maybe because his originally Hindu father became a Muslim in order to marry Sookhdeo’s Muslim mother., at how fair he is. The book begins with an overview of the life of Muhammad and the beginnings of Islam. It also shows what Muslims believe, including the Five Pillars of Islam, and how all this affects their lifestyle.
Short and simple, it covers beliefs, practices and different groupings within Islam clearly and helpfully. However, his ideas about women follow Western stereotypes and he believes that the teaching about Jihad in Sura 9 abrogates that of Sura 2, regardless of context.
Hamza A. Bajwa, News Editor of The Muslim Weekly, has criticised Sookhdeo, claiming that he presents a distorted image of Islam and Muslims, and Mehdi Hasan in The Guardian accused him of being a “crude, anti-Islam propagandist”. Against this, Sheikh Dr Muhammed Al-Husseini, a Muslim scholar from the interfaith organisation Scriptural Reasoning, says of Dr Sookhdeo: “It is an absolute pleasure to be with somebody who is a very highly valued colleague, a deeply trusted colleague and for whose work I have the highest regard.”
Muhammad is NOT the founder of Islam p(. 74) The name Bani might be translated ‘founder’ or ‘creator’ but that is not how Muslim see the Prophet. It is used in the Qur’an as ‘child of’ so Muhammad was a child of Islam. He is seen as God’s Messenger, sent to confirm the essential teachings of monotheism preached previously by Adam, Abraham, Moses, Jesus, and other prophets. He is viewed as the final prophet of God. As one souce puts it: Islam wasn’t founded by any man. Islam is the religion of Allah and Allah has no beginning no end, no body structure like his creation, not reliable on anything. Hence it’s wrong to say Islam is founded rather it is revealed to mankind by the Prophet Muhammad who is the messenger of Allah.
And surely Islam isn’t the greatest of all challenges to Christianity. At the time when this book was written, it was communism. Today, it is materialism.
His glossary isn’t as clear as I would like. He mentions muta = temporary mariuager but I wondered if there was a connection (there isn’t) with the Mu’tazilites.
I didn’t know that muslims are not supposed to pray with their eyes closed – presumably this has to do with awareness of its communal dimension.
Quotations:
Muslim orthodoxy holds that the angel Gabriel helped Muhammad to collate the revelations periodically so that at his death there was an exact transcript of what was written on the heavenly tablet.
Modern scholarship, however, has shown that there was no complete set of collated and arranged revelations at Muhammad’s death. Some time after his death the revelations were assembled by Muslim -leaders from records written on leaves, stones, camel’s shoulder-blades etc. and from the memories of those who had stored the revelations in their minds. The resulting collections of revelations made in different places varied somewhat from each other. Caliph Uthman decided to bring order to the situation and had scholars create an official standard text between 650 and 656, which he circulated widely while ordering all other versions to be destroyed.
The oldest surviving fragments of Quranic manuscripts date from no earlier than the second century A.H. (approximately the eighth century A.D.). They are written in a Kufic script showing consonants only. The result is as ambiguous and open to interpretation as if all the vowels and punctuation marks were to be removed from an English text. Vowel points and other helpful marks were added later. Variants continued to exist until at least the tenth century A.D. when some Islamic scholars were imprisoned for refusing to abandon their preferred versions. Even in the mid-twentieth century two versions were still in use, a fact that would be disbelieved by most Muslims. While the majority of the Muslim world had one_ version, an alternative was still in use in North Africa, though rapidly being ousted by the main version. The Muslim argument that Christians have changed their Scriptures while Muslims have not is therefore clearly inaccurate according to the evidence.
even advises the perplexed Muslim to consult the Christians about matters of religion which he or she does not understand. At this point, however, a barrier arises between the Muslim and the Christian. Any Muslim who did in fact consult a Christian, or read the Christian Scriptures, would find obvious contradictions to the teaching of the Quran.
Museums are generally open from 8.30 or 9am until 5.30 or 6pm, and closed on Monday, though in the case of some smaller museums you may have to find the bekçi (caretaker or warden) and ask him to open up. All sites and museums are closed on the mornings of public holidays, while Istanbul’s palaces are generally closed on Mondays and Thursdays. Some of İstanbul’s most fascinating smaller Byzantine monuments are only accessible by permission from the Directorate of Aya Sofya, located in the grounds of Aya Sofya. Certain isolated monuments beside the Armenian border also require permission to visit, which can be granted only by the military authorities in Ankara.
Admission prices for foreigners to sites in major tourist areas have rocketed in recent years. Current charges are 2YTL for minor sites, 4–5YTL at sites of middling interest and 10–15YTL for major attractions such as Ephesus, Cappadocian cave-churches and İstanbul’s Aya Sofya. FIYTO student cards should ensure free admission to museums and sites; ISIC cards will usually – though not always – net you a fifty- to sixty-percent reduction. Teachers theoretically should be granted the same discount as students – but proving this status at the entrance might not be so easy. Those over 65 are also supposed to gain free entrance to museums and sites; bring your passport as proof of age. A few minor sites not administered by the Ministry of Culture, such as private museums or ones managed by Islamist municipalities, may charge foreigners much more than locals and not recognize any discount schemes.
Istanbul Archaeology Museum (Arkeoloji Müzesi) Tues-Sun 9am-5pm Topkapi Palace (to the right of and behind St. Irene) Phone 0212/520-7740 Prices Admission $3.50; includes the Museum of the Ancient Orient and the Çinili Kösk
The Istanbul Archaeology Museum is housed in three buildings just inside the first court of Topkapi Palace and includes the Museum of the Ancient Orient and the Çinili Kösk. These museums, opened officially in 1891, owe their very existence to Osman Hamdi Bey, a 19th-century Turkish painter, archaeologist, curator, and diplomat, who fought for the Antiquities Conservation Act to combat the rampant smuggling of antiquities out of Turkey.
The Istanbul Archaeological Museum houses over one million objects, the most extraordinary of which are the sarcophagi that date back as far as the 4th century B.C. The museum excels, however, in its rich chronological collection of locally found artifacts that shed light on the origins and history of the city.
Near the entrance is a statue of a lion representing the only piece saved from the clutches of British archaeologists from the Mausoleum of Halicarnassus. In the halls to the left is a collection of sarcophagi found at Sidon (ancient Syria) representing various architectural styles influenced by outside cultures including Egypt, Phoenicia, and Lycia. The most famous is the Alexander Sarcophagus, covered with astonishingly advanced carvings of battles and the life of Alexander the Great, discovered in 1887 and once believed to have been that of the emperor himself. The discovery that the occupant was in fact Sidonian King Abdalonymos may have initially been disappointing, but it hasn’t diminished the impact of this great ancient work of art. Found in the same necropolis at Sidon is the stunningly preserved Sarcophagus of the Crying Women, with 18 intricately carved panels showing figures of women in extreme states of mourning. Don’t miss the monumental Lycian tomb, carved in a style befitting a great king and just as impressive in this exhibit as on the hills of Lycia.
On the mezzanine level is the exhibit Istanbul Through the Ages, a rich and well-presented exhibit that won the museum the Council of Europe Museum Award in 1993. To put the exhibit into perspective, the curators have provided maps, plans, and drawings to illustrate the archaeological findings, displayed thematically, which range from prehistoric artifacts found west of Istanbul to 15th-century Byzantine works of art. The recovered snake’s head from the Serpentine Column in the Hippodrome is on display, as is the 14th-century bell from the Galata Tower. The upper two levels, closed as of this writing, house the Troy exhibit and displays on the evolution of Anatolia over the centuries, as well as sculptures from Cyprus, Syria, and Palestine.
This complex was build by the end of 19th century by the architect Vallaury thanks to great efforts of famous Turkish painter Osman Hamdi Bey. It includes the exquisite Tiled Kiosk and the Museum of the Ancient Orient and houses a large collection of artifacts and works of art belonging to ancient Greek, Roman and other Anatolian civilizations dating back to the 6th century BC. The Sarcophagus of Alexander the Great, Sarcophagus of Mourning Ladies, and other ancient sarcophagi and various objects found in the Sidon excavation are among its most interesting pieces.
Ancient Eastern Archeological Museum was designed and open to service in 1917 by Halil Eldem Bey. The collection on displays comprised of about 15000 archeological pieces of Ancient Mesopotamia, Pre-Greek Anatolia, Assyrian, Sumerian, Acadian, Babylonian, Ancient Egyptian and Pre-Islamic Arabic culture.
Open daily between 09:30-16:30 except Mondays. Osman Hamdi Bey Yokusu, Gulhane, Eminonu Tel: (212) 520 77 40 and 41 Admission: 5 YTL
The Archeology Museum complex, which includes the Museum of the Ancient Orient and Çinili Köşk; all daily except Mon 9am–4pm; combined entry 5YTL), can be entered either through Gulhane Parkı or from the first courtyard of the Topkapı Palace.
The Archeology Museum itself (Arkeoloji Müzesi) is centred on the excavations at Sidon in 1887 of Hamdi Bey, the Director of Ancient Antiquities. These brought to light a group of sarcophagi, together with other monuments of Phoenician origin but of quite disparate styles – evidence of the variety of influences absorbed into Phoenician culture from neighbouring civilizations.
The sarcophogi are housed in the two rooms to the left of the entrance on the ground floor. The Lycian Sarcophagus, in the room immediately on your left, depicts centaurs, sphinxes and griffons, as well as scenes from Greek mythology. It is in the Lycian style, but the carvings show a Peloponnesian influence in the stocky bodies and broad faces of the human figures. In the same room are the anthropoid sarcophagi from Sidon, which illustrate the fifth-century BC fashion for Egyptian models in Greek sculpture. The Tabnit Sarcophagus, the oldest Sidon discovery, is in fact Egyptian in origin. A hieroglyphic inscription on the chest of this alabaster mummy-case states that it belonged to an Egyptian commander named Penephtah and a later inscription suggests that Tabnit, himself the father of a pharaoh, was its second occupant.
The Sidamara Sarcophagus, again in the first room on the left, dates from the third century AD and is the most important remaining example of its type. This room is full of similar sarcophagi, discovered elsewhere in Anatolia; on many of them a hand-held drill has been used for much of the carving, especially of the foliage, which is roughly executed in comparison with the Sidon sarcophagi.
The Alexander Sarcophagus is in the second room to the left of the entrance lobby. It’s covered with scenes of what is presumed to be Alexander the Great hunting and in battle, but since Alexander himself is known to have been buried in Alexandria this cannot be his sarcophagus. It is ascribed variously by different sources to a ruler of the Seleucid dynasty or to the Phoenician Prince Abdolonyme. It appears that the sarcophagus dates from the end of the fourth century BC. The metal weapons originally held by warriors and huntsmen on the sarcophagi were stolen prior to the excavations of Hamdi Bey, presumably when the burial chambers were looted.
The Ionic architecture of another of the Sidon sarcophagi, the Sarcophagus of the Mourning Women, is repeated in the exterior of the museum itself. This one shows eighteen members of the harem of King Straton (who died in 360 BC) in various poses of distress and mourning. To drive the point home, a funeral cortege is shown proceeding around the lid of the sarcophagus. As with the Alexander Sarcophagus, traces of the original paintwork can still be seen on the surface of the marble.
The museum’s upper rooms are a joy: beautiful, well-lit displays, thorough explanatory aids, audiovisual back-up and a comfortable environment that encourages visitors to linger, a far cry from Turkey’s provincial museums where nervous curators follow you about switching lights on and off. Exhibits worth mentioning range from jewellery discovered at Troy – some beautiful gold work including a head ornament with leaves as fine as paper – and Phrygian finds from near Arslantaş, the lion rock-cut tomb near Afyon Karahisar.
The newly renovated and reopened Museum of the Ancient Orient is an exceptionally rich collection of artifacts from the earliest civilizations of Anatolia, Mesopotamia, Egypt, and the Arab continent. The tour begins with pre-Islamic divinities and idols taken from the courtyard of the Al-Ula temple, along with artifacts showing ancient Aramaic inscriptions and a small collection of Egyptian antiquities. Although the individual exhibits are modest in size, the recent upgrade rivals Ankara’s archaeological museum for organization and presentation.
Uncovered in the region of Mesopotamia and on display is an obelisk of Adad-Nirari III inscribed with cuneiform characters. Of particular significance is a series of colored mosaic panels showing animal reliefs of bulls and dragons with serpents’ heads from the monumental Gate of Ishtar, built by Nebuchadnezzar, King of Babylonia. A pictorial representation on a Sumerian devotional basin of girls carrying pitchers of water whose contents are filling an underground source relates to the ancient Mesopotamian belief that the world was surrounded by water, a belief that has provoked questions over the origins of the biblical Great Flood.
With nothing dating more recent than the 1st century A.D., it’s a real challenge to find something in this museum that is not of enormous significance. But two of the highlights are easily the fragments of the 13th-century-B.C. sphinx from the Yarkapi Gate at Hattusas (sadly underappreciated in its positioning against a passage wall) and one of the three known tablets of the Treaty of Kadesh, the oldest recorded peace treaty signed between Ramses II and the Hittites in the 13th century B.C., inscribed in Akkadian, the international language of the era. (The Istanbul Archaeological Museum houses two; the third is in the Staatliche Museum in Berlin.)
The Museum of the Ancient Orient (Eskı Şark Eserleri Müzesi) – just to the north of the main entrance to the museum complex – contains a small but dazzling collection of Anatolian, Egyptian and Mesopotamian artefacts. The late Hittite basalt lions flanking the entrance look newly hewn, but they actually date from the ninth century BC, giving a taste of the incredible state of preservation of some of the exhibits inside.
These include the oldest peace treaty known to mankind, the Treaty of Kadesh (1280–1269 BC), which was signed when a battle fought on the River Orontes (today’s Ası Nehri in Anatolia), between Pharaoh Ramses II and the Hittite king Muvatellish, ended in a stalemate. The treaty includes a ceasefire agreement and pledges of a mutual exchange of political refugees, and was originally engraved onto silver tablets. None of these survive, though the treaty was also inscribed in hieroglyphics on the mortuary temple of Ramses II in Thebes and the copy on display in the museum was uncovered during excavations at the site of the Hittite capital of Hattuşa. A copy of the treaty decorates the entrance to the UN building in New York.
The blue-and-yellow animal relief in the corridor beyond the first room dates from the reign of Nebuchadnezzar (604–562 BC), the last hero-king of Babylonia, when it would have lined the processional way in Babylon. Other exhibits were taken from the palace-museum of Nebuchadnezzar, located at the Ishtar Gate. Another massive relief, in Room 8, depicts the Hittite king Urpalla presenting gifts of grapes and grain to a vegetation god, who is three times his own size and wearing a rather attractive pair of curly-toed boots. This is a plaster copy of a relief found at İvriz Kaya near Konya, dating from the eighth century BC.
Other exhibits include a Sumerian love poem and a tablet of Sumerian proverbs dating from the eighteenth century BC. There’s also a figure of a duck, with an inscription identifying it as a standard weight belonging to a priest called Musallim Marduk: it weighs about 30kg and dates from around 2000 BC, making it the oldest known standard measure.
Istanbul Museum of Modern Art Tues-Sun 10am-6pm (Thurs till 8pm) Address Antrepo No: 4 Location Meclis-I Mebusan Caddesi, Liman Isletmeleri Sahasi, Karaköy (approximately 250 steps from the Findikli stop on the tramway, heading in the direction of Dolmabahçe Palace) Phone 0212 334-7300 Prices Admission 5YTL ($3.70), free for children under 12
Opened its doors in December 2004 thanks to Eczacibasi family, this is the first and only Modern Arts museum in Istanbul. It’s housed at renovated old docks in Karaköy district facing Topkapi Palace, with a rich library, exhibitions, photograph gallery, sculpture courtyard, movie theater, cafe and souvenir shop. One can find in this private museum almost everything on modern Turkish Arts.
Open daily between 10:00-18:00 except Mondays. Meclisi Mebusan Cad. Liman Isletmeleri Antrepo 4, Karakoy Tel: (212) 334 73 00 Admission: 7 YTL
Istanbul Modern New Town A converted warehouse on the shores of the Golden Horn showcases modern painting, sculpture, and photography, from Turkey and around the world. You can wander around by yourself, though you’ll learn a lot about the art scene in Turkey if you join one of the free guided tours (in English and Turkish), but you need to call in advance to confirm availability and make a reservation. The gallery also houses a shop, a small cinema, and a restaurant and café with beautiful views toward Topkapi Sarayi and the Sea of Marmara.
Military Museum Wed-Sun 9am-5pm. Mehter Concert 3pm (English) and 3:30pm (Turkish) Location Askeri Müse ve Kültür Sitesi Komutanligi, Harbiye/Istanbul (about .8km/ 1/2 mile north of Taksim along Cumhuriyet Cad.) Phone 0212/233-2720 Admission 1.35YTL ($1)
Feared, respected, and loathed for 500 years, the Ottoman warrior was the brick on which the Ottoman dynasty was built. Indeed, it was the rising influence of industry and economics over combat and conquest that contributed to the ultimate downfall of the empire. Since war plays a pivotal role in the history and culture of Turkey, no visit to Turkey would be complete without a stopover at the Military Museum. Most people breeze through without a sideways glance, hurriedly following the arrows that direct visitors to the Mehter Concert. This startlingly powerful musical performance re-creates the traditional military band of the Janissaries, the elite Ottoman corps abolished when their power became too great. The musical arrangement is an unexpectedly organized cacophony of sounds that, preceding the approaching army, also served to instill terror in the opposing army.
The exhibit, housed in the former military academy where Atatürk received his education (the building was converted into a museum in 1993), contains a chronological and functional assemblage of artifacts of warfare from the Ottoman era through World War II. The exhibit is anything but dull, showcasing chain mail and bronze armor for both cavalry and horses, leather and metalwork costumes, hand-sewn leather and arrow bags, swords engraved with fruit and flower motifs or Islamic inscriptions, and even a petroleum-driven rifle. Not to be missed is the hall of tents, an unanticipated display of in situ elaborately embroidered and silk encampment tents used on war expeditions.
address:Vali Konagi Caddesi, Harbiye, Telephone: 90-212-2337115, Open daily except Thursdays and Sundays , 09:30-17:00 The Military Museum,(Military Museum),1 km north of Taksim Square, once used to be a military academy, traces the military history of the country from the conquest of Constantinople in 1453 to modern warfare. This is also where Ataturk studied from 1899-1905. Among the objects displayed are curved daggers carried by foot soldiers in the 15th century; 17th century copper head armour for horses and Ottoman shields carried by the janissaries; tents used by sultans on their campaigns.
The Military Museum (Askeri Müzesi; Wed– Sun 9am–5pm; 2YTL) is about 1.5km north of Taksim Square, along Cumhuriyet Caddesi. It’s well worth visiting, not least to hear the marching band, which plays outside on summer afternoons between 3pm and 4pm when the museum is open. To get there, walk or catch a bus north along Cumhuriyet Caddesi to the İstanbul Radyoevi (radio building). Turn right after the building and follow the road around to the left behind the military barracks, continue along Gümüz Sokak, past the Lutfi Kırdar Spor Salonu, and the museum entrance is on the right.
The Mehter Band originated in 1289. Its members were janissaries, who would accompany the sultan into battle, and the band became an institution, symbolizing the power and independence of the Ottoman Empire. During public performances, band members sang songs about their hero-ancestors and Ottoman battle victories. They had considerable influence in Europe, helping create new musical styles, such as Spanish a la turca, and inspiring numerous composers (examples include Mozart’s Marcia Turca and Beethoven’s Ruinen von Athens, Opus 113). The kettledrum, kös in Turkish, was also introduced into the West as a result of interest in the Mehter Band. The band was abolished by Mahmut II in 1826, along with the janissary corps, and only re-established in 1914 when new instruments were added. The pieces played nowadays include some dating from the seventeenth and eighteenth centuries and others written by Giuseppi Donizetti for Mahmut II’s new army.
Housed in the military academy where Atatürk received some of his education, the museum itself is one of the most impressive in the country, evidence of the Turks’ intense pride in their military history. Inside, there is a comprehensive collection of military memorabilia proudly displayed and labelled in English. The most striking exhibits are the cotton- and silk-embroidered tents used by campaigning sultans. You’ll also find a rich collection of Ottoman armour and weaponry, including beautifully ornamented jambiyah daggers, and a piece of the chain used by the Byzantines to close off the entrance of the Golden Horn in 1453.
Museum of Turkish and Islamic Arts Tues-Sun 9am-5pm Location Ibrahim Pasa Sarayi, on the Hippodrome, Sultanahmet Phone 0212/518-1805 Admission 4YTL ($3)
Fine collection of art and ethnography in the lovely setting of Ibrahim Pasa Palace in the old Hippodrome area. It was built in the 16th century and donated to Grand Vizier Ibrahim Pasha by the great sultan Suleyman the Magnificent. He was the first counselor of the Sultan and married Suleyman’s sister as the sultan ascended the throne, thus occupying a very important place in the Ottoman palace hierarchy. After Ibrahim’s death the palace was used as a military barracks for new recruits, and made a museum during the Republic. Click Here for more information on the Palace museum.
The grand 16th century palace of the sultan’s Grand Vizier, Ibrahim Pasa, today houses the Turkish and Islamic Art Museum, containing what many consider to be the finest collection of Islamic artefacts in the world. The palace itself was the finest private residence ever built in the Ottoman Empire. From its supreme position overlooking the Hippodrome, the sultan could enjoy excellent views of the celebrations in the square below. The museum is well laid out and contains more than 40,000 examples of Selçuk, Mamluk and Ottoman Turkish art, including ceramics, Koran cases, calligraphy, textiles, metalwork and illuminated manuscripts. Its antique carpet exhibit is renowned; the carpets, kilims and prayer rugs forming one of the richest and oldest collections in the world.
Address: Ibrahim Pasa Sarayi, Atmeydani 46, Hippodrome, Sultanahmet; Telephone: (212) 518 1805; Transport: Sultanahmet tram stop; Opening time: Open daily except Mondays from 9.30am to 5.30pm; Admission: 4 YTL
Turkish carpets, illuminated Qur’ans, calligraphy (at which the Ottomans excelled), carved and inlaid wood, glass, porcelain and stone are well displayed. Turkish ethnographic exhibits—a fully-furnished nomads’ tent, a 19th-century Ottoman parlor, and others—extend the collection beyond mere beautiful objects shown out of context.
The museum is housed in the restored Palace of Ibrahim Pasha, a sumptuous residence built by Sultan Süleyman the Magnificent’s Grand Vezir (and intimate friend) Ibrahim Pasha (served 1523-1536). What you see is only part of the original structure, whose foundations date from about 1500.
Ibrahim Pasha was such a close friend and confidant of Süleyman’s, and had such influence over the monarch, that the sultan’s wife, Roxelana (Hürrem) was worried. When Ibrahim supported the candidacy of Prince Mustafa to be successor to the throne, rather than that of Roxelana’s son Selim, Roxelana acted.
She denounced Ibrahim to the sultan as a traitor, and on the night of March 14, 1536, after dining with the sultan in Topkapi Palace, Ibrahim was strangled, and all his wealth seized by the imperial government.
One of Ibrahim’s mistakes was in living in a palace and a style that rivaled that of his sovereign. Rüstem Pasha, his successor, did not make the same mistake. More…
The Museum of Turkish and Islamic Arts is open from 9 to 5 (closed Monday) for a small admission fee.
The best art was religious art during the Ottoman Empire, just as it was in medieval Europe.
Divan Edebiyati Müzesi New Town This museum houses a small collection of instruments and other dervish memorabilia, but the best time to come here — and if you’re in town then, it’s well worth the effort to go out of your way do so — is at 3 PM on the last Sunday of each month, for concerts of Sufi music and dance performances by the Sufi mystics known in the West as the whirling dervishes.
Jewish Museum of Turkey New Town The history of the Jews in Istanbul and other parts of Turkey is a lot more extensive and colorful than the size of this small museum in the Zulfaris Synagogue might suggest. Even so, the documents and photos here, most of them donated by local Jewish families, provide a fascinating glimpse into the lives of Turkish Jews, who have been traced to Anatolia as early as the 4th century BC. Their numbers became sizeable in the Middle Ages as Jews were expelled from parts of Europe. In 1492, the Spanish Inquisition drove Sephardic Jews from Spain and Portugal, and Sultan Bayazid II welcomed the refugees in the Ottoman Empire. Many settled in Istanbul, and a large Jewish population thrived in the city for centuries. Today, 16 active synagogues, one of which dates from the Byzantine period, serve a Jewish community of 25,000, and some older Turkish Jews still speak a dialect of medieval Spanish called Ladino, or Judeo-Spanish. In the Neve Shalom Synagogue, on Büyük Hendek Sokak near the Galata Tower, 22 Sabbath worshipers were shot by Arabic-speaking gunmen in September 1986.
Kariye Müzesi Old Istanbul The dazzling mosaics and frescoes in the former Church of the Holy Saviour in Chora are considered to be among the finest Byzantine works in the world. Most of the mosaics, in 50 panels, depict scenes from the New Testament and date from the 14th century. They are in splendid condition, largely because they were plastered over when the church became a mosque in the 16th century and were not uncovered until the 1940s. A cluster of Ottoman buildings surrounding the former church have also been restored, making this out-of-the-way corner of the city especially atmospheric. “Chora” comes from the Greek word meaning countryside; the church was originally outside the city walls built by Constantine the Great, but at the beginning of the 5th century AD Theodosius strengthened the city’s fortifications and tweaked the line of walls in a few places, which brought the church inside the walls. A tea shop on the garden terrace serves light fare, providing a nice place for lunch here at the western edge of the Old City.
KARIYE – CHORA MONASTERY The finest examples of Byzantine mosaics that have remained to the present day are the ones found in the Chora Monastery.The building known today as the Kariye Museum was the Monastery of Chora and dates back to the Byzantine period. It was built outside the city walls of Istanbul in the district of Chora.
Theodorus built the monastery in 534, during the reign of Justinian, but later it suffered considerably from earthquake damage. In the 12th century, it was rebuilt by the order of Maria Dukaina, the mother-in-law of Emperor Alexius I Comnenus, and was dedicated to Christ. By the 14th century the building had deteriorated greatly and was restored and adorned with mosaics by Logothere Theodore Methochite the Great, he spent his entire fortune for this purpose.
After Mehmet the Conqueror captured Istanbul, the building remained as a church. Later Hadin Ali Pasa, the grand Vizier of Bayezit II, converted it into a mosque and added a minaret in 1511. A religious school was built next to the main building and the site was called Kariye.
The original mosaics of the church were uncovered, the building was repaired and restored during the beginning of the Republic period, and the Church was converted into a museum.
There is a vast collection of mosaics that have survived the years.The walls and the domes of this structure are ornamented with mosaics. These pictures are very alive and they portray the lives of Jesus and the Virgin Mary, and the death of the Virgin Mary.
The Kariye Museum (Kariye Müzesi; daily except Wed 9am–6pm; 10YTL), formerly the church of St Saviour in Chora, is decorated with a superbly preserved series of frescoes and mosaics portraying the life and miracles of Christ. It’s among the most evocative of all the city’s Byzantine treasures, thought to have been built in the early twelfth century on the site of a much older church far from the centre: hence “in Chora”, meaning “in the country”. Between 1316 and 1321 the statesman and scholar Theodore Metochites rebuilt the central dome and added the narthexes and mortuary chapel.
To reach the museum from Edirnekapı, take Vaiz Sokak off Fevzi Paşa Caddesi and a second right onto Kariye Bostana Sokak, a street with a number of picturesquely renovated wooden houses, painted in pastel colours. There’s no direct transport from the city centre.
In the nave, the main frescoes echo the mosaics, featuring the death of the Virgin, over the door and, to the right of this, another depiction of Christ. The best known of all the works in the church, however, are the frescoes in the funerary chapel (known as the parecclesion) to the south of the nave. These comprise depictions of the Resurrection, the Last Judgement, Heaven and Hell and the Mother of God. Below the cornice are portraits of the saints and martyrs.
The most spectacular of the frescoes is the Resurrection, also known as the Harrowing of Hell. This is a dramatic representation of Christ in action, trampling the gates of Hell underfoot and forcibly dragging Adam and Eve from their tombs. A black Satan lies among the broken fetters at his feet, bound at the ankles, wrists and neck, but still writhing around in a vital manner. To the left of the painting, animated onlookers include John the Baptist, David and Solomon, while to the right Abel is standing in his mother’s tomb; behind him is another group of the righteous.
Other frescoes in the chapel, in the vault of the east bay, depict the Second Coming. In the east half of the domical vault Christ sits in judgement, saying to the souls of the saved, on his right, “Come ye blessed of my Father, inherit the kingdom prepared for you from the foundation of the world.” To the condemned souls on the left he says, “Depart from me, ye cursed, into everlasting fire, prepared for the devil and his angels.” Below, a river of fire broadens into a lake in which are the souls of the damned. Their torments are illustrated in the lunette of the south wall and comprise the Gnashing of Teeth, the Outer Darkness, the Worm that Sleepeth Not and the Unquenchable Fire.
The tomb in the north wall of the parecclesion has lost its inscription, but is almost certainly the tomb of Metochites, the donor of the church.
If time is limited, the three best sites to visit are the Yedikule fortifications and surrounding district; Kariye Museum, a former Byzantine church containing some of the best-preserved mosaics and frescoes in the world; and Mihrimah Camii, a Mimar Sinan mosque. Buses from Eminönü or Sultanahmet include the #80 to Yedikule, #84 to Topkapı and #39 or #86 to Edirnekapı, or take the tram to Topkapı. To reach the north end of the walls take the ferry from Eminönü to Ayvansaray İskelesı on the Golden Horn, just before the Haliç bridge. The best way to reach the southern end is to take a local train from Sirkeci to Yedikule on the Marmara shore.
The Kariye Museum (Kariye Müzesi; daily except Wed 9am–6pm; 10YTL), formerly the church of St Saviour in Chora, is decorated with a superbly preserved series of frescoes and mosaics portraying the life and miracles of Christ. It’s among the most evocative of all the city’s Byzantine treasures, thought to have been built in the early twelfth century on the site of a much older church far from the centre: hence “in Chora”, meaning “in the country”. Between 1316 and 1321 the statesman and scholar Theodore Metochites rebuilt the central dome and added the narthexes and mortuary chapel.
To reach the museum from Edirnekapı, take Vaiz Sokak off Fevzi Paşa Caddesi and a second right onto Kariye Bostana Sokak, a street with a number of picturesquely renovated wooden houses, painted in pastel colours. There’s no direct transport from the city centre.
The mosaics and frescoes date from the same period as the renovations carried out by Metochites and depict the life of Christ in picture-book sequence. The first series to be followed is a set of dedicatory and devotional panels located in the two narthexes. Inside the church, the most prominent of the mosaics is that of Christ Pantocrator, bearing the inscription “Jesus Christ, the Land of the Living”. Opposite this, above the entrance, is a depiction of the Virgin and angels, with the inscription “Mother of God, the Dwelling Place of the Uncontainable”. The third in the series is located in the inner narthex and depicts Metochites offering a model of the building to a seated Christ. The hat he is wearing is called a skiadon, or “sunshade”. SS Peter and Paul are portrayed on either side of the door leading to the nave, and to the right of the door are Christ with his Mother and two benefactors, Isaac (who built the original church) and a female figure, described in the inscription as “Lady of the Mongols, Melane the Nun”.
In the two domes of the inner narthex are medallions of Christ Pantocrator and the Virgin and Child, and in the fluting of the domes, a series of notable figures – starting with Adam – from the Genealogy of Christ. The Cycle of the Blessed Virgin is located in the first three bays of the inner narthex. These mosaics are based on the apocryphal gospel of St James, which gives an account of the birth and life of the Virgin and was very popular in the Middle Ages. Episodes depicted here include the first seven steps of the Virgin (taken when she was six months old); the Virgin caressed by her parents, with two beautiful peacocks in the background; the Virgin presented as an attendant at the temple (where she remained from the age of 3 to 12); the Virgin receiving a skein of purple wool, as proof of her royal blood; Joseph taking the Virgin to his house, in which is also depicted one of Joseph’s sons by his first wife; and Joseph returning from a six-month business trip to find his wife pregnant.
The next cycle, to be found in the lunettes of the outer narthex, is that of the Infancy of Christ. The mosaics can be followed clockwise, starting with Joseph dreaming, the Virgin and two companions, and the journey to Bethlehem. Apart from well-known scenes such as the Journey of the Magi and the Nativity, there are depictions in the seventh bay (furthest right from the main entrance) of the Flight into Egypt, which includes the apocryphal Fall of Idols (white and ghostly-looking figures) from the walls of an Egyptian town as the holy family passes by. In the sixth bay is the Slaughter of the Innocents, complete with babies impaled on spikes.
The Cycle of Christ’s Ministry fills the vaults of the outer narthex and parts of the south bay of the inner narthex. It includes wonderful scenes of the Temptation of Christ, with dramatic dialogue (Matthew 4: 3–10) that could almost be in speech bubbles, beginning:
Devil: If thou be the Son of God, command that these stones be made bread.
Christ: It is written, Man shall not live by bread alone, but by every word that proceedeth out of the mouth of God.
In the nave, the main frescoes echo the mosaics, featuring the death of the Virgin, over the door and, to the right of this, another depiction of Christ. The best known of all the works in the church, however, are the frescoes in the funerary chapel (known as the parecclesion) to the south of the nave. These comprise depictions of the Resurrection, the Last Judgement, Heaven and Hell and the Mother of God. Below the cornice are portraits of the saints and martyrs.
The most spectacular of the frescoes is the Resurrection, also known as the Harrowing of Hell. This is a dramatic representation of Christ in action, trampling the gates of Hell underfoot and forcibly dragging Adam and Eve from their tombs. A black Satan lies among the broken fetters at his feet, bound at the ankles, wrists and neck, but still writhing around in a vital manner. To the left of the painting, animated onlookers include John the Baptist, David and Solomon, while to the right Abel is standing in his mother’s tomb; behind him is another group of the righteous.
Other frescoes in the chapel, in the vault of the east bay, depict the Second Coming. In the east half of the domical vault Christ sits in judgement, saying to the souls of the saved, on his right, “Come ye blessed of my Father, inherit the kingdom prepared for you from the foundation of the world.” To the condemned souls on the left he says, “Depart from me, ye cursed, into everlasting fire, prepared for the devil and his angels.” Below, a river of fire broadens into a lake in which are the souls of the damned. Their torments are illustrated in the lunette of the south wall and comprise the Gnashing of Teeth, the Outer Darkness, the Worm that Sleepeth Not and the Unquenchable Fire.
The tomb in the north wall of the parecclesion has lost its inscription, but is almost certainly the tomb of Metochites, the donor of the church.
The Kariye Museum (Church of the Holy Savior in Chora) has the best Byzantine mosaics in the region. If you can spare two hours, you must see them. (Note: the museum is closed Wednesday.)
Originally built in the 4th century as the ‘Church of the Holy Savior Outside the Walls’ or ‘in the Country’ (chora), it was indeed outside the walls built by Constantine the Great.
The building you see was built in the late 11th century, with lots of repairs and restructuring in the following centuries. Virtually all of the interior decoration—the famous mosaics and the less renowned but equally striking mural paintings—dates from about 1320.
The mosaics are breathtaking. The first ones are those of the dedication, to Jesus and Mary. Then come the offertory ones: Theodore Metochites, builder of the church, offering it to Jesus.
The two small domes of the inner narthex have portraits of all Jesus’s ancestors back to Adam. A series outlines Mary’s life, and another, Jesus’s early years. Yet another series concentrates on Jesus’s ministry.
In the nave are three mosaics: of Jesus, of Mary as Teacher, and of the Dormition of Mary (turn around to see this one-it’s over the main door you just entered).
South of the nave is the Parecclesion, a side chapel built to hold the tombs of the church’s founder and relatives. The frescos, appropriately, deal with the theme of death and resurrection.
The church was enclosed within the walls built by the Emperor Theodosius II in 413, less than 100 years after Constantine, so the church ‘outside the walls’ has in fact been ‘in the city’ for 1550 years.
For four centuries after the Ottoman conquest of Istanbul it served as a mosque (Kariye Camii), and is now a museum (Kariye Müzesi) because of its priceless mosaics.
To get to the Kariye Museum (closed Wednesday), a taxi is easiest but most expensive.
You can save money (but not time) by taking bus 86 (“Edirnekapi”) from Eminönü (you can also catch it along Divan Yolu in Beyazit Square or Aksaray) to the end of the line at Edirnekapi.
When you reach Edirnekapi, ask for directions by saying Kariye (KAH-ree-yeh) to anyone you see. The museum is only a two-minute walk east of the boulevard. Neighborhood people will happily point the way through the maze of tiny streets.
On the south side of the Kariye Muzesi is the Kariye Oteli, housed in a renovated Ottoman mansion. The hotel’s garden restaurant is a pleasant spot for a meal or light refreshments.
The building facing the Kariye Museum was once the Kariye Muhallebicisi or Pudding Shop, an old Istanbul institution.
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St. Savior in Chora (Kariye Müzesi; formerly the Kariye Camii) Frommer’s Exceptional Hours Thurs-Tues 9:30am-6:30pm Location Camii Sok., Kariye Meydani, Edirnekapi Transportation Dolmuses leave from under the roadway arch near the Beyazit mosque (destination Karagümlük; get off at the Kariye “Camii”) Phone 0212/631-9241 Prices Admission 10YTL ($7.50)
Much of what remained in the coffers of the Byzantine Empire was invested in the embellishment of this church, one of the finest preserved galleries of Byzantine mosaics as well as a detailed account of early Christian history. The original church was built in the 4th century as part of a monastery complex outside the city walls (chora zonton means “in the country” in Greek), but the present structure dates to the 11th century. The interior restoration and decoration were the result of the patronage of Theodore Metochites, Grand Logothete of the Treasury during the reign of Andronicus II Paleologos, and date to the first quarter of the 14th century. His benevolence is depicted in a dedicatory panel in the inner narthex over the door to the nave, which shows Metokhites presenting the Chora to Jesus.
When the church was converted into a mosque in the 16th century, the mosaics were plastered over. A 19th-century architect uncovered the mosaics but was ordered by the government to re-cover those in the section of the prayer hall. American archaeologists Whittemore and Underwood finally uncovered these masterpieces during World War II, and although the Chora became a museum in 1947, it is still often referred to as the Kariye Camii.
In total there are about 50 mosaic panels, but because some of them are only partially discernible, there seems to be disagreement on the exact count. Beginning in the exonarthex, the subjects of the mosaic panels fall into one of four themes, presented more or less in chronological order after the New Testament. Broadly, the themes relate to the cycle of the life of Christ and his miracles, stories of the life of Mary, scenes from the infancy of Christ, and stories of Christ’s ministry. The panels not included in these themes are the devotional panels in the exonarthex and the narthex, and the three panels in the nave: The Dormition of the Virgin, Christ, and the Virgin Hodegetria.
Chora / Kariye
The Church of St Saviour in Chora (Kariye Camii) is inside the the Theodosian Walls, in spite of the fact that “chora” means “in the country” or “outside”. So it seems sure that the church (wich is a part of a monastry) was originally outside the ancient city and is therefore older than these walls.
What makes the church today so popular are the mosaics and paintings from mainly 1325-21, when Theodor Metochides financed them. The church eas as many others in the early 16th century converted to a mosque, but the mosaics and frescos were never obliterated, although in different more..The Church of St Saviour in Chora (Kariye Camii) is inside the the Theodosian Walls, in spite of the fact that “chora” means “in the country” or “outside”. So it seems sure that the church (wich is a part of a monastry) was originally outside the ancient city and is therefore older than these walls.
What makes the church today so popular are the mosaics and paintings from mainly 1325-21, when Theodor Metochides financed them. The church eas as many others in the early 16th century converted to a mosque, but the mosaics and frescos were never obliterated, although in different times they were obscured by plaster, paint and dirt. Restauration started in 1948 and is not yet finished, but the results are that impressive, that Chora is one of the top destinations in Istanbul.
tel: 0212/631-9241 openingHours: Thurs-Tues 9:30am-6:30pm
url: www.sacred-destinations.com address: Camii Sok., Kariye Meydani, Edirnekapi, Istanbul
The Paracclesion (burial section) is decorated with a series of masterful frescos completed sometime after the completion of the mosaics and were presumably executed by the same artist. The frescoes reflect the purpose of the burial chamber with scenes of Heaven and Hell, the Resurrection and the Life, and a stirring Last Judgment with a scroll representing infinity above a River of Fire, and a detail of Jesus saving Adam and Eve’s souls from the devil.
Ancient Byzantine church which was first built in the 6th century AD as a monastery and restored several times in the 9th, 11th and 12th centuries, and finally renovated in the 14th by Theodore Metochites, minister of the Byzantine Empire, from which we have the best of mosaics. It was converted into a mosque in the 15th century after the Conquest of the city. Today it’s a museum of Byzantine mosaics and frescoes. The typical Ottoman neighborhood with wooden houses is also very interesting to stroll around. Open daily between 09:30-16:00 except Wednesdays. Edirnekapi, Fatih Tel: (212) 631 92 41 Admission: 10 YTL
The finest examples of Byzantine mosaics that have remained to the present day are the ones found in the Chora Monastery.The building known today as the Kariye Museum was the Monastery of Chora and dates back to the Byzantine period. It was built outside the city walls of Istanbul in the district of Chora.
Theodorus built the monastery in 534, during the reign of Justinian, but later it suffered considerably from earthquake damage. In the 12th century, it was rebuilt by the order of Maria Dukaina, the mother-in-law of Emperor Alexius I Comnenus, and was dedicated to Christ. By the 14th century the building had deteriorated greatly and was restored and adorned with mosaics by Logothere Theodore Methochite the Great, he spent his entire fortune for this purpose.
After Mehmet the Conqueror captured Istanbul, the building remained as a church. Later Hadin Ali Pasa, the grand Vizier of Bayezit II, converted it into a mosque and added a minaret in 1511. A religious school was built next to the main building and the site was called Kariye.
The original mosaics of the church were uncovered, the building was repaired and restored during the beginning of the Republic period, and the Church was converted into a museum.
There is a vast collection of mosaics that have survived the years.The walls and the domes of this structure are ornamented with mosaics. These pictures are very alive and they portray the lives of Jesus and the Virgin Mary, and the death of the Virgin Mary.
Embassy of the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland Address Sehit Ersan Cad. No:46/A Cankaya – Ankara Phone ( + 90 312 ) 468 62 30 – 42, 468 66 43 – 468 01 13 Fax ( + 90 312 ) 468 32 14
Mozaik Müzesi Old Istanbul One of Istanbul’s more fascinating sights is often overlooked, hidden as it is in the midst of the Arasta Bazaar and overshadowed by such neighbors as the Blue Mosque and Aya Sofya. The Great Palace of Byzantium, the imperial residence of Constantine and other Byzantine emperors when they ruled lands stretching from Iran to Italy and from the Caucasus to North Africa stood here, though only scant ruins remained by 1935. That’s when archaeologists began uncovering what is thought to have been the floor of a palace courtyard, paved in some of the most elaborate and delightful mosaics to survive from the era: Scenes of animals, flowers, and trees in many of them depict rural idylls far removed from the pomp and elaborate ritual of the imperial court.
This museum, opened to the public in 1953 behind Blue Mosque, consists of the remains of the Great Palace of the Byzantine Empire built by Constantine the Great (324-337). These remains consists of mosaics, columns and other architectural pieces which had once been part of the Great Palace. They show scenes with human figures, daily life in Byzantium, hunting incidents, landscapes and animal figures.
Open daily between 09:30-16:30 except Monday. Sultanahmet, Eminonu
Tel: (212) 518 12 05 or 528 45 00 Admission: 5 YTL
The marketplace behind the Sultanahmet Mosque is situated on the remains of a great palace of the Byzantine Emperors. The mosaics discovered are thought to decorate the floor of a large hall in the palace. Scenes from these mosaic panels show a variety of wild and domestic beasts including some hunting and fighting scenes. Following the discovery of these mosaics, other mosaics unearthed in other sections of the city were framed by concrete panels and brought to the museum to be displayed. Arasta Carsisi, Sultanahmet, Telephone: 90-212-5181205, Open daily except Tuesdays , 09:30-17:00
Rahmi M. Koç Industrial Museum New Town A foundry that used to cast anchors for the Ottoman fleet, this building is now filled with steam engines, medieval telescopes, planes, boats, a submarine, a tank, trucks, trains, a horse-drawn tram, bicycles, motorbikes, and the great engines that powered the Bosphorus ferries. The wonderful and eclectic collection, on the shore of the Golden Horn, is sponsored by one of Turkey’s leading modern industrialists.
This museum is located in the anchor casting workshop at the docks on the Golden Horn (Halic in Turkish), an area that symbolized industrialization in the Ottoman Empire of the 19th century. The anchor casting workshop was built in the era of Ahmet II (1703-1730) and the building’s foundations go back to a 12th century Byzantine construction. It was restored under Selim III and used by the Finance Ministry until 1951. After a fire in 1984, the building stood in ruins. In 1991, it was bought by the Rahmi Koc Museum and Cultural Foundation, restored and opened to the public in 1994.
On the first floor, motors and steam engines are displayed. On the second floor are the scientific instruments and communications apparatuses. The entrance is reserved for the aircraft department, mint machinery for printing paper money and coins, bicycles and motorcycles, the naval department and ship engines. In the open area, there is a coast guard life-boat, a tram, a narrow gauge steam train, and a vertical steam boiler. There is a submarine in the water.
Open daily between 08:30-17:00 except Mondays. Haskoy Caddesi, No:27, Haskoy – Beyoglu Tel: (212) 256 71 53 and 54 Admission: 7 YTL for museum, 4 YTL for submarine
The Ataturk Museum
House where Ataturk lived and worked before the War of Independence during his stay in Istanbul between 1918 and 1919, originally was built in 1908 and restored by the Municipality of Istanbul in 1943, opening to the public in 1981. Top floor of this building was reserved to His mother Zubeyde Hanim and His sister Makbule, meanwhile Ataturk used middle floor for himself and lower floor for His loyal officer.
On display are photographs of Ataturk from his birth until his death, as well as some of his clothes, personal belongings and paintings.
Open daily between 09:30-16:00 except Thursdays and Sundays. Halaskargazi Caddesi No:250, Sisli Tel: (212) 240 63 19
Asiyan Museum
This museum is the former residence of famous Turkish poet Tevfik Fikret (1867-1915) who constructed the building himself. In addition to an exhibit of the personal belongings of Fikret, there is a room devoted to the poet Nigar Hanim and displaying some of the belongings of Abdulhak Hamit. It’s located in Asiyan neighborhood on the Bosphorus.
Open daily between 09:00-16:00 except Sundays and Mondays. Asiyan Yokusu, Bebek Tel: (212) 263 69 86
Calligraphy Museum
The Beyazid Medresse, which was used as the municipality library since 1945 was evacuated, restored and reorganized as the Turkish Calligraphic Arts Museum. It has interesting and valuable examples of the Turkish art of the pen, Korans, imperial seals, diplomas, Hilye-i serif (descriptions of the Prophet), equipment and apparatus for calligraphic writing, samples of bookbinding, holy relics and miniatures, especially from Ottoman and Seljuk periods.
Open daily between 09:00-16:00 except Sundays and Mondays. Beyazit Meydani, Eminonu Tel: (212) 527 58 51
The Museum of Calligraphy, once a medrese (school) of Beyazit Mosque, is the only museum of its kind. It contains a beautiful collection of calligraphy and illumination. Also, you could see the tools used in calligraphy, and examples of calligraphy on stone and glass. Beyazit Meydani, Beyazit, Telephone: 90-212-5275851, Open daily except Mondays and Sundays , 09:00-12:00 / 13:00-16:00
Sadberk Hanim Museum
Founded by the Vehbi Koc Foundation in 1980 in the historical Azaryan residence along the Bosphorus, this museum is a beautiful three-story “yali” (old Ottoman house) and houses a rich collection of Anatolian-based works of art, antiques and relics dating from 6000 BC. It is the first private museum of Turkey opened by Koc family, the richest of Turkey.
Open daily between 10:00-17:00 except Wednesdays. Piyasa Caddesi No:27-29, Buyukdere – Sariyer Tel: (212) 242 38 13 and 14
Painting & Sculpture Museum
The museum was opened in 1937 in the crown prince suites of Dolmabahce Palace by the order of Ataturk. It was the first art museum in Turkey and only one in Istanbul until recently. The permanent collection presents a panoramic view of the Turkish plastic arts and also includes works of world famous artists, an impressionist collection, sculptures and works of military painters in several halls and display rooms. Occasionally, there are also painting courses during the year.
Open daily between 12.00-16.00 except Mondays and Tuesdays. Dolmabahce Sarayi yani, Besiktas Tel: (212) 261 42 98 and 99
Caricature Museum
This museum was opened in 1975 in Tepebasi by the Istanbul Municipality through the efforts of the Caricaturists Association, then temporarily closed down in 1980 as the building where it was housed was torn down and later re-opened in its new site in Fatih district.
The Gazanfer Aga complex, which consists of an Ottoman medrese, a shrine and a fountain in Sarachanebasi, was restored for use as the new structure. Re-opened in 1989, the museum contains a rich collection of satirical works, written or drawn, and the exhibits are frequently changed.
Open daily between 10.00-18.00 Ataturk Bulvari, Kovacilar Sokak No:12, Fatih
Tel: (212) 521 12 64 or 249 95 65
The Museum of Caricatures (Karikatür ve Mizah Müzesi; Mon– Fri 9am–6pm; free) stands on Atatürk Bulvarı between Cemal Yener Tosyalı Caddesi and the aqueduct, housed in the rooms of Gazanfer Medrese around a pretty garden courtyard with a marble fountain. Cartoons are an important popular art form in Turkey: most papers employ a number of cartoonists and the weekly Gırgır was the third best-selling comic in the world before many of its employees left to set up the rival Avni. The collection includes pieces dating back to 1870, with many exhibits concentrating on political satire. Temporary exhibitions change every week and feature work by both international and Turkish cartoonists, while the museum also organizes silk-screen and other workshops, including some for children.
Carpet & Kilim Museum
This museum is located in the Hunkar Kasri (royal residence), which stands north of the Sultanahmet mosque (known as Blue Mosque) complex. Hunkar Kasri was the place where the Sultan used to rest before he would join the prayer in the mosque. The museums has unique pieces of old Ottoman rugs and kilims.
Open daily between 09.00-16.00 (exluding lunchtime) except Sundays and Mondays.
Sultanahmet Camisi Avlusu (Blue Mosque), Eminonu Tel: (212) 518 13 30
City Museum
The museum was first located in the Bayezit Municipal Library from the year 1939 until it was moved to the Fine Arts building of the Yildiz Palace complex in 1988. On display are paintings depicting the social life of the Ottoman period in Istanbul, calligraphy, textiles, 18th and 19th century porcelains made in the imperial workshops of Yildiz Palace, various glass objects, calligraphy equipment and other objects of daily life.
Open daily between 09.00-16.00 except Mondays and Tuesdays. Barbaros Bulvari, Yildiz Tel: (212) 258 53 44
Press Museum
A building on the Yeniceri (Janissary) Street in Cemberlitas neighborhood, originally built as a university by Safvet Pasha and having served different purposes from then on, now houses the Press Museum. Its architect is believed to be Fossati. The museum displays documents on the history of the Turkish press and old printing machinery.
Open daily between 10:00-18:00 except Sundays. Divanyolu Caddesi No:84, Cemberlitas – Eminonu Tel: (212) 513 84 57 and 511 08 75
Divan Literature Museum
The first dervish lodge in the city was built in 1492 and belongs to the Mevlevi order founded by Mevlana. The present wooden structure on the site dates from the late 18th century. It is situated in a large garden that includes a cemetery in the Tunel district of Pera. Historical objects and literature of the order are displayed.
Open daily between 09:30-17:00 except Mondays. Galip Dede Caddesi No:15, Tunel – Beyoglu Tel: (212) 245 41 41 and 243 50 45 Admission: 2 YTL for museum, 25 YTL for Dervish performance
Tanzimat Museum
19th century documents and objects belonging to the Ottoman Tanzimat period are displayed in this museum. It was first opened in the Ihlamur Mansion in 1952 and moved to its present location in Gulhane Park just below Topkapi Palace in 1983.
Open daily between 09:00-16:00 except Sundays. Gulhane Parki, Eminonu
Tel: (212) 512 63 84
Santralistanbul Energy & Arts Museum
The building used to be an electric power plant built in 1914 at the tip of the Golden Horn, and known as Silahtaraga Electric Plant. It produced energy for Istanbul from Ottoman period until 1983 then it was shut down for being out of modern technology. The plants were taken by Istanbul Bilgi University and converted into a modern university campus, restoring the old power plant as well. Santralistanbul was opened as an energy museum displaying old industrial electric machines and for modern art exhibitions in September 2007. There are student guides to direct you inside the museum.
Open daily between 10:00-22:00 except Mondays. Eski Silahtaraga Elektrik Santrali, Eyup Tel: (212) 444 04 28 Admission: Free
Sakip Sabanci Museum
The building today known as the Horse Mansion on the Bosphorus was built in the 19th century and belonged to Sabanci family for many years. Just before the death of Sakip Sabanci the mansion was converted into a museum and opened to the public with its antique furnishings and art collections. Today the Museum’s collection of precious manuscripts and extensive collection of 19th and 20th century paintings are on permanent exhibition in the rooms of the original house and gallery annex. From time to time, it is also hosting great exhibitions of international artists such as Pablo Picasso, Rodin etc.
Open daily between 10:00-18:00 except Mondays. Sakip Sabanci Caddesi No:22, Emirgan – Sariyer Tel: (212) 277 22 00 Admission: 3 YTL
Pera Museum
The museum was opened in July 2005 by the Suna-Inan Kirac Foundation, another project of Koc family. The old building was originally constructed in 1893 by architect Achille Manousos and restored recently for the modern museum. Kutahya tiles, Anatolian weights and measurements, and Oriental portraits painting Collections are the permanent exhibitions in the museum. One of the most famous paintings in the museum is of Osman Hamdi’s “The Tortoise Trainer” (Kaplumbaga Terbiyecisi in Turkish). In addition, three art galleries and an auditorium are among the facilities of the museum.
Open daily between 10:00-19:00 except Mondays, 12:00-18:00 on Sundays. Mesrutiyet Caddesi No:141, Tepebasi – Beyoglu Tel: (212) 334 99 00 Admission: 7 YTL
Vedat Nedim Tor Museum
This museum is located in the Yapi Kredi Bank building in Galatasaray neighborhood and contains a collection of coins, embroidered textiles, gold covered copper objects, calligraphy, rosaries, Karagoz figures and ethnographic works. Open to the public during exhibitions around central themes.
Open daily between 10:00-18:00, 13:00-18:00 on Sundays. Istiklal Caddesi No:285, Beyoglu Tel: (212) 245 20 41 and 293 37 10
Rezan Has Museum
This private museum is located inside the Kadir Has University in the Golden Horn, inside an old building which also contains some relics of a Byzantine cistern and Ottoman hamam. The museum displays paintings and documents belonging to important persons who draw the Golden Horn in the past centuries, objects from Anatolia, and so on.
Open daily between 09:00-18:00 Kadir Has Üniversitesi, Kadir Has Caddesi, Cibali
Tel: (212) 533 65 32 and 534 10 34
Ottoman Bank Museum
It’s located in the former head office of the former Ottoman Bank on Voyvoda Street in Karakoy district and operates under the aegis of the Garanti Bank sponsored Ottoman Bank Archive and Research Centre. The museum, organized in and around the bank‘s safe room, draws on a wealth of information from the bank’s archive to narrate the history of this institution, which operated as the Central Bank, bank of issue, and treasurer of the Ottoman Empire.
Open to the public during weekdays between 10:00-18:00. Voyvoda (Bankalar) Caddesi No:35-37, Karakoy Tel: (212) 334 22 70 Admission: 3 YTL
Is Bank Museum
Opened in November 2007 at Eminonu district near the Spice Market, the museum is housed in an old building of one of the oldest banks of Turkey, Is Bank, founded by Ataturk. There is a big collection of many documents, photos, films and objects collected since the foundation of the Is Bank, showing the economic and cultural heritage of Turkey and its recent history.
Open to the public between 10:00-18:00 except on Mondays, holidays, and 1st of January. Hobyar Mah Bankacilar Cad No:2, Eminonu Tel: (212) 511 13 31
Adam Mickiewicz Museum
Adam Mickiewicz, Polish romantic poet and playwright, was born in Zaosie in 1798. He was arrested by the Russian police in 1823 because of taking part in a semisecret group which protested Russian control of Poland, he was jailed and then exiled to Russia. After his release, he spent the rest of his life in Western Europe and in Turkey where he continued to write his poems. He died during a cholera epidemic in Istanbul in 1885. His body was first transported to Paris and than returned to Poland.
His house in Tarlabasi neighborhood near Beyoglu was converted into a museum in 1955 to commemorate 100th year of his death. Inside the museum, there are many documents and information about the poet and his works, photographs of Constantinople of that time, and documents of Polish Liberation struggle. There is also a symbolic grave of the poet in the basement of the building. The museum today is administered by the Turkish and Islamic Arts Museum.
Open daily between 09:30-16:00, except on Mondays. Tatli Badem Sokak, Dolapdere – Beyoglu Tel: (212) 237 25 45 and 253 66 98 Admission: 2 YTL
Hüseyin Rahmi Gürpinar Museum
Rahmi Gürpinar was one of the early Republic period writers of Turkey. His house on Heybeli Island, where he lived between 1912-1944, has been rennovated and converted into a museum by the Ministry of Culture and volunteered school theachers in 1999. The house is located on a high hillside of the island, where one can visit his personal objects, books, and some handycrafts made by the writer.
Open daily between 10:00-16:00, except on Mondays. Demirtas Sokak – Heybeli Ada
The Florence Nightingale Museum
The museum is opened in memory of the English nurse Florence Nightingale who came to Istanbul in 1854 to tend the Turkish and allied soldiers of the Crimean War. The hospital was at the Selimiye Barracks and now the room in the northwest tower has been turned into a small museum since 1954.
The exhibits include Florence Nightingale’s personal belongings, photographs, certificates, medallions and the bracelet that Sultan Abdulmecid presented to her.
Open daily between 09:00-16:00 except at weekends (visits with special permission only) Selimiye Kislasi, Uskudar Tel: (216) 343 73 10
Miniaturk
Miniaturk is also named as the “Showcase of Turkey“, where you can find many important structures of Turkey in small scales, models of architectural masterpieces representing the Anatolian and Ottoman civilizations.
Models of 105 historical and architectural works, all made in the scale of 1/25, including the Library of Celsus at Ephesus, the Malabadi Bridge in Diyarbakir, Grand Mosque of Bursa, the Tomb of Mevlana in Konya, Dome of the Rock (Mescid-i Aksa), the Church of St. Antoine in Istanbul, the Ottoman galley, Savarona (Ataturk‘s boat), the Underground Cistern (Yerebatan), Stone houses of Mardin, Fairy chimneys of Cappadocia, Ataturk‘s Mausoleum in Ankara, Aspendos theater in Antalya, Hagia Sophia and the Maiden’s Tower of Istanbul, can all be seen in one single place. There is also a miniature railway network, a motorway with moving vehicles, an airport with moving airplanes, thousands of human figures, and ships sailing across the Bosphorus. These dynamic models make Miniaturk a living park.
Built in 2003 on a 60,000-square-meter site in the Golden Horn, it is the largest miniature city in the world and has attracted lots of interest and is located opposite the Pierre Loti Coffee House in Eyup district, a favorite with tourists.
Open daily between 09:00-17:00 Imrahor Caddesi Borsa Duragi Mevkii, Sutluce – Beyoglu Tel: (212) 222 28 82 Admission: 10 YTL
Toy Museum
This is a private museum founded by Sunay Akin in a historical residence that belongs to his family, in Goztepe district of Istanbul. Approximately 2000 toys and miniatures are exhibited in the museum that occupies 500 square meters of land. Sunay Akin has collected some 4000 toys from Turkey and abroad. The oldest is a miniature violin manufactured in 1817 in France. A doll made in 1820 in United States, marbles from United States dating back to 1860 and German toys made from tin, and porcelain dolls are other items of the extensive collection.
The museum has a cafeteria and a very small theater as well.
Open daily between 09:30-18:00 except Mondays. Omerpasa Caddesi Dr. Zeki Zeren Sokak No:17, Goztepe Tel: (216) 359 45 50 and 51
SAV Automobile Museum
The Sabri Artam Vakfi Antique Automotive museum has the largest collection of antique cars in Turkey with its over 100 vehicles collected privately in a record time frame of 15-20 years by Artam family. The museum is recognized by FIVA (Federation Internationale des Vehicule Anciens – International Federation of Antique Vehicles) as well. There are many special cars in the collection from last century, such as 1907 model Panhard-Levassor, 1912 model Mercer, 1926 model Bugatti, and 1929 model Packard. There is also the largest collection of Ferrari’s in Turkey, and special models of Maserati, Lancia, Alfa Romeo, Lamborghini and Fiat cars are on display.
The museum is located in Cengelkoy, near Uskudar on the Asian side of Istanbul, and has a total of 5 floors; in the basement there are cars produced after 1960’s, on the second floor cars from 1950’s, on the third floor a cafeteria and antique cars, and on the roof there are model cars.
Open daily between 10:00-19:00 except Sundays. Bosna Bulvari No:104, Cengelkoy
Tel: (216) 329 50 30
TURVAK Cinema & TV Museum
The TURVAK is a private foundation established by Turker Inanoglu, one of the most known movie directors in Turkey. The Cinema and Television Museum was founded to show the development of Turkish movie and television industry from the beginning until today. On the displays in several halls one can see old film and recording machines of 8, 16 and 35 mm, illuminating projectors, editing consoles, turntables, dolly, 
carriages, studio and laboratory devices, posters, photographs, leaflets, brochures, advertising material, scripts, books and magazines on cinema. In the same building there is also a Theater Museum by TURVAK, with masks and play accessories, stage costumes, tickets and invitation cards, posters, brochures and photographs, samples of our traditional theater such as the Ortaoyunu (a special theatrical genre in Turkish Theater) Section and Hacivat – Karagoz shadow theater characters. The museum is located on the Asian side of Istanbul.
Open daily between 10:00-19:00 except Sundays. Ekinciler Caddesi No:4, Kavacik – Beykoz Tel: (216) 425 19 00
Illumination & Heating Appliances Museum
This is a small private museum owned by Mr. Mehmet Yaldiz. The museum is located in an old mansion in the Sultanahmet neighborhood of Eminonu district, near the Blue Mosque. There is a large collection of antique and historic lighting and heating appliances such as oil and stone lamps, gas lamps, cooking stoves, candle sticks, wood and coal stoves, braziers and incense burners, chandeliers, and other related materials from Roman, Byzantine, Seljuk and Ottoman periods.
Closed for restorations. Cankurtaran Mahallesi, Dalbasti Sokak No:16, Sultanahmet – Eminonu Tel: (212) 517 66 08
PTT (Postal Service) Museum
The PTT (Post – Telephone – Telegram company) museum in Istanbul is located inside the historic building of main post office at Sirkeci neighborhood. It houses several old phone units, telegram machines, first stamp from 1863 and other late Ottoman or early Republic period stamps, old seals and mail boxes, postal clerk uniforms, and some photos of the first communication systems in Turkey.
Open daily except weekends and holidays, between 08:30-12:30 and 13:30-17:30
Büyük Postane, Yeni Postane Sok. Zaptiye Cad. No:25, Sirkeci – Eminonu
Tel: (212) 520 90 37
Military Museum
The museum consists of many interesting military pieces such as uniforms belonging to every period of Ottoman army, various weapons from bow and arrow to triggered guns, seals, armors, tent of the sultan, sultan swords, flags, photos of ministers of defense, Byzantine Cavalry Flag, various warfare pieces used from the Seljuk period to the Republic period, and the chain with which Byzantines closed the Golden Horn before the Conquest. There is also a Janissary Band show daily between 3-4 pm.
Open daily between 09:00-17:00 except Mondays and Tuesdays. Cumhuriyet Caddesi, Harbiye – Sisli Tel: (212) 233 27 20
address:Vali Konagi Caddesi, Harbiye, Telephone: 90-212-2337115, Open daily except Thursdays and Sundays , 09:30-17:00 The Military Museum,(Military Museum),1 km north of Taksim Square, once used to be a military academy, traces the military history of the country from the conquest of Constantinople in 1453 to modern warfare. This is also where Ataturk studied from 1899-1905. Among the objects displayed are curved daggers carried by foot soldiers in the 15th century; 17th century copper head armour for horses and Ottoman shields carried by the janissaries; tents used by sultans on their campaigns.
Naval Museum
The museum was opened to public m 1960. It displays the uniforms of the Turkish sailors, models of Turkish naval vessels, and paintings, engravings and maps related to Turkish maritime history. Also the materials and souvenirs from the vessels used in the first years of Ottoman Empire and the Republic, pictures of some navy disasters and martyrs, wartime weapons such as hand-bombs, torpedo, fire gun and sketches of several fleet commanders are amongst the display. Sultans‘ row-boats (Saltanat Kayigi in Turkish) are on display on its lower floor. In the courtyard of the museum, cannonballs of various sizes and a part of German Battleship which sunk in our coastline during Second World War are also displayed.
Open daily between 09:00-17:00 except Mondays and Tuesdays. Hayrettin Iskelesi Sokak, Besiktas Tel: (212) 327 43 45 and 46
Aviation Museum
The museum stands within the Air Command Headquarters of Istanbul and has both indoor and outdoor exhibition sections; jet-motor and hovercrafts, cargo planes, helicopters, some aviation arms, pictures, emblems, medallions and belongings of Turkish air pilots are displayed. The Museum also features movie theater, conference room and a cafeteria.
Open daily between 09:30-16:30 (excluding lunch time) except Mondays and Tuesdays. Hava Harp Okulu, Yesilyurt Tel: (212) 663 24 90 extension:2215
Fire Brigade Museum
This museum presents a chronological history of fire fighting in Istanbul starting with the water pumpers (tulumbaci in Turkish) of Ottoman times. All kinds of fire brigade equipment, from the first motorized fire engines to firemen’s clothing and tools, are displayed. The museum in its present building opened in 1992 within the main Fire Brigade headquarters in Fatih district, after many years of collecting and repairing the objects.
Open daily between 09:00-16:30 except weekends. Itfaiye Caddesi No:9, Fatih Tel: (212) 524 11 25 or 635 71 74
Divan Literature Museum (daily except Tues 9am–4pm; 2YTL). A former monastery and ceremonial hall of the whirling dervishes (see “The dervish festival and ceremony”), the building now serves as a museum to the MevlevÎ sect, which was banned by Atatürk along with other Sufi organizations because of its political affiliations. Exhibitions include musical instruments and dervish costumes and the building itself has been beautifully restored to late eighteenth-century splendour. The Whirling Dervishes perform sema dances to Sufi music at 5pm on the second and last Sunday of every month (May– September at 5pm, October– April at 3pm; 25YTL), with the main ceremony on December 17, the annual Mevlâna holiday.
Further along İstiklâl Caddesi, on your right, is the Botter House, a fine Art Nouveau apartment building with a carved stone facade and wrought-iron balcony. Commissioned in 1901 as a showroom, workshop and family house by Dutchman Jan Botter, tailor and couturier to Sultan Abdülhamid II, it is one of a number of structures around İstanbul designed by the Italian architect Raimondo D’Aronco. Further up on the right is the newly restored Palais de Hollande at İstiklâl Caddesi 393. Built in 1858 on the site of the home of Cornelis Haga, the first Dutch diplomat in Constantinople during the fifteenth century, it now houses the Consulate to the Netherlands.
Many other buildings lining İstiklâl Caddesi are also typically European, like the Mudo shop at no. 401, with a beautifully preserved Art Nouveau interior, and selling very expensive toys and retro or kitsch ornaments. The oldest church in the area is St Mary Draperis at no. 429, which dates from 1789, although the Franciscans built their first church on the site in the early fifteenth century. Better known is the Franciscan church of St Antoine at no. 325, a fine example of red-brick neo-Gothic architecture. Originally founded in 1725 it was demolished to make way for a tramway at the beginning of the century and rebuilt in 1913.
Further along İstiklâl Caddesi you can detour down Nuru Ziya Sok to the imposing French Palace, with its large central courtyard and formally laid-out gardens, the residence of ambassadors and consuls from 1831 until the present day. Below the Palace, on Tom Tom Kaptan Sok, stands the Italian Consulate, originally the Palazzo di Venezia, built in the seventeenth century. Casanova stayed here in 1744, and according to his memoirs he didn’t make a single conquest, although one Ismail Efendi claims to have been seduced by him. Turning left off İstiklâl Caddesi, Hamalbaşı Sok, leads in 100m to the British Consulate, an impressive Renaissance-style structure, designed by Charles Barry, architect of the British Houses of Parliament.
The northernmost stretch of İstiklâl Caddesi and its offshoots boasts many of the area’s bars and restaurants, all within easy walking distance of one another (see “Beyoğlu” for reviews). The famous Çiçek Pasaj (Flower Passage) had its heyday in the 1930s when the music and entertainment was supplied courtesy of anti-Bolshevik Russian emigrés. These days it’s home to a collection of attractive but rather overpriced and touristy restaurants – it’s far better to head through to the Balik Pazarı (fish market), particularly Nevizade Sokak, a street dedicated to fish restaurants (all with outside tables), and incredibly lively bars and clubs.
Behind Istanbul’s Blue Mosque on Torun Sokak, just off the Arasta Çarsisi (Arasta Bazaar) is theGreat Palace Mosaic Museum (Büyük Saray Mozaik Müzesi), holding many of the best secular 6th century Byzantine mosaics in the city.
The mosaics, lively, artful images of hunting scenes, mythical beasts, fantastic objects and imaginings, are the remains of a large courtyard that once adjoined the Palace Aula, one of the many courtyards, audience chambers and throne rooms, gardens, churches and chapels, baths and fountains of the vast, rambling Great Palace (Palatium Magnum) complex ordered built by Constantine the Great (306-337), founder of Constantinople. The palace complex covered much of the area on the east side of the Hippodrome (At Meydani) and extended downhill to the city walls on the Sea of Marmara.
Much of the palace complex was destroyed in the disastrous Nika riots of 532. It was rebuilt on order of Emperor Justinian (527-565). The mosaics you see in the museum are from this time, the 6th century.
They’re not as fine, colourful and glorious as the ones in Ayasofya (Hagia Sophia) because these were in a courtyard open to the weather and meant to be walked on, while the ones in Ayasofya were on the walls. Also, don’t compare these to the ones in the Kariye Museum (Church of the Holy Savior in Chora), which were created eight centuries later!
The mosaics in the Great Palace Mosaic Museum are still quite surprising in their liveliness and variety: a man milks a goat, a mare suckles its foal, a monkey-like creature uses a stick to beat dates down from a palm tree, a deer bites a serpent, another serpent is held in an eagle’s claws, two dogs attack a large hare, warriors battle it out, a lion attacks an elephant….
When you exit the Mosaic Museum, you’ll be in the Arasta Bazaar on the east side of the Blue Mosque. Turn right (south), walk through the bazaar and straight downhill along Küçük Ayasofya Camii Sokak to reach the Little Hagia Sophia Mosque, built by Justinian as the Church of Saints Sergius and Bachus.
Rumeli Fortress (Rumeli Hisari) Recommended Tues-Sun 9am-5pm Tarabya Yeniköy Cad. north of Sariyer Transportation some ferries make the stop at Rumeli Kavagi; otherwise, get off at Sariyer and take a dolmus the rest of the way. By car, follow the shore road north from Dolmabahçe Palace (there is no dolmus service from Taksim) through Besiktas, Ortaköy, Arnavutköy, Bebek, and finally to Rumeli Hisari (the road changes names frequently)
Phone 0212/263-5305 Prices Admission 4YTL ($3)
This citadel was built by Mehmet the Conqueror across from the Anatolia Fortress (Anadolu Hisari) in preparation for what was to be the seventh and final Ottoman siege of the fortified Byzantine city. Constructed in only 4 months, the fortress served to cut off Black Sea traffic in and out of the city, together with the Anadolu Hisari built by his great-grandfather across the Bosphorus on the Asian shores. The Ottoman army eventually penetrated the city by carrying the Turkish galleons over land by way of a sled and pulley system, and dropping them into the Golden Horn and behind the city’s defenses.
Ibrahim Pasa Sarayi Old Istanbul. Süleyman the Magnificent commissioned the great architect Sinan to build this stone palace overlooking the Hippodrome, the most grandiose residence in Istanbul. The sultan’s beloved childhood friend, brother-in-law, and grand vizier Ibrahim Pasa took up residence here sometime around 1524 with his wife, Süleyman’s sister. The men were inseparable, taking all their meals together and watching games in the Hippodrome from the palace balconies. Ibrahim Pasa, however, didn’t have long to enjoy his new home: Despite his bonds with the sultan, he was executed when he became too powerful for the liking of Süleyman’s power-crazed wife, Roxelana. The palace now houses the Türk Ve Islâm Eserleri Müzesi (Museum of Turkish and Islamic Arts), where you can learn about the lifestyles of Turks at every level of society, from the 8th century to the present.
Topkapi Sarayi Old Istanbul
This vast palace on Seraglio Point, above the confluence of the Bosphorus and the Golden Horn, was the residence of sultans and their harems as well as the seat of Ottoman rule from the 1450s until the middle of the 19th century. Few other royal residences can match this hilltop compound when it comes to mystery, intrigue, and the lavishly exotic intricacies of court life.
Sultan Mehmet II built the original Topkapi Palace known simply as the New Palace in the 1450s, shortly after his conquest of Constantinople. Over the centuries sultan after sultan added ever more elaborate architectural frills and fantasies, until the palace had acquired four courtyards and quarters for some 5,000 full-time residents, including slaves, concubines, and eunuchs. Many of its inhabitants lived their entire adult lives behind its walls, and the palace was often the scene of intrigues, bloodshed, and drama as members of the sultan’s entourage plotted and schemed to advance their favorites, sometimes even deposing and assassinating the sultan himself. Topkapi was finally abandoned in 1853 when Sultan Abdül Mecit I moved his court to the palace at Dolmabahçe on the Bosphorus.
The main entrance, or Imperial Gate, leads to the Court of the Janissaries, also known as the First Courtyard. Today, the courtyard where these members of the sultan’s guard once assembled is essentially a parking lot that does little to evoke the splendors and tragedies of the palace’s extraordinary history. Off to one side, though, is the large and modestly beautiful Aya Irini (Church of St. Irene, Hagia Eirene in Greek), an unadorned redbrick building that dates from the earliest days of Byzantium.
You will begin to experience the grandeur of the palace when you pass through Bab-i-Selam (Gate of Salutation). Süleyman the Magnificent built the gate in 1524 and was the only person allowed to pass through it on horseback; others had to dismount and enter on foot. Prisoners were kept in the towers on either side of the gate before their executions next to the nearby fountain, a handy arrangement that made it easy for executioners to wash the blood off their hands after carrying out their orders.
The Second Courtyard is planted with rose gardens and ornamental trees and filled with a series of ornate kösks, pavilions once used for the business of state as well as for more mundane matters, like feeding the hordes of servants. To one side are the palace’s kitchens, where more than 1,000 cooks once toiled at the rows of immense ovens to feed the palace residents, whose numbers sometimes swelled to 10,000 or 15,000 during special occasions. The cavernous space now displays one of the world’s best collections of porcelain, much of it amassed over years of Ottoman rule as powers from China, Persia, and Europe bestowed gifts on the sultans; the thousands of Ming blue-and-white pieces were made to order for the palace in the 18th century. Straight ahead is the Divan-i-Humayun (Assembly Room of the Council of State), once presided over by the grand vizier. When the mood struck him, the sultan would sit behind a latticed window, hidden by a curtain, so no one would know when he was listening, although occasionally he would pull the curtain aside to comment.
The Harem, a maze of 400 halls, terraces, rooms, wings, and apartments grouped around the sultan’s private quarters, evokes all the exoticism and mysterious ways of the Ottoman Empire. Seeing the 40 or so Harem rooms that have been restored and open to the public, though, brings to mind not just luxury but the regimentation, and even barbarity, of life in this enclosed enclave.
The first Harem compound you see housed about 200 lesser concubines and the palace eunuchs in tiny cubicles, like those in a monastery. As you move into the Harem, the rooms become larger and more opulent. The chief wives of the sultan (Islamic law permitted up to four, though the sultan could consort with as many concubines as he wished) lived in private apartments around a shared courtyard. Beyond are the lavish apartments, courtyard, and marble bath of the valide sultan (queen mother), the absolute ruler of the Harem, and finally, the sultan’s private rooms — a riot of brocades, murals, colored marble, wildly ornate furniture, gold leaf, and fine carving. The fountains that splash throughout the Harem were not only decorative: they also made it hard to eavesdrop on royal conversations.
Beyond the Harem is Third Courtyard, shaded by regal old trees and dotted by some of the most ornate of the palace’s pavilions. (From the Harem, you enter to the side of the courtyard, but to see this beautiful space to best advantage, make your way to its main gate, the Bab-i-Saadet (Gate of Felicity), exit and reenter; and consider yourself privileged to do so, because for centuries only the sultan and grand vizier were allowed to pass through the gate.) Foreign ambassadors once groveled in the Arz Odasi (Audience Chamber), but access to the courtyard was highly restricted, in part because it housed the Treasury, four rooms filled with imperial thrones and lavish gifts bestowed upon generations of sultans, and spoils garnered from centuries of war and invasion (the walls between three of the smaller rooms have been taken down so the Treasury only seems like 2 rooms). The glittering prizes here are the jewels. Two uncut emeralds, each weighing about 8 pounds(!), once hung from the ceiling, but are now displayed behind glass. Other pavilions show off a curious assortment of treasures — Turkish and Persian miniatures; relics of the prophet Muhammad (including hair from his beard); and sultans’ robes, from the lavish wardrobes of the first to the last ruler. Some of these robes are bloodstained and torn from assassins’ daggers; other garments are stiff with gold and silver thread, tooled leather, and gold, silver, and jewels.
The Fourth Courtyard was the private realm of the sultan, and the small, elegant pavilions, mosques, fountains, and reflecting pools are scattered amid the gardens that overlook the Bosphorus and Golden Horn. The octagonal Revan Köskü, built by Murat IV in 1636 to commemorate a military victory in eastern Anatolia and the Caucasus, is often referred to in Ottoman histories as the Turban Room (Sarik Odasi) because it is where the sultan used to keep his turbans. In the Iftariye (Golden Cage), also known as the Sofa Köskü, the closest relatives of the reigning sultan lived in strict confinement under what amounted to house arrest — superseding an older practice of murdering all possible rivals to the throne. Just off the open terrace with the wishing well is the lavishly tiled Sünnet Odasi (Circumcision Room), where little princes would be taken for ritual circumcision during their 9th or 10th year.
Can easily spend the better part of a day here. Using a guide (but only a locensed one!) avoids a wait in the ticket queue. Harem visit does require a separate ticket but is worth it. Bring your camera, there are great views from the terraces. The onsite cafeteria is quite decent.
You would be wise to spend the first hours of the morning in Topkapı Palace, as it may take a long to wander through it. After touring the palace, you might take a breath in the park that now occupies a square which was used as a hippodrome during the Roman era.
Anadoluhisari (Anatolian Fortress)
A 14th century castle from the Ottoman‘s first attempt to capture Istanbul, Anatolian Fortress is located on the Asian shore of the city at the narrowest point of the Bosphorus Strait. Sultan Yildirim Bayezit built this fortress in 1395 on the ruins of an old temple dedicated to Zeus. The fortress is much smaller (7.000 m2 – 1,7 acres) in size when you compare it with Rumelihisari on the European side of Istanbul. Its towers are about 25 meters (82 feet) high with 2-5 meters (7-16 feet) tickness. The fortress was also named “Güzelce Hisar” in some historical documents. Today, Anadolu Hisari is an open air museum but only outer walls can be visited, and the road passes just through it. Open daily. Anadoluhisari, Beykoz Admission: Free
Rumelihisari (Rumeli Fortress)
Rumeli fortress was built by the sultan Mehmet the Conqueror in four months only and directly opposite to Anadoluhisari in 1452 in preparation for the final attack on Constantinople, which led to the downfall of the Byzantine Empire. The fortress is located at the narrowest section of the Bosphorus Strait (about 600 meters – 1970 feet). It occupies an area of 60.000 m2 (16 acres), had 4 main and 1 smaller gate, and 3 large and 1 smaller tower. From a small mosque inside, only its minaret survived. Rumelihisar suffered from big earthquakes but was always restored, final restoration was done in 1953 and opened as a museum. Today, the fortress is open to the public as an open-air museum and hosts many concerts and dramatic performances in its amphitheater usually during the summer months. Open daily between 09:30-16:30 except Wednesdays. Yahya Kemal Caddesi No:42, Rumelihisari – Sariyer Tel: (212) 263 53 05 Admission: 5 YTL
Yedikule Hisari (Seven Towers dungeons)
As its name says in Turkish, Yedikule is a seven towered fortress which was built next to the city wall near the Byzantine Imperial Gate (Golden Gate or Porta Aurea) during the reign of Sultan Fatih Mehmet to protect the treasury. During the sultan Murat III’s reign, the treasury was relocated to the Topkapi Palace and Yedikule began to be used as a dungeon. The place of imprisonment of many foreign ambassadors and Ottoman statesman, as well as a place of execution for some, the fortress was last used as a prison in 1831. It than became a dwelling for the lions of Topkapi Palace, and later a gunpowder manufacturing place. Today, the fortress is a museum which is also hosting open air concerts in the inner courtyard during the summer months.
Open daily between 09:30-16:30 except Wednesdays. Osman Kale Meydani Caddesi No:4, Yedikule – Fatih Tel: (212) 585 89 33 Admission: 5 YTL
Other castles
Other interesting old fortresses in Istanbul are Anadolu Kavagi Fortress and Rumeli Kavagi Fortress. Both of them were built during the Byzantine period at the entrance of the Bosphorus from the Black Sea, respectively on the Asian side (Anatolia) and on the European side (Thrace) of the city. These fortresses were also used during the Ottoman period to protect the Bosphorus Strait but than left in ruins.
Leander’s Tower (or the Maiden’s Tower, or Kiz Kulesi) Slightly offshore south of Üsküdar, on the Asian side of the Bosphorus
Rising from a rock at the mouth of the Bosphorus is the Kiz Kulesi, built by Ibrahim Pasa in 1719 over the remains of a fortress built by Mehmet the Conqueror and the earliest original building constructed on the rock by Byzantine Emperor Manuel Comnenus I. The romance of the tower finds its root in an ancient myth along the lines of Romeo and Juliet: boy (Leander) falls in love with girl (the Aphrodite Priestess Hero); boy drowns swimming to meet girl; girl finds lover’s corpse; girl commits suicide. The story originated around the Dardanelles, but was too juicy not to attach to this solitary tower. Legend also has it that the tower was connected to the mainland by way of an underwater tunnel, and that there used to be a wall between the tower and the shore — a rumor not altogether implausible considering that according to a 19th-century historian, the remains of a wall could be seen in calm water.
Since as early as the 1600s, the tower has been used as a prison and a quarantine hospital. The tower is currently in service as a panoramic restaurant and tea lounge. Take advantage of the free shuttle over and get the chance both to visit the tower and enjoy a romantic meal, but be sure to book well ahead (tel. 0212/727-4095; info@kizkulesi.com.tr).
Ibrahim Pasa, swept into slavery by Turkish raids in Greece, became the beloved and trusted boyhood friend of Süleyman the Magnificent. Educated and converted to Islam and eventually appointed grand vizier, Ibrahim Pasa was the sultan’s only companion at mealtime, earning him the favored title serasker sultan (commander in chief). He also earned the sultan’s sister’s hand in marriage.
The palace was a gift from the sultan and was built by Sinan. From this very special palace on the Hippodrome, the sultan’s family and friends had front-row seats for festivities in the square. Roxelana, the sultan’s wife, managed to dispose of her rival in one of her infamous intrigues, by convincing the sultan that his grand vizier had become too big for his britches.
The palace now houses the changing exhibitions of the Museum of Turkish and Islamic Arts, a fine collection of calligraphy, peace treaties, several examples of the sultan’s official seal or tugra, and an insightful ethnographic section depicting the lifestyles of nomads and city-dwelling Ottomans.
About halfway between Küçük Ayasofya Camii and the Cankurtaran train station the facade of the Palace of Bucoleon, a seaside annexe to the Great Palace of the Byzantine emperors, is one of the most melancholy and moving survivors of Constantinople. The Great Palace was an immense structure, covering around five square kilometres from Sultanahmet to the sea walls. At its height it consisted of several separate palaces, including the Palace of Bucoleon and the Magnaura Palace – substantial sections of which also survive. In 1204 the palace was taken over by the Crusaders and a description by one illuminates the splendours they discovered:
Within the palace there were fully 500 halls all connected with one another and all made with gold mosaic. And in it were fully 30 chapels, great and small, and there was one of them that was called the Holy Chapel, which was so rich and noble that there was not a hinge or a band nor any other small part that was not all of silver, and there was no column that was not of jasper or porphyry or some other precious stone.
By the time the Latins left in 1261, the palace was virtually destroyed, and funds were never found to repair it.
It’s easy to miss what’s left of the Palace of Bucoleon, especially if you pass at speed along Kennedy Caddesi. It is draped in beautiful red vine and set back from the road with a little park in front. Three enormous marble-framed windows set high in the wall offer glimpses of the remains of a vaulted room behind. Below the windows, marble corbels give evidence of a balcony that would have projected over a marble quay (the waters of the Marmara once reached almost as far as the palace walls). For the rest of the Great Palace you’ll need a lively imagination: you could wander 200m along Kutlugün Sokak to visit the Başdoğan carpet centre, where shop owners allow free access to the impressive complex of vaulted basements, or travel further down towards the coast where fragments of wall and ancient palace, on streets or tucked away in back-lots, are all that survive. Further sections of the palace exist under land currently belonging to the Four Seasons Hotel (see “Cankurtaran”). Excavated in 1998, these are said to contain a vaulted chapel with some frescoes still intact.
The other substantial reminders of the Great Palace are the mosaics displayed in the Mosaic Museum (Büyüksaray Mozaik Müzesi; daily except Mon 9am–4.30pm; 4YTL), 500m inland from the Palace of Bucoleon, on Torun Sokağı. It can be reached by running the gauntlet of salespeople in the Arasta Çarşısı – a renovated street-bazaar selling tourist gifts, whose seventeeth-century shops were originally built to pay for the upkeep of the nearby Sultanahmet Camii.
Many of the mosaics in the museum are presented in situ, so that some idea of their original scale and purpose can be imagined. The building has been constructed so that some of the mosaics are viewed from a catwalk above, but can also be examined more closely by descending to their level. These remains were part of a mosaic peristyle, an open courtyard surrounded by a portico. To the south of the portico and down to the Palace of Bucoleon were the private apartments of the emperor, while the public sections of the palace were located to the north. Among the mosaics, probably dating from Justinian’s rebuilding programme of the sixth century, are portrayals of both animals in their natural habitats, and domestic scenes. These include a vivid illustration of an elephant locking a lion in a deadly embrace with its trunk and two children being led on the back of a camel.
From Kariye, head west to the city walls, then north again, and you’ll soon come to the Palace of Constantine Porphyrogenetus, the Tekfur Sarayi (tehk-FOOR sar-rah-yuh), closed in 2006 for restoration.
Constantinople’s last extant Byzantine imperial palace, is just a shell, but it gives a fine idea of what the emperor’s residence might have looked like in Byzantine times.
Major archaeological sites are generally open daily from just after sunrise until just before sunset; owing to budgetary constraints, current schedules feature later opening and earlier closing than in previous years. Some smaller archeological sites are only guarded during the day and left unfenced, permitting (in theory) a free wander around in the evening. Others are staffed until dark by a solitary warden, who may have enough English to give you a guided tour, for which he will probably expect a tip. However, in recent years surveillance at sites both fenced and unenclosed has been improved in the wake of antiquities theft and furtive visits after posted closing hours can result in your being picked up by the jandarma.
Never pay entrance fees unless the wardens can produce a ticket, whatever other documentation they may have. If you don’t take a ticket, crooked sellers can resell the same ticket over and over again, pocketing the proceeds. Keep tickets with you for the duration of your visit and even afterwards, as sites often straddle the route to a good beach – in theory the ticket is valid for the entire day sparing you repayment if you re-cross the area.
Valens Aqueduct (Bozdogan Kemeri) Location Bridging Atatürk Bulv. between Aksaray and the Golden Horn
Now nothing more than a scenic overpass for cars traveling down Atatürk Bulvari, the Valens Aqueduct or “Arcade of the Gray Falcon” was started by Constantine and completed in the 4th century by Valens. Justinian II had the second tier added; even Mehmet the Conqueror and Sinan had a hand in its restoration and enlargement. The aqueduct connects the third and fourth hills of Istanbul and had an original length of about .8km ( 1/2-mile). Water was transported under various rulers to the Byzantine palaces, city cisterns, and then to Topkapi Palace, and the aqueduct served in supplying water to the city for a total of 1,500 years.
Yerebatan Cistern (Yerebatan Sarnici) Hours Wed-Mon 9am-5pm Location Yerebatan Cad. diagonal from St. Sophia, Sultanahmet Phone 0212/522-1259 Prices Admission 10YTL ($7.50)
Classical music echoing off the still water and the seductive lighting make your descent into the “Sunken Palace” seem like a scene out of Phantom of the Opera. The only thing missing is a rowboat, which was an actual means of transportation before the boardwalk was installed in what is now essentially a great underground fishpond and stunning historical artifact. The cistern was first constructed by Constantine and enlarged to its present form by Justinian after the Nika Revolt using 336 marble columns recycled from the Hellenistic ruins in and around the Bosphorus. The water supply, routed from reservoirs around the Black Sea and transported via the Aqueduct of Valens, served as a backup for periods of drought or siege. It was left largely untouched by the Ottomans, who preferred running, not stagnant, water, and eventually used the source to water the Topkapi Gardens. The cistern was later left to collect silt and mud until it was cleaned by the Municipality and opened to the public in 1987. The water is kept clean and aerated thanks to a supply of overgrown goldfish that are replaced every 4 years or so.
Follow the wooden catwalk and notice the “column of tears,” a pillar etched with symbols resembling tears. (An identical pattern is visible on the columns scattered along the tramway near the Universite stop, where the old Byzantine palace was once located.) At the far end of the walkway are two Medusa heads, one inverted and the other on its side; according to mythology, placing her this way caused her to turn herself into stone. Another superstition is that turning her upside down neutralizes her powers. Possibly, the stones were just the right size as pedestals.
Byzantine cistern from the 6th century built by Justinian I and is located to the south-west of Hagia Sophia. The water was brought from Belgrade Forest, 19 kilometers to the north of Istanbul, and it had a capacity to store 100.000 tons of water. It features fine brick vaulting supported by 336 various type of columns brought here from different parts of the Empire. The Basilica Cistern, or Underground (Yerebatan) Cistern as locals call it, now houses a cafeteria and hosts musical and theatrical performances and a Biannual. There are also two Medusa friezes brought from the Temple of Apollo in Didyma (today’s Didim). Its dimensions are 140x70x9 meters.
The underground cistern “Yerebatan Saray” (Underground Palace”) is the biggest of the today known cisterns. It is 139 meters long and about 65 meters wide. Inside it consists of 336 columns, 12 rows of 28 each, separated by 4 meters and with a height of 8 meters. The cistern has a capacity of about 80,000 m³ .
It dates from the time of Justinian I. Adress: Yerebatan Caddesi, Sultan Ahmet. Daily from 9:00 am – 5:30 pm
Open daily between 09:00-17:30 Yerebatan Caddesi No:13, Sultanahmet Tel: (212) 522 12 59
Yerebatan Sarnici Archaeological Sites, Old Istanbul A slightly creepy journey through this ancient underground waterway takes you along sparsely lit wooden walkways that lead between the 336 marble columns that rise 26 feet to support Byzantine arches and domes, from which the water drips unceasingly. Often referred to as the “Sunken Cistern,” Yerebatan Sarnici is the most impressive part of an underground network of waterways said to have been created at the behest of Emperor Constantine in the 4th century and expanded by Justinian in the 6th century (most of the present structure dates from the Justinian era). The cistern was always kept full as a precaution against long sieges, and fish, presumably descendants of those that arrived in Byzantine times, still flit through the dark waters. So, what’s the thrill of visiting what is essentially a municipal waterworks? The cistern is hauntingly beautiful, an oasis of coolness and shadowed, cathedral-like stillness, and a particularly cool and relaxing place to get away from the hubbub of the Old City.
Sunken Palace Cistern (Yerebatan Saray): an eerie subterranean “sunken palace” of 336 marble columns which could hold 80,000 cubic feet of water in case of drought or siege
Beneath Istanbul lie hundreds of gloomy Byzantine cisterns. They’re left from the days when Istanbul was Constantinople.
The grandest of all is Yerebatan Saray Sarniçi, called the Basilica (or Sunken Palace) Cistern because of its size (70 x 140 meters, or 2.4 acres), its capacity (80,000 cubic meters—over 21 million US gallons) and its 336 marble columns.
Remember the scene in the old James Bond movie From Russia With Love when Bond is rowing in a small boat through a forest of marble columns? That scene was filmed in Yerebatan.
Walkways and atmospheric lighting were installed during the 1990s so you can see all its curious corners. There’s even a little cafe for drinks and snacks.
Yerebatan is in Sultanahmet Square, at the northeastern end of the Hippodrome, just off Divan Yolu, and across the street from Ayasofya (Hagia Sophia). The entrance (see the photo to the right) is on Yerebatan Caddesi; the exit is opposite Ayasofya on Alemdar Caddesi.
A visit can take anywhere from 30 minutes to an hour. There’s a few dollars’ admission fee.
Binbirdirek Cistern (Binbirdirek Sarnici)
It’s one of the oldest Byzantine cisterns of Istanbul; it was built by Philoxenus to the west of the Hippodrome as a huge water storage in the 4th century AD during the reign of Constantine the Great. The dimensions of the cistern are 64 x 56 meters with 15 meters of height and there were 224 original columns, out of which 212 of them survived until our days. The brick arches and the roof surrounded by tick walls are supported by these columns. Binbirdirek in Turkish means “Thousand and one columns”, referring probably to its many columns. During the Ottoman period it was used as a silk threads production atelier and unfortunately as a dump during the Republic period. It was opened to the public in 2002 after a long restoration period. Besides being a museum, today there are small shops, a restaurant and a cafeteria in the middle, the cistern is also used for special meetings during incentives and for small scale music concerts.
Open daily between 09:00-18:30 Adliye Karsisi, Sultanahmet Tel: (212) 518 10 01
Clock Towers
Dolmabahçe Clock Tower
The Clock Tower was built right after Dolmabahçe Palace by Sultan Abdulhamid II between 1890-1895, at the entryway of the Palace. The architect was Sarkis Balyan again. The clock has a European style and is 27 meters (88 feet) high with four floors, and on two sides the Tugra (monogram) of the sultan can be noticed. The Paul Garnier Clock was installed by master clockmaker Johann Meyar and its mechanism was partially equipped with electronics in 1979.
Etfal Hospital Clock Tower
The Clock Tower was built by the Sultan Abdulhamid II in the 19th century in the grounds of Hamidiye Etfal Hospital (Etfal Hospital today in Sisli district). The architect was Mehmed Sükrü Bey. It was made of marble and local stones, has an height of 20 meters (65 feet), and the Tugra (monogram) of the Sultan Abdulhamid II can be seen in the front façade.
Yildiz Clock Tower
The clock Tower was built in 1890 by Sultan Abdulhamid II in the courtyard of the Yildiz Hamidiye Mosque. It has an octagonal shape with three floors. The first floor has four separate inscriptions, the second floor contains a thermometer and a barometer, the top floor is the clock room, and finally there is a compass rose on the roof. The clock was repaired in 1993.
Nusretiye Clock Tower
The Clock Tower was built in neo-classical style by Sultan Abdulmecid next to the Nusretiye Mosque, at Tophane neighborhood. The tower is 15 meters (49 feet) high and contains the Tugra (monogram) of the sultan on the entrance. Unfortunately today the Clock Tower is in bad conditions and the original clock and its mechanism couldn’t survive until our days.
17-year-old Andy is about to leave for college, and his toys have not been played with for years. He intends to take Woody with him, and puts Buzz Lightyear, Jessie and the other toys in a trash bag to be stored in the attic. Andy’s mother mistakenly takes the bag to the curb for garbage pickup. The toys escape and, believing Andy intended to throw them away, decide to climb into a donation box with Molly’s discarded toy, Barbie, bound for Sunnyside Daycare. Woody follows them, but is unable to convince them of the mistake.
Andy’s toys are welcomed by the other toys at Sunnyside, and are given a tour of the seemingly idyllic play-setting by Lots-O’-Huggin’ Bear (“Lotso”), Big Baby, and Ken. The toys choose to stay, except Woody, who attempts to return to Andy, but is instead found by Bonnie, one of the Sunnyside students. She takes Woody home and plays with him along with her other toys, which are well-treated. Meanwhile, at Sunnyside, a group of toddlers plays roughly with Andy’s toys. Buzz seeks out Lotso to request to have them moved to the older children’s room, but Lotso refuses. At the same time, Mrs. Potato Head, through an eye she inadvertently left in Andy’s room, sees Andy searching for the toys. However, before they can leave, Andy’s toys are imprisoned by Lotso’s gang, guarded by Buzz, whom Lotso switched to Demo Mode (which caused him to believe he is a real space ranger, therefore turning against the other toys). At Bonnie’s house, a toy clown named Chuckles explains to Woody that he, Lotso and Big Baby once had a beloved owner named Daisy. When the toys were accidentally left behind by Daisy’s family during a trip, they made their way back to her house, only to find that Lotso had been replaced.
Woody returns to Sunnyside and learns from a Chatter Telephone toy that there is only one way out of the daycare: the trash. Woody and Andy’s other toys execute their plan but accidentally reset Buzz to Spanish mode instead of his old persona. Buzz promptly allies himself with Woody and falls in love with Jessie. The toys reach a dumpster, but are cornered by Lotso and his gang. As a garbage truck approaches, Woody reveals what he learned about Lotso and tosses Daisy’s ownership tag, which Chuckles had kept, to Big Baby. Lotso destroys the tag and says that toys are meant to be discarded, but an enraged Big Baby throws Lotso into the dumpster. As the toys try to leave, Lotso pulls Woody into the dumpster just as the truck collects the trash. The rest of Andy’s toys fall into the back of the truck while trying to rescue him, and a falling television lands on Buzz, restoring his memory and normal personality. The truck deposits the toys at a landfill, where they find themselves on a conveyor belt leading to an incinerator. Woody and Buzz help Lotso reach an emergency stop button, only for Lotso to abandon them and escape. The toys resign themselves to their fate, but are soon rescued by the Aliens operating an industrial claw. Lotso is found by a garbage truck driver who straps him to his truck’s radiator grill and drives away. Woody and his friends board another garbage truck back to Andy’s house.
In Andy’s room, Woody climbs into the box with Andy’s college supplies, while the other toys ready themselves for the attic. Woody leaves a note for Andy, who, thinking the note is from his mother, takes the toys to Bonnie’s house and introduces her to them. Bonnie recognizes Woody, who, to Andy’s surprise, is at the bottom of the box. Though hesitant at first, Andy passes Woody on to Bonnie, and then plays with her before leaving. Woody and the other toys watch Andy’s departure as they begin their new lives with Bonnie. Meanwhile, Barbie, Ken and Big Baby have made vast improvements to Sunnyside, and maintain contact with Woody and his friends through letters.
Woody and pals must learn to cope with a sense of abandonment as Andy seems to turn his back on them. And that painful chord of loss resonates throughout the story. Woody, however, holds tightly to his faith in Andy and tells the toys, “Andy’s gonna take care of us. I guarantee it.”
But one thing’s for sure, regardless of Andy’s choices: The toys refuse to abandon each other. The whole community of friends voices its commitment to fight for one another and stick together—whether that means the attic or the junk heap. “What’s important is that we stay together,” Buzz says. And he, Woody and the rest always live by that credo. Late in the movie, when it looks as though they could end up in a place far worse than the city dump, the toys reach out to join hands and face their desperate situation in unity.
The toys also put themselves at risk to save others. For instance, Buzz tosses Jessie to safety at one point, knowing that he’ll receive a bruising blow from a falling TV. Elsewhere, Woody and Buzz strive to save a villainous character even though that toy pulled them into danger in the first place.
The movie also makes a subtle, but positive, statement about commitment. When our toy heroes first go to the day-care center, they’re told by Lots-o’ that “no owners means no heartbreak.” (Lots-o’ once had his stuffed teddy bear heart broken by a little girl who replaced him when he was left behind at a picnic.) But Woody reaps the rewards of standing committed to his teen owner. And in the end, even though situations do change, Andy shows himself to be a caring and devoted pal to his toy friends.
The subject of death is never dealt with in so many words, but as the toys wrestle with endings of various kinds, it’s almost impossible for viewers not to grapple with the reality of death and loss at some level.
Andy: Now Woody, he’s been my pal for as long as I can remember. He’s brave, like a cowboy should be. And kind, and smart. But the thing that makes Woody special, is he’ll never give up on you… ever. He’ll be there for you, no matter what.
Andy: And this, is Buzz Lightyear, the coolest toy ever! Look! He can fly, oh, and shoot lasers! [Andy pops open Buzz’s wings, and fires his laser] He’s sworn to protect the galaxy from the Evil Emperor Zurg!
Bonnie: [Bonnie takes Buzz from Andy, and presses one of the buttons on his spacesuit]
Buzz Lightyear: To Infinity, and Beyond!
Andy: Now, you gotta promise to take good care of these guys. They, mean, alot to me.
FOODBANK use is higher in areas where the Universal Credit has been introduced.
This report is based on a “quantitative comparison of foodbank use in areas of the Universal Credit rollout”, a survey of 74 members of the Truss& Trust network, and interviews with foodbank managers.
It says that, in areas where the Universal Credit has already been introduced, there has been a 16.85-per-cent average increase in referrals for emergency food. The national increase has been 6.64 per cent.
The report says that reducing the wait for a first payment typically six weeks — would “make a significant difference to people’s ability to cope with no income”.
Universal Credit was introduced in 2013 to make the benefits system “fairer and simpler”, the Government said. Half a million are now on it; all will be by 2022.
A Work and Pensions spokeswoman said that it was “impossible” to make a link between the Universal Credit and foodbank use. She said that the Trussell Trust survey was based on responses from foodbank managers rather than people who used foodbanks, and so made it “an anecdotal response” based solely on observations.
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