Sultanahmet: Day One

Sultanahmet is the oldest part of Istanbul. It has been inhabited by one culture or another for the last 8,000 years. The history in this part of the world is so deep, so rich and so important that I cannot possibly do it justice here. Western and Middle Eastern civilizations have their roots here from the Greeks, Romans and Ottomans right up to the modern day. I barely scratched the historical surface of this place in one of my earlier postings, listing the former names of this great city and some general time lines, so all I will bore you with here and now is this admonition: Read about it. Grab a book, the smallest, easiest read you can find, and read about it. Look closely at the pictures. Even if you're not all that interested in the subject to begin with, read about it. If you do, and you're still not interested, then go back to whatever it is you ARE interested in. But, if you find yourself drawn in by the place, if you marvel at the fact that these ancient cultures were capable of art and science on such a grand scale, if you admire the many different architectures on display, if you can actually wrap your mind around the reality that a place like this does exist, then please, go there. Do whatever you have to do. Save your allowance, get the time off from whatever it is you have to do and just go there. It will knock you out.

Sultan Ahmed Mosque (The Blue Mosque)

The Sultan Ahmed Mosque was built in only seven years. It was completed in the year 1616. At a time when there were no cranes, no power tools and no means of transporting anything rapidly (by modern standards) the Ottomans were able to build a stone structure that has a footprint of roughly one acre, can hold 10,000 people and is topped by a dome that stands 142 feet off the ground. At a time when the height of technology was the pulley and the lever they were able to construct a masterpiece of immense size and intricacy, even delicate in some respects. The fine mosaic and highly detailed stone work is startling when contrasted with the sheer mass of the place.

We got there about an hour before the next call to prayer and, as it is still a place of worship, we had to get our fill in that time. The crowds were relatively small due to the cold, wet weather that just wouldn't go away. Out of respect, all female visitors have to cover their heads before entering and all visitors must take off their shoes. Slippers are provided. I don't believe a first time visitor such as myself could really be prepared for the experience.

Near the entrance

A small section of the mosque

One of the other entrances

The main dome and some of the blue tiles that give the mosque
its nickname

Looking towards what I believe to be the front of the mosque.
Have I mentioned yet how many beautiful women there
are in Turkey? 

Stained glass

The main dome

The Basilica Cistern

The original idea was to visit the Blue Mosque, then head over to the Hagia Sophia (more on that later) and then go see the mosaic museum (more on that later, too). A little tip for any of you who might undertake to plan a trip to see these wondrous things: The Hagia Sophia and the mosaic museum are closed on Monday. You guessed it. It was Monday. So, after discovering our little tactical error we decide to make do with a trip to the Basilica Cistern which was a very short distance away. It was not disappointing.

The Basilica Cistern

The Basilica Cistern

The Basilica Cistern was built by the Emperor Justinian in the 6th Cenury and is the largest of scores of ancient cisterns that lie beneath the city of Istanbul. The cistern provided a water filtration system for the Great Palace of Constantinople nearby and continued to provide water to Topkapi Palace after the Ottoman conquest in 1453 and into modern times. It's a little over 100,000 square feet and holds 2.8 million gallons of water. Weirdly enough, there are also large fish swimming around in the water. I don't know what they eat because there is no sunlight to stimulate the growth of algae, but they're there.

There is a walkway that winds through the cisterns and affords you the chance to get a feel for the size of the place. The ceiling is very high and it is a little spooky down there. It is also quite beautiful.

Medusa standing on her head

Medusa laying on her sid

There are two columns that differ from all others by virtue of the fact they have medusa heads at their base. They are located way back in the furthest corner from the entrance. Nobody knows where they came from or what the significance of the medusa heads is or why they're wrong side up. They're just there. Personally, I think a couple of the workmen just felt like having a goof. But who knows?

The Hippodrome

We left the cisterns and walked over to the Hippodrome, which means horse racing track. Horse races and chariot races were big business back in the Greek and Roman times and this was where it went on in what was first Byzantium and later Constantinople. In case you haven't noticed, all these places we're looking at today are in a relatively small area, probably no bigger than a half-mile square. It is a very easy place to spend a day or two without walking yourself to death but still being able to see many sights. As mentioned earlier, the Hagia Sophia and the mosaic museum are also in the immediate area.

The Obelisk of Theodosius

 At one end of the hippodrome is the Obelisk of Theodosius. It was brought from Egypt and erected in this very spot in the year 390 AD where it has stood ever since. I think they used it to mark one of the turns in the track as there is another obelisk at the other end of the hippodrome, like they had to race around them to complete a lap.

Carvings at the base of the obelisk

Detail

Random Goings On

Here are some photos of the rest of the day, in no particular order. We spent our time wandering semi-aimlessly around the neighborhood of Sultanahmet and then back towards our hotel. Check it out. 

Typical Byzantine construction. Stones alternating
with brick tiles. Old stuff.

Not sure who built this. Old structures like this are
everywhere you look. 

The entrance to the Grand Bazaar. For no good reason it's
the only picture I took here. I walked around inside
for an hour or so and didn't take one more picture.
Sorry.

A nice, modern mall. Gevahir shopping mall. 

They have McDonald's, Pizza Hut, KFC, etc.
Yuck!!

Last But Not Least. Meze.

Meze

In Turkey there is a style of eating that is similar to Spanish Tapas. It's called Meze (mez-zay). They bring a platter out with many small dishes on it, you pick a few out, eat them at your leisure and when you're ready, you order some more. All while drinking the national drink of Turkey; Raki (rock-uh). Raki has a very mild taste of anise and is clear like vodka, until you add water. Then it clouds up. It's not particularly strong and it pairs very nicely with the food. It's a great way to spend a long evening with friends and family. Eat, drink and be merry.

At this point there should be a short video of the musicians who came and played a couple of songs at our table. For some reason this blog won't upload the video. After four attempts I'm throwing in the towel. I will post it at a later date if I can ever figure out how to get it uploaded. 

That's it for Day 4. I was mistaken at the conclusion of my last post when I said this would be the Blue Mosque and Mosaic Museum post.  I should have said Blue Mosque and Basilica Cistern. Hagia Sophia and Mosaic Museum are next up on the hit parade. Stay tuned. And hey, don't be shy about leaving a comment. At least I'll know someone is reading. 

Until next time.....