ISTANBUL
By Nadia Ali
Istanbul, Turkey is one of Europe’s most exotic cities with it’s
Arabian Nights atmosphere, exotic drinks and tantalizing food to
tease your taste buds. Listed below are our picks for the best
Istanbul sites to see.
Blue Mosque Sultan Ahmet Camil
This mosque is one of Istanbul's most visited attractions. Built by
Sultan Ahmet in a classic Ottoman design it achieves a visual
experience that you can fully appreciate when approached from the
front through the domed gateway, which is the motif of the architect
Mehmet Aga. A series of domes meet you in the courtyard along
with the picturesque fountain know as the fountain of ablutions.
Topkapi Palace
Built in 1943, by Mehmet the Conqueror, the Topkapi Palace was a
basic four-courtyard plan that has been elaborated upon through its
change of ownership. Plan to spend most of a day to see all that
this Istanbul attraction has to offer. Don't miss the Imperial
Treasury, Imperial Council, Tower of Justice and the harem, for
which you have to buy separate entrance tickets to. It's well worth
the extra money to hire a guide to see the sights with.
Grand Bazaar / Kapali Carsi
This is a shopper’s paradise where visitors can find about 2,600
shops in a maze of covered and open street sections. The deeper
you go into the maze, the better bargain you'll qet. This enormous
area houses almost everything from precious gems to old coins,
carpets, cloth, spices, souvenirs, leather, fur and handcrafted
goods. Everything is up for negotiation, but make sure that once you
agree on a price that you buy it. Just walking though the arched
corridors into various sections has a cultural feel to it. Be aware
there are 22 gateways with police on patrol who do random bag
searches for security reasons.
Aya Sophia / Church of Holy Wisdom
This was once known as the Church of Divine Wisdom back in 537
when the Roman Emperor ruled the land. It was regarded as a
church up until the fourteenth century when Mehmet the Conqueror
took it over as a mosque. Today, its walls and roof have decorative
gold mosaic tiles. Pillars that originated from Rhodes support its
massive dome. Admission costs about $11. Closed on Mondays.
Museum of Turkish and Islamic Art
The Museum is actually housed in the former palace of Ibrahim
Pasa and is the grandest example of Ottoman civil architecture that
was completed in 1524. The museum displays over 40,000 objects
from Turkish calligraphy, ceramics, Ottoman woodcarvings and a
variety of textiles. There is an interesting cultural wing that reflects
historic Turkish houses. Be sure and visit the Turkish coffee house
and the gift shop where you can buy inexpensive Islamic
calligraphy.
Yarebatansaray (Basilica Cistern)
Beneath the city of Istanbul lies this ancient cistern that was used
as a water supply for Constantinople. It is an underground chamber
that spans two and a half acres, but what makes this even more
spectacular is the 25 feet high marble columns that are spread
throughout the area. Look for the one with Medusa’s head. Its claim
to fame was in the James Bond movie, “From Russia With Love.”
Atmeydani (Hippodrome)
Originally built by Roman Emperor, Septimius Severus in 203 A.D.
The hippodrome was used as a stadium where its predecessors
settled things by four-horse drawn chariot racing, wrestling and
boxing. There is a gazebo where you can view Kaiser Wilhelm's
Fountain, which was presented to the sultan in 1901. Look for the
three columns known as the Constantine Column, the Serpentine
Column and the Obelsik of Theodosius
Galata Tower
An original 5th century tower which was reconstructed in the 14th
century in appreciation of Michael VIII Palaeologus who allowed the
Genose to settle here. Today, there is a restaurant/ nightclub at the
top of the tower and several tea gardens and a public square
outside at the foot. The tower itself is 135m (450ft) high and offers a
beautiful view of Golden Horn, the Bosphorus, and the Marmara
Sea all for an elevator ride of about $5.00.
Çemberlitas Hamami
Located off Divanyolu at the Column of Constantine are these
Turkish baths where you can enjoy a relaxing soak with a massage
and a kese – a scrub with an abrasive mitt. You can choose to go to
male or female sections or mixed if you like. This is something you
can choose to partake in from early in the morning 6am up until
midnight for about $25.00. It is one of Istanbul's oldest Turkish
baths that was designed by Sinan for the wife of Sultan Selim in
1584.
Istiklal Caddesi
Located in the Beyoglu district is Istiklal Caddesi, which was once
the posh area where foreigners used to live in the late 19th century.
Today it is a mile-long road closed to traffic where you can dine at
the numerous restaurants, buy some reading material from the
bookshops, or visit the nightclubs, cinemas, and every other form of
entertainment imaginable.
I
By Nadia Ali
Istanbul, Turkey is one of Europe’s most exotic cities with it’s
Arabian Nights atmosphere, exotic drinks and tantalizing food to
tease your taste buds. Listed below are our picks for the best
Istanbul sites to see.
Blue Mosque Sultan Ahmet Camil
This mosque is one of Istanbul's most visited attractions. Built by
Sultan Ahmet in a classic Ottoman design it achieves a visual
experience that you can fully appreciate when approached from the
front through the domed gateway, which is the motif of the architect
Mehmet Aga. A series of domes meet you in the courtyard along
with the picturesque fountain know as the fountain of ablutions.
Topkapi Palace
Built in 1943, by Mehmet the Conqueror, the Topkapi Palace was a
basic four-courtyard plan that has been elaborated upon through its
change of ownership. Plan to spend most of a day to see all that
this Istanbul attraction has to offer. Don't miss the Imperial
Treasury, Imperial Council, Tower of Justice and the harem, for
which you have to buy separate entrance tickets to. It's well worth
the extra money to hire a guide to see the sights with.
Grand Bazaar / Kapali Carsi
This is a shopper’s paradise where visitors can find about 2,600
shops in a maze of covered and open street sections. The deeper
you go into the maze, the better bargain you'll qet. This enormous
area houses almost everything from precious gems to old coins,
carpets, cloth, spices, souvenirs, leather, fur and handcrafted
goods. Everything is up for negotiation, but make sure that once you
agree on a price that you buy it. Just walking though the arched
corridors into various sections has a cultural feel to it. Be aware
there are 22 gateways with police on patrol who do random bag
searches for security reasons.
Aya Sophia / Church of Holy Wisdom
This was once known as the Church of Divine Wisdom back in 537
when the Roman Emperor ruled the land. It was regarded as a
church up until the fourteenth century when Mehmet the Conqueror
took it over as a mosque. Today, its walls and roof have decorative
gold mosaic tiles. Pillars that originated from Rhodes support its
massive dome. Admission costs about $11. Closed on Mondays.
Museum of Turkish and Islamic Art
The Museum is actually housed in the former palace of Ibrahim
Pasa and is the grandest example of Ottoman civil architecture that
was completed in 1524. The museum displays over 40,000 objects
from Turkish calligraphy, ceramics, Ottoman woodcarvings and a
variety of textiles. There is an interesting cultural wing that reflects
historic Turkish houses. Be sure and visit the Turkish coffee house
and the gift shop where you can buy inexpensive Islamic
calligraphy.
Yarebatansaray (Basilica Cistern)
Beneath the city of Istanbul lies this ancient cistern that was used
as a water supply for Constantinople. It is an underground chamber
that spans two and a half acres, but what makes this even more
spectacular is the 25 feet high marble columns that are spread
throughout the area. Look for the one with Medusa’s head. Its claim
to fame was in the James Bond movie, “From Russia With Love.”
Atmeydani (Hippodrome)
Originally built by Roman Emperor, Septimius Severus in 203 A.D.
The hippodrome was used as a stadium where its predecessors
settled things by four-horse drawn chariot racing, wrestling and
boxing. There is a gazebo where you can view Kaiser Wilhelm's
Fountain, which was presented to the sultan in 1901. Look for the
three columns known as the Constantine Column, the Serpentine
Column and the Obelsik of Theodosius
Galata Tower
An original 5th century tower which was reconstructed in the 14th
century in appreciation of Michael VIII Palaeologus who allowed the
Genose to settle here. Today, there is a restaurant/ nightclub at the
top of the tower and several tea gardens and a public square
outside at the foot. The tower itself is 135m (450ft) high and offers a
beautiful view of Golden Horn, the Bosphorus, and the Marmara
Sea all for an elevator ride of about $5.00.
Çemberlitas Hamami
Located off Divanyolu at the Column of Constantine are these
Turkish baths where you can enjoy a relaxing soak with a massage
and a kese – a scrub with an abrasive mitt. You can choose to go to
male or female sections or mixed if you like. This is something you
can choose to partake in from early in the morning 6am up until
midnight for about $25.00. It is one of Istanbul's oldest Turkish
baths that was designed by Sinan for the wife of Sultan Selim in
1584.
Istiklal Caddesi
Located in the Beyoglu district is Istiklal Caddesi, which was once
the posh area where foreigners used to live in the late 19th century.
Today it is a mile-long road closed to traffic where you can dine at
the numerous restaurants, buy some reading material from the
bookshops, or visit the nightclubs, cinemas, and every other form of
entertainment imaginable.
I
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