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< Back to “Sarah’s Turkish Travels” Introduction Sarah’s Turkish Travels Day 4By Sarah Yeomans, Travel Study Director and Managing Web Editor
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IstanbulToday was a big day, devoted to visiting the trifecta of Istanbul’s architectural wonders in the Old City: The Blue Mosque, the Hagia Sofia, and the Topkapı Palace, after which we would visit the world-class Istanbul Archaeological Museum. Today was also the day that I joined up with the group that I will be spending the next week with, exploring the sites of the Aegean Coast. So, no more sleeping late. I was in the lobby to meet my group at 8:30 am.
Our guide, Meltem Çiftçi, is a native Turkish woman who, as far as I could tell, spoke about 100 different languages fluently. She directed us onto a waiting coach, and this time I traveled to the Old City by bus instead of on foot, which meant that I didn’t get to pass through the beautiful and busy Grand Bazaar. On the other hand, I wasn’t going to get lost either.
Arriving in the Old City, we descended from the bus and were led by Meltem to a wide, grassy expanse, on either side of which rose two of the most distinct architectural landmarks in the city. The six delicate minarets of the Blue Mosque rose serenely toward the sky to the southeast, while the “grand dame” of Istanbul’s architecture, the Hagia Sophia, sat proudly to the northeast. We tiny, insignificant little humans stood in a huddle in the center, next to an obelisk that I knew must have once graced the center of a stadium or circus (the Romans were enormously fond of placing trophy monuments poached from conquered lands in their public spaces)
 Click to view a slide show of larger images and captions. Sure enough, Meltem told us that the space that we were currently standing in was all that remained of the Hippodrome: a gigantic, elliptical stadium where public spectacles would have taken place. Originally built by the Roman emperor Septimius Severus and later enlarged by Constantine, the stadium was thought to have held up to 100,000 people in its heyday. The obelisk marked the center of the Hippodrome; it bore witness to the violent battle reenactments, gladiator fights and other grisly spectacles that comprised public entertainment in antiquity. I imagined for a moment the tremendous roar of a bloodthirsty crowd, the clanking of weapons and the shouts of men. It was all decidedly incongruent with the beautifully landscaped gardens that grace the open space today.
 Click to view a slide show of larger images and captions. Meltem led us toward the Blue Mosque first, which is named for—you guessed it—the predominant color of its decoration. Commissioned at the beginning of the 17th century by Sultan Ahmet I and built by the imperial architect Mehmet Ağa, the interior was decorated almost entirely with the priceless blue İznik tiles. The mosque’s six minarets apparently caused quite a scandal back at the time. The mosque in Mecca also had six minarets, and Sultan Ahmet I’s plans were seen as a sacrilegious attempt to rival the mosque of Mecca itself. In what I imagine to be true “sultanic” fashion, Ahmet I opened up the imperial checkbook and paid for a seventh minaret to be built at the mosque in Mecca, so that his own architectural achievement could have the six minarets that he had envisioned.
The outside of the mosque is ethereally beautiful, and the inside is breathtaking. One of my favorite things about visiting mosques and churches, however, is that these are more than just architectural and art historical masterpieces—they are sacred spaces and active places of worship. The partition that divided the worshipers from the tourists was both discreet and effective, and I was grateful to the faithful that worshiped here for sharing their sacred building with visitors.
Upon exiting the mosque, we headed over toward what is perhaps the most famous
building in all of Turkey: the Hagia Sophia. Designed to be an earthly counterpart to the heavens themselves, I certainly felt like I was in a celestial setting upon entering the ancient building. The structure is a palimpsest of the city’s history: the existing building was first constructed as a church by the emperor Justinian I in the 6th century. Following the Ottoman conquest of Constantinople in 1453, the building was converted into a mosque, and its soaring architecture served as the template for many of the Ottoman-era mosques that would follow, including the Blue Mosque.
Due to its unique history, the building exhibits some of the finest art from both the Byzantine and Ottoman periods. The remaining Byzantine mosaics in particular are remarkable; fortunately, there are some magnificent survivors of the Church’s iconoclastic movement in the 8th century.
In the 1930s, Atatürk had the building designated a museum. Despite its current secular status, the Hagia Sophia still retains an air of the sanctity of two major world religions, and it draws millions of visitors every year.
After we emerged blinking into the sunlight, we followed Meltem on a short walk over to our third stop: the Topkapı Palace. By this time, I was already feeling a bit overwhelmed by glitter and magnificence, and more importantly, my stomach was growling. As the schedule was packed, there wasn’t time to go off wandering to explore the wonderful smells coming from the small restaurants that lined the surrounding streets. However, we were assured that there was a quite decent cafeteria inside the Topkapı Palace. Normally, I would try to steer clear of any dining establishment that caters to massive numbers of people. However, the palace kitchens evidently had a great deal of experience in large-scale catering: 3,000 to 4,000 people were served every day, including the palace occupants and the city’s poor.
This concept of charity in the Islamic culture is one that I find very appealing. Even today many of the major mosques have “soup kitchens” as part of their complex. Caring for the poor is one of the tenets of Muslim faith, and the citizens of Istanbul have been practicing this act of civic responsibility for centuries. The Ottoman empire was also a relatively tolerant one, particularly compared to Europe. During the Spanish Inquisition, the sultan evacuated Jews from Spain and brought them to live in safety inside Ottoman territory.
Today, the Topkapı Palace is one of the most popular museums in Istanbul. However, the lavish complex was once the primary residence of the Ottoman sultans for 400 years until the construction of the more modern, European-style Dolmabahçe palace. Between Meltem and my guidebook, I gained a glimpse of what life must have been like here in the palace, which was essentially the administrative center of the government as well as the royal residence. The hierarchal structure of palace occupants was rigid in the extreme, as well as enigmatic to this modern westerner. I chuckled at the idea that the sultan’s urn bearer was several levels higher in the palace pecking order than the palace physician. Whether this said great things about the qualities of the urn or really terrible things about the qualities of the physician, I couldn’t even begin to guess.
 Click to view a slide show of larger images and captions. The palace is laid out in series of pavilions contained by four enormous courtyards. This ancient, open-air style is purposely built to take advantage of the breezes coming off of the river—a crucial detail in this part of the world in an age before air-conditioning. Open pavilions featuring the distinct, blue İznik tiles were juxtaposed against elaborate wooden inlay and glittering gold leaf. In addition to a reliquary pavilion that showcased objects purported to be associated with King David, Moses and the Islamic prophet Mohammed, the palace boasts a treasury museum that is practically bursting with exquisite— and priceless—works of art. Luxury items such as dishware, cutlery, jewelry, clothing and even furniture were crafted from gold, silver, rock crystal and seemingly countless glittering gemstones. The famous “Spoonmaker’s Diamond,” the 86-carat star of the palace’s treasury, was easy to find in the collection simply by listening for the gasps of the other visitors.
One could easily spend a full day at the Topkapı palace, and by now I was ready to simply sit down in one of the open grassy spaces and process everything I had already seen. But the Istanbul Archaeological Museum was our next stop, and I was not going to miss it simply because of my flagging energy level. I had a few cups of that sweet black tea, which is traditionally served in tiny, tulip-shaped glasses. The magic sweet tea did the trick, and I was ready for the museum.
For anyone interested in the material history and culture of Istanbul, its archaeological museum is an accessible introduction to a city that is essentially a vast, open-air museum in and of itself. In terms of size, the Istanbul Archaeological Museum is surprisingly manageable. Having spent hundreds of hours in Rome’s vast Vatican museum complex and the Louvre in Paris, I was prepared to feel a bit panicked in this one, given that we didn’t have a full day. As it turns out, I feel that a few hours was enough time to get the scope of the collections. But oh, what collections they are!
 Click to view a slide show of larger images and captions. The artifacts in this museum represent both the artistic and architectural achievements of watershed civilizations such as Mesopotamia, Greece, Rome, Byzantium and the Ottoman empire. I was particularly impressed with the presentation of the finds from the necropolis of Sidon and its crown jewel: the Alexander sarcophagus. In my opinion, it is one of the most beautiful examples of its kind, and believe me, I have seen a lot of sarcophagi.
The Siloam Inscription is here, as is the famous Jerusalem Mosaic, a magnificent, floor-sized panel of Orpheus at his enchanting best. There is a remarkable pottery collection. In fact, the museum has so much pottery that it is quite literally up to the ceiling. Also impressive to this visitor was the material testament to the practice of ancient medicine, with a collection of medical instruments that look astonishingly like the instruments that surgeons use today.
The Mesopotamian collection contains some spectacular pieces of sculpture, as well as fragments of the legendary Ishtar Gate. One of my favorite pieces in the Mesopotamian collection was a statue of the august Shalmaneser III, a neo-Assyrian ruler whose inscription quite modestly proclaimed him to be “the mighty rival of the princes of the universe.” Now, I have only vaguely heard of Mr. Mighty Rival to the Princes of the Universe. Granted, what I know about Mesopotamian history could probably fit into one of those shot glass-sized, tulip-shaped teacups. Nevertheless, Shelley’s poem “Ozymandias” comes to mind.
 Click to view a slide show of larger images and captions. Wow. What a day! I’m exhausted. I am also awe-inspired, and madly in love with Istanbul.
If you travel to Istanbul—and I hope you do—I don’t recommend seeing all of these sites in one day if you can help it. My advice would be to spread them out over two days, so that you can really take the time to absorb and treasure the experience. However, if you do only have one day, then go for it: You are far better off seeing them all for shorter periods of time than not seeing them at all.
And if you do go, please give my regards to Shalmaneser III.
Turkey TourSarah- My wife and I had the awesome experience of traveling on our own in Turkey in 1986 and we've never been the same. We promised ourselves that one day we would return. We fell in love with the Turkish people and their heritage. May your group have a great trip -they'll be in good company. • • • • • • • MalcomFrom this report, one would deduce that Turkey is the richest country in the world....no sign of poverty anywhere. Thanks for adding a few words and pix of Biblical sites. • • • • • • • TurkiyeSarah, it was such a privilege meeting you on this unique trip. Zane and I had a wonderful time as it was a very educational trip Your writing of this trip came in very helpful as I will be bringing a program on our trip to our Senior Townsy Day this month. Thank you for putting me on this list. Love, Betty • • • • • • • blog on on Turkey travelI too would like to see some of the mundane itinerary details--addresses, websites, etc. Great writing, which I will use for planning my upcoming trip. • • • • • • • A New PerspectiveThank you Sarah, you have given me a new perspective on Turkey in general, but Istanbul in particular. It is really your closing comments on her transition from what was really a medieval world to a modern world in a painfully short time. I had never really considered the meaning that might have before. There armis many places in the world I don’t suppose, where you can go enjoy the modern conveniences while strolling through a medieval world and do it all is safety. There are of course the classics like Rome, Venice,and their well pedigreed ilk, but it seems to me the medieval now resides there in the architecture and emotional history alone. In Turkey I imagine it’s more palpable in the atmosphere. Thanks for the reports! • • • • • • • Turkish TravelsHaving read and re-read CS Lewis' Narnia Series, "The Lion Witch and The Wardrobe" features Turkish Delight as the temptation that almost cost one of the heroes his very soul. What IS Turkish Delight? Is it that good? • • • • • • • Turkish DelightDelightful article. The author's ability to mix vivid imagery with her historical insights -- and to spice it up with a bit of wit and humor -- makes for informative and enjoyable reading. I look forward to future installments! • • • • • • • Sarah YeomanOur "Contessa" is on the move again. Looking forward to the next installment. • • • • • • • Sarah's Turkish TravelsWonderfully written. Her excitment,energy,discovery,and honesty grabbed me and carried me into her experience. I felt like a best friend who could not go on the trip and she transended the bountries of time and space taking me with her. I look forward to "our" next adventure. • • • • • • • Reminisces of IstanbulI lived with my family in Kuwait for 12 years from 1970 to 1982. We had the opportunity to travel a great deal over those years and Istanbul was one of our favorite spots. One of our pleasures was to stand on the street and hail a taxi that was a "vintage" automobile of some sort, perhaps a 1940 Dodge or whatever. There were many auto parts shops to match the demand to keep these old cars running. The food, the people, and the sights were splendid. • • • • • • • Turkey visitI really loved reading Sarah's entry - all the more because my husband and I are leaving on Sat for a 3 week trip to Turkey and Greece. I will keep a close watch on Sarah's whereabouts -we may even catch up! • • • • • • • TurkeySarah - I loved Turkey more than I ever could have imagined. Have a wonderful time. I would go back in a heartbeat. Thank you for letting me travel along with you. Mary Anne • • • • • • • Sarah's Turkey trip.This is as close to a trip to Turkey that I'll ever make. I feel as if I'm right there in the middle of every descriptive word that Sarah uses to tell us her travel story. I look forward to every word she writes. Thank you Sarah. GiGi Orru • • • • • • • Turkey ExperienceWell written article. Felt like I was with the author. Was disappointed when I discovered there was no more to read! • • • • • • • Wonderful! I look forward to the journeyA delightful article. I have recently taken a casual interest in Turkey and istanbul in particular. I even ordered some Christmas gifts last year from some private shops I found on the web in and around istanbul. I can see how I will thoroughly enjoy this adventure and I don’t even have to leave home. Any chance of an itinerary, or list of possible sights you might be visiting? Not necessary, but nice to have. • • • • • • • |
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