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  • No risk of boredom in exotic, wonderful Istanbul

    No risk of boredom in exotic, wonderful Istanbul

    By Joanne Blain, Vancouver Sun September 14, 2012

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    The Blue Mosque in Istanbul, the only mosque in Istanbul with six minarets.

    Photograph by: Joanne Blain

    With one foot in Asia and the other in Europe, Istanbul offers visitors a kaleidoscope of cultural experiences.

    You can haggle for pricey Turkish carpets or cheap souvenir T-shirts in the Grand Bazaar, or sip a Starbucks latte while loudspeakers call the faithful to prayer at nearby mosques. One thing you can’t do is run out of places to see, things to buy and delicacies to taste — in this sprawling and eclectic city of 17 million, there’s no risk of boredom.

    For the first-time visitor, the ideal place to stay in Istanbul is in Sultanahmet, more commonly known as the old city centre. There, you’ll be within walking distance or a short cab ride of most of the city’s key tourist attractions, and you can easily spend a whole week treading its cobblestone streets.

    At the top of your list should be the Haghia Sofia (also called the Aya Sofya or the Museum of St. Sophia), right in the centre of the old town. Built in 360 A.D. as a cathedral, it has had a long and eventful history — when the Romans were conquered by the Ottoman Empire in 1453, it became a mosque and finally, in 1935, a museum.

    Its sheer size is impressive, but its true beauty lies in its wonderfully preserved mosaics with Christian imagery juxtaposed with the ornate Arabic calligraphy on its central dome and on the medallions lining its walls. It’s a stunning visual testament to Istanbul’s long and complex history.

    Just a few blocks away is the Sultan Ahmed Mosque, more commonly called the Blue Mosque. Even in the crowded city centre, it’s impossible to miss — it’s the only mosque in Istanbul with six minarets, which denote its significance (most mosques have a maximum of four).

    Unlike the Haghia Sofia, the Blue Mosque is still a place of worship, so you’ll be asked to remove your shoes at the door and women should cover their hair with a hat or scarf. One entrance to the mosque is reserved for those who come to pray.

    Inside, it’s not hard to see where the mosque got its ubiquitous nickname. Its ceiling of cascading domes is lined with more than 20,000 tiles in various shades of blue and gold. The mosque took 17 years to build in the early 1600s and it has lost none of its grandeur since then.

    You could spend days going from mosque to mosque — the much smaller Rustem Pasa mosque, for example, is noteworthy for its ornate floral and geometric tiles — but Istanbul has much more to see.

    The Topkapi Palace is a legacy of the Ottoman Turks, who built it as a showpiece and a home for sultans and their entourages when they took over the city that was then called Constantinople. Many of their treasures and spoils of war dating back to the 1400s are still on display there, including an arsenal of jewel-encrusted swords and the mind-blowing Spoonmaker’s Diamond, an 86-carat gem that earned its name from the fact that it was bought by a street merchant for three spoons after it was found in a rubbish dump. Small wonder it’s named for the buyer rather than the seller.

    You’re unlikely to get any deals that spectacular at the Grand Bazaar, but it’s still worth a visit, whether or not you’re an avid shopper.

    With more than 4,000 stores in a sprawling warren of arch-covered passageways dating back to the mid-1400s, it’s definitely a tourist draw, but you may also encounter groups of burka-clad women eyeing handmade tablecloths and groups of flag-waving local soccer fans just looking to make some noise.

    via No risk of boredom in exotic, wonderful Istanbul.

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  • Istanbul is Cheap(er)

    Istanbul is Cheap(er)

    Istanbul is Cheap(er)

    Turkish budget tips in this enchanting mix of East and West.

    By Mary Spierling, Sept. 10, 2012

    istanbul blue mosque t658

    A cosmopolitan blend of Europe and Asia, Istanbul is a more exotic, less-pricey alternative to Paris or London, especially during the off-season winter months of January, February and March.

    The city is compact and walkable, and you can snack as locals do on the trendy Istiklal Avenue in Beyoğlu, north of the landmark Galata Bridge. Most eateries serve Middle Eastern dishes for less than $10. Istanbul is a vegetarian’s delight, with endless variations of eggplant, spicy okra, spinach and garlic, lentil soup and yogurt.

    A great place to shop for bargains is the Grand Bazaar, one of Istanbul’s enduring landmarks.

    There are good budget hotels in the hip Beyoğlu and the old city for less than $80 a night with neat, clean rooms that include breakfast buffets and Wi-Fi. You’ll hear the call to prayer from nearby mosques while lying in bed.

    Entrance fees for sightseeing spots including the Hagia Sophia Museum, Blue Mosque (also called the Sultan Ahmed Mosque) and Topkapı Palace ranged from free to $11. The city’s European and Asian areas are divided by the Bosporous Strait at the the Sea of Marmara and the Golden Horn.

    Ferries are a cheap and easy way to get around. A six-hour excursion along the Bosporus Strait is just $14 round-trip. You can take another hour-long ride to Buyukada, the largest of a handful of islands in the Sea of Marmara called the Princes Islands. A day trip to Buyukada by high-speed ferry shouldn’t be missed; you’ll find gorgeous Ottoman mansions amid pine forests and Aya Yorgi, a Greek monastery to explore by horse and carriage.

    Definitely don’t miss the Istanbul Archaeology Museums and a boat cruise along the Bosphorus to the last village before the mouth of the Black Sea.

    And don’t forget to have a Turkish massage, which is done with water (rather than oil); it will leave you feeling refreshed and invigorated.

    via Istanbul is Cheap(er) | San Diego Reader.

  • Hagia Sophia: Standing the test of time

    Hagia Sophia: Standing the test of time

    Hagia Sophia: Standing the test of time

    Padma Ganapati

    Eurasia

    Turkey, which straddles Asia and Europe, has a rich and varied architecture. The Hagia Sophia (meaning Holy Wisdom), the most celebrated monument in the capital Istanbul, was first a Byzantine Church, then an Ottoman mosque and is now a museum. It bears testimony to Christian, Byzantine, Roman and Islamic influences.

    The Roman Emperor Constantinos built the Megale Eckklesia (meaning Great Church), the first church, in AD 360. It was designed as a basilica with a wooden roof. It was partly burnt during a rebellion.It was rebuilt by Emperor Theodosios in AD 415. This also was a basilica with a wooden roof.

    The most striking features of the second church were the massive hall and five naves. It was badly damaged by the Nika Rebellion in AD 532. The structure, in its present form, was built by the architects, Isidorous and Anthemios. In AD 537, Emperor Justinanus opened it for public worship.

    The Hagia Sophia is unique in that its architecture combines a central dome with the traditional basilica pattern. With its rich mosaics and 107 marble pillars of every hue, it is a masterpiece of Byzantine architecture. It was the centre of the Orthodox Patriarch of Constantinople (old Istanbul) for over nine centuries.

    The structure was vandalised by the Crusaders in 1204. In 1453, Mehmet II converted it into a mosque. The Ottomans added a mihrab (niche for prayers), a minbar (pulpit) and a minaret. The mosaic faces were plastered over as Islam prohibits imagery. The bronze lamps on either side of the mihrab were gifted by Suleiman the Magnificent. Over a period of time, different Sultans made additions to the Hagia Sophia.

    The Turkish architect, Mimar Sinan, had buttresses built to support the walls holding up the dome and protect the structure from earthquakes. Mehmet II built a madrasa (school) which was ruined. It was reconstructed by Sultan Abdulmecid. Mahmud I installed a fountain in the outer courtyard that served as a gathering place to knit the community together and sustain connectivity.

    Between 1847 and 1849, the Fosatti brothers built the Sulatan’s Loge to the left of the mihrab. They added the calligraphic roundels with the names of Allah, Muhammad, the first four caliphs Abu Bakr, Umar, Uthman, Ali and the two grandsons of Muhammad — Hasan and Husayn.

    The east end of the monument has the most interesting sights — the mosaic of the Virgin and the Child, and Archangel Gabriel. The upper floor galleries have the best mosaics. The South Gallery, which was used for church councils and imperial ceremonies, was transformed into a place for women to sit during worship. From here, there is a superb view of the nave and the Byzantine mosaics.

    The Marble Door opens into the South Gallery. Inside is the Deesis Mosaic — a royal Christ with Virgin Mary and John the Baptist on either side. The two golden mosaics — Christ with Emperor Constantine IX Monomachus and Empress Zoe, and the Virgin and Child with Emperor John II Comnenus and Empress Irene.

    The exit is through the Vestibule of the Warriors, where the monarch’s bodyguards waited while he prayed. Just above the exit is a breathtaking mosaic of the Virgin with Constantine (offering her a model of Constantinople) and Justinian (offering the model of the Hagia Sophia Church).

    Other interesting places are the Sultan Mahmud Library, the Baptistry, the Sultans’ Tombs, St Irene Museum, and the canon balls left behind by Mehmet II.

    via Hagia Sophia: Standing the test of time.

  • Irresistible Istanbul | Deccan Chronicle

    Irresistible Istanbul | Deccan Chronicle

    Our flight arrives just as the day is breaking and the city is shaking off the languor of sleep. As we thread our way to our hotel in Istanbul, it is evident, that Roman, Byzantine and Ottoman structures jostle for space with the modern skyscrapers that are redefining the city’s skyline.

    Our sightseeing route is a trifle unconventional this time as we begin with the city’s famous Grand Bazaar or Kapali Carsi, ‘covered market’, as it is called in the native language. One of the world’s largest and oldest covered markets, Carsi has around 60 streets comprising over 3000 shops selling an assortment of wares.

    We are actually mesmerised by its unique architecture with lofty domes and colonnaded mezzanine galleries that are air-conditioned. We buy a couple of souvenirs and saunter into one of the bazaar’s many restaurants to feast on rich slices of helva (halwa) in every possible colour and the ‘sinfully’ delicious baklava, dripping with creamy cheeses and honey.

    We begin our second day visiting Hagia Sophia first. The 6th century Byzantine basilica-turned-mosque-turned museum and fourth largest cathedral in the world, the Hagia has us spellbound with its high dome, mammoth interior with stunning mosaics of the Madonna and the Child.

    Still recovering from the sensory overload, we walk towards the Sultan Ahmet Mosque bang in front of the Hagia. More famously known as the Blue Mosque, for the magnificent blue iznik tiles that adorn its interiors, it stands supremely elegant with its six minarets.

    Day three brings us to the massive Topkapi Serayi, the palace complex and heart of the vast Ottoman Empire, claimed to be the world’s largest and oldest surviving palace. Topkapi commands an impressive view of the Golden Horn, the Sea of Marmara and the Bosphorus.

    The most spectacular segment of the palace is the architecturally magnificent Imperial Harem, only a portion of which is open to public viewing. Topkapi houses the most cherished treasure, the 86-carat tear-drop-shaped Spoonmaker’s Diamond and Nadir Shah’s gold throne which he gifted in the 18th century to Mahmud I.

    On the last day of our stay, we visit Dolmabahce Palace. Built on the waterfront right by the Bosphorus, French-looking in its Baroque and Rococo architectural style, Dolmabahce is one of the most glamorous palaces in the world built by the Sultans. French Baccarat and Czech Bohemian chandeliers bedeck the ornate interiors of the palace that boasts of 285 rooms, 43 halls and 6 Turkish bath. The reception room of the palace is richly decorated with good measure of gold, supposedly a whole ton of the metal!

    We wind up our trip with a cruise on the Strait of Bosphorus. We glide past Mahmud II’s imposing fortress, the Rumeli Hisari and several other structures. As we bid goodbye to the city, we know four days in Istanbul is not enough to absorb and assimilate its incredible assortment of sights, smells and sounds.

    GETTING THERE

    Istanbul is Turkey’s largest city and the only city in the world that straddles two continents, Asia and Europe, one part separated from the other by the majestic Bosphorus.

    Istanbul city has two international airports, which are well connected by regular flights from Europe, Middle East, and North America. Besides air, many places in Western Europe are also connected to Istanbul by regular bus and train services.

    The writer is a travel enthusiast

    via Irresistible Istanbul | Deccan Chronicle.

  • Making Ourselves at Home in Cihangir, Istanbul

    Making Ourselves at Home in Cihangir, Istanbul

    – September 8, 2012Posted in: Travel Lifestyle, Turkey

    “I don’t know where that is,” says the guy, poring over the address I’ve hand-copied. “Just walk.”

    “Walk?!” I say. I mean, I know we’re walking distance from Cihangir, but… “But I don’t know where it is. I’ll take a taxi.”

    “The taxi driver won’t know it, either,” he says.

    “Yeah,” I say, trying to envisage exactly how well Zac will react to walking randomly up and down the hills of Cihangir, pack on back, without a map. “I think I’ll try a taxi all the same.”

    Our mysterious address turns out to be a narrow, steep alley, lined with tall, narrow apartment houses, with a bevy of cats standing guard. I like it. I like it a lot.

    And, to my surprise, I like our flat too.

    “See, Mum?!” says Zac. “The entrance hall is bigger than our garret.”

    And I think he might be right…

    Wimdu have given us a credit to spend on one of their Istanbul apartments. I wasn’t optimistic about the flat, which was offered to us after several first choices weren’t available, but I’m genuinely chuffed with it.

    (When using Wimdu, incidentally, do as I say, not as I do. And I say: “Book at least a fortnight in advance.”)

    But…

    We have a kitchen! A washing machine! A dining table! And a desk in the bedroom!

    I’d been thinking about getting a 2-bedroom flat, but this one is big enough to allow us plenty of space from each other.

    We feel, in fact, pretty much instantly at home.

    And… Did I mention we have a kitchen?

    It’s an old Victorian building, with wrought iron banisters and a narrow marble staircase, and even a couple of books provided, which always makes me feel at home.

    Plus a local area map to help us meander the warren of narrow streets that make up Cihangir.

    I instantly feel much, much happier about our sojourn in Istanbul.

    “We need to go to a supermarket,” says Zac, who’s clearly in settling in mode. (One of our favourite things whenever we have a base somewhere is doing the mundane stuff of life, just in a new city: shopping for a pencil sharpener, for example, gave us an amazing insight into Hanoi.)

    “There’s a Carrefour here,” says the girl from the letting agency. “You need to turn by the mosque, and it’s right there…”

    “Excellent!” Zac’s a creature of habit, and he does like his Carrefour, a business which, for whatever hypocritical reasons, strike us, like Starbucks, as a more pleasing face of globalisation than, say, McDonald’s or Accessorize.

    “I wonder what an Istanbul Carrefour’s going to be like?” I say. “Nothing like a Chinese Jah-le-fo, I bet.”

    “Smaller, I’d have thought,” says Zac. “And, no pork.” (After sojourns in Lebanon and Israel, both of which have restaurants with plenty of pig on the menu, we’re not as quite as Vitamin P-deprived as you’d think from the time we’ve spent in the Middle East. But pork is looming large on our horizons.)

    “Oh,” I say. “I bet they have pork.”

    “WAIT!” he says. “Let’s make a list.”

    They do have pork! And everything on our list.

    In fact, but for the presence of pastirma and Turkish beef sausages, rather more yoghurt and yoghurt related products than we’re used to, and perhaps a few too many pulses, it’s a disappointingly unexotic Carrefour.

    So we meander around the local shops. We stock up on giant peaches, fresh plums, burstingly ripe tomatoes, garlic, onions, enormous radishes, a selection of green leaves – “WILL you not TASTE that?! You’re EMBARRASSING me!” “But how else am I going to find out what it is?!” – lemon sodas and Turkish red wine.

    We identify a promising baklava joint, and some cool looking local cafe-bars, drop off our shopping and then wander some more.

    I feel genuinely happy to be in Cihangir.

    We’re a handful of yards from the horrors of Istiklal, and clearly in tourist apartment central, but the district, much of it built by Europeans around a century ago, has a boho cutesiness that reminds me a lot of Plovdiv.

    There are art galleries in converted bath-houses. A Manhattan-styled pizza joint. The odd clothing boutique, and the odd retailer of tourist tat, plus a wealth of second-hand stores.

    Yet there’s also plenty of cheap büfes (local stores), old men hand-squeezing oranges for juice, authentic hammams and, y’know, not-really-for-tourists junk stores.

    Not to mention the cats, of course. Rather as kittens dominated Egypt for us, so cats, who secretly rule the city, dominate Istanbul.

    Like this fella, who clearly believes he runs his secondhand bookstore.

    “Yep,” says Zac, as we meander home. “I definitely like this flat.”

    “I really like this neighbourhood,” I say. “It’s still crumbly enough in places to feel kind of real.”

    We’re both much happier here than we would have been amid the stellar buildings and overpriced restaurants of Sultanahmet, across the water, or we were by the chaos of Taksim.

    Cihangir manages to combine a sense of authenticity and history with – let’s be honest – the easy stuff that tourists (for tourists we are) need.

    We can walk to Istanbul Modern from here, and we’re barely four tram stops from the big ticket sights across the water. It’s just so easy…

    “How much longer are we here for?” Zac asks.

    “Well,” I say. “We’re here for six days. But maybe we should extend?”

    http://www.escapeartistes.com/2012/09/08/making-ourselves-at-home-in-cihangir-istanbul/

    Cihangir Istanbul 13

  • Sirkeci main railway station in Istanbul

    By nuclearagent

    A hostess offers Turkish delight for Orient Express passengers at Sirkeci main railway station in Istanbul. The Venice Simplon-Orient Express train recreates the original Orient-Express route from Paris to Istanbul once a year with restored cars and luxury suites from the 1920s to accommodate tourists.
    A car attendant adjusts his hat as he stands in front of the Orient Express at Sirkeci main railway station in Istanbul.
    An Orient Express passenger, who identified herself as Kawana from Virginia of the U.S., is helped by a car attendant as she leaves the train at Sirkeci main railway station in Istanbul.

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