HISTORY OF ISTANBUL

Istanbul has a great history and culture, and rich cusines The lord of Istanbul travel planner fits your expectations





The Sultanahmet district is the heart of historic Old Istanbul, what 19th-century travelers used to call "Stamboul."

Saint Sophia Church


The Church of Saint Sophia. Saint Sophia Church is located just in front of the Blue Mosque in the Sultan Ahmet District of Istanbul.
The church was built around 360 by the Emperor Constantino and burned down twice. It was rebuild at 530 AD by the Emperor Justinian.

The layout and decoration is typical of a church of the Byzantine period. After the Turks took over Constantinople in 1453 AD., Saint Sophia was turned into a mosque and four minarets (the tall, thin towers), were added to it. Saint Sophia was restored several times because of damage caused by a series of earthquakes.
Today Saint Sophia is neither a church nor a mosque but a museum. When you are inside, you can sense the influence of both the Catholic and Islamic religions and cultures in its decorations and frescos.

Blue Mosque
Blue Mosque and Golden Horn 
During the Byzantine Era there was a hippodrome near the Blue Mosque with a capacity of 10,000 people. In 1606, Sultan Ahmet wanted to build a mosque bigger, more majestic and more beautiful than the Saint Sophia Church, and he did indeed build a mosque; you will be the one to judge which one is more impressive.
The Blue mosque is called "Sultan Ahmet Camii" in Turkish, which means the Mosque of Sultan Ahmet. The mosque was built in the classic Ottoman style and is located just in front of Saint Sophias' Church the Sultan Ahmet district of Istanbul. Mosques were generally built to be used as a public service for the citizens.
There are some buildings near the Blue mosque which include a theology school, a Turkish bath, a kitchen that used to serve soup for the poor, and shops. The shops would provide revenue for maintaining the mosque.
The Blue mosque, as the name implies, was decorated with blue tiles and also glass-work with the same color. There are no images or statues inside the mosque since Islam forbids praying to images of any kind.
Before entering the mosque you should take your shoes off. You should not wear miniskirts, shorts, or very low neckline dresss. The staff at the mosque will give you a wrap-round shawl cover yourself if they find your clothing is not appropriate for the mosque.
Hippodrome
The hippodrome was an immense construction 480 meters length and 117.5 meters wide; it could seat, according to estimations one hundred thousand spectators. It was build in 203 by the Emperor Septimus Severus and later on Constantine the Great extended and remodeled it.
As Haghia Sophia was the center of religious life, the hippodrome was the center of the civil activities. The interests and passions of the population was divided between theological controversy and chariots races on the hippodrome.
Today you can only see some monuments where the hippodrome was. If you are curios and want to see how was the old Constantinople city center click here ! The central line, or spina of the hippodrome was marked by obelisks and columns, three of which are still outstanding monuments at Sultan Ahmet square (see picture bellow: the red line is where the hippodrome was located, behind it you can see the Blue Mosque and Saint Sophia).
Hippodrome, the center of Constantinople
The first monument is the Egyptian obelisk (picture above). It was originally commissioned by the pharaoh Thutmose III (1549-1503 B.C.) who erected it at Deir el Bahri opposite Thebes in upper Egypt to commemorate one of his campaigns in Syria and his crossing of the Euphrates river. It was erected on its present site by Theodosius the Great in 390 A.C. and at the bottom of it there is a marble stone with some sculptured relieves regarding Theodosius.
The second monument is the Serpent column. The three bronze serpents were the base of a trophy that once stood at the temple of Apollo at Delphi. It was dedicated to Apollo as a token of gratitude by the 31 Greek cities which defeated in the Persian battle Plataea (479 B.C.). The column was probably brought from Delphi by Constantine the Great.
The third monument is a roughly build pillar of stone 32 meters high dated around the 4th century. It is know that the monument was formerly reverted with gilded bronze plaques. In 1204, during the latin invasion, these plaques were removed, melted down and minted.

Topkapi Palace
Topkapi Palace - Harem
Harem of Topkapi Palace
The Topkapi Palace was the official residence of the Sultans for three centuries. Topkapi means round (top) door (kapi). After the conquest of Constantinople in 1453, Mehmet II - the conqueror, built this gorgeous palace.
Today the palace complex is a large museum with many exhibition rooms. You can see gold objects (thrones, tea cups, knives, forks and spoons, cradles, jewelry, kilos and more kilos of gold work) with precious stones as decoration, silver, ceramic, miniatures, cloths and object which are sacred to Islam (among them you can see the beard and foot print of Mohammed the Prophet).
Diamand of 84 Karat in Exhibition at topkapi Palace
Diamond at Topkapi Palace
Throne of the Sultan in solid gold
Golden Throne at Topkapi Palace 
The Harem at Topkapi Palace is full of mystery and stories. It is open to the public so you can see how the Sultan's wife, concubines and mother lived. The Sultans' wives and concubines were for surely very beautiful women who would murder and intrigue for power, but we should also remember that the Harem was a place which was governed by much tradition, obedience and ceremonial.
The Topkapi Palace was the official residence of the Sultans until the end of the 19th century. Mahmut II was the last Sultan to live at this palace. The last of the Sultans preferred to live by the Bosphorus in palaces with more European Styles, so they built the Dolmabahce, Ciragan and Beylerbeyi Palaces, which we will visit next.

Underground Cistern

Underground Cistern
The Underground Cistern is located near the Saint Sophia Church in the Sultan Ahmet district. The Turks call it "Yerenbatan Sarayi" which means "underground palace".

The cistern was built by Justinian in the 6th century. It is 70 meters wide and 140 meters long, with a capacity of 80,000 cu.m. of water.
The cistern is supported by 336 beautiful beautiful columns two of which are carved with the head of Medusa on the plinth.

The cistern has been renovated and is open to the public every day of the week.
While inside, you can enjoy classical background music, the differently illumuinated coloumns and watch fishes swimming in the water.
And at the end of the tour you can also throw a coin and make a wish ...
Underground Cistern
Fishes at the Underground Cistern




For more inquiries or information please send us an e-mail and would be glad to answer you as soon as possible
Looking forward to hearing from you
Oguzhan APAK
The Lord of Istanbul Travel Planner
thelordofistanbultravelplanner@gmail.com
Mobile:0090 533 641 32 42
Tel:0090 212 638 63 43
Yeni Akbıyık Cad No:30 Sultanahmet/Istanbul
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 THE HISTORY of ISTANBUL
First inhabitants of Istanbul are dating back to second millennia BC, they were settled on the Asian side of the city. Its first name comes from Megara king Byzas who took his colonists here in the 7th century BC to establish a colony named Byzantium, the Greek name for a city on the Bosphorus. Byzas chose this spot after consulting an oracle of Delphi who told him to settle across from the "land of the blind". Indeed, Byzas believed that earlier settlers must have been "blind" for overlooking this superb location at the entrance of the Bosphorus strait, only access to the Black Sea.
In the 6th century BC Persians ruled the city and than Alexander the Great took it over after 4th century BC, which was a peaceful period until the 2nd century BC.
In 193 AD Roman emperor Septimus Severus conquered the city and it remained under the Roman rule until 4th century AD, when emperor Constantine the Great made Byzantium the capital of entire Roman Empire and gave it his name: Constantinople, and Eastern Roman Empire was called Byzantine Empire after 5th century. The city was built on seven hills, like Rome.
Early Byzantine emperors filled their city with the treasures of the ancient world, especially between 4th and 6th centuries with a population exceeded half a million. In 532 during the reign ofJustinian I, riots destroyed the city. But it was rebuilt and outstanding structures such as Hagia Sophia stand as monuments to the golden age of Byzantines.
Istanbul's latter history is full intrigues and sieges, it was besieged by the Arabs in the 7th and 8th centuries and by the Barbarians in the 9th and 10th, but ruled by the Fourth Crusade between 1204-1261 who destroyed and sacked all the wealth. After this, Constantinople did not regain its former richness nor strength.
Ottoman Turks lead by Sultan Mehmet II conquered Constantinople in 1453. Renamed Islambol, the city became the capital of the Ottoman Empire. Between 15th and 16th centuries, sultans built manymosques and public buildings, topping the population again around half million by the mid 1500's, Istanbul was a major cultural, political, and commercial center. The name "Istanbul" was derived from a combination of "Islambol" ("city of Islam" in Turkish) and "eis tin Polin" ("to the City" in Greek) throughout the centuries.
Ottoman rule lasted until World War I when Istanbul was occupied by the allied troops. After years of struggle led by Ataturk against the occupying forces, the Republic of Turkey was born in 1923 and the capital was moved to Ankara province. But Istanbul has continued to expand dramatically; today its population is over 13 million and still increases constantly. It continues to be the commercial and cultural center of Turkey.
Hope to see you soon in Istanbul.





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The Location of Istanbul

Istanbul is a city where two continents (Asia and Europe) meet.  Istanbul is a city of unparalleled ancient and cultural richness that is as fascinating and historical as it is dynamic and modern. Serving as the capital of three mighty empires and set squarely between two continents, Istanbul has cultures and traditions that blend east with west and Mediterranean with Anatolian. 


Istanbul has more than 200 shopping malls, 5 imperial palaces, dozens of summer palaces and mensions, 45 universities, 4 historic bazaars, 70 public and private museums
In past, Istanbul  was also former capital city of the Roman Empire, Byzantium and Ottoman Empire. Istanbul consists of 39 districts which are the mostly connected to each other.  14 of them is located in Anatolian(Asian) side and 25 of them in Europe side of Istanbul. In European side there are more touristic places such as Sultanahmet(Blue Mosque), Eminonu, Besiktas, Taksim and Beyoglu. On the other hand, Kadikoy and Uskudar are the most known districts of Anatolian side.


HURREM SULTAN&ROXELANA

Hurrem Sultana was born in 1506. She was the wife of Sultan Suleyman the Magnificent and she played an important role in the Ottoman history as being the favourite wife of the Sultan. Hurrem Sultana was Russian originated and her real name was Roxelanne. As a child, she was presented to the Ottoman palace by the Khan of The Crimea because of her beauty. She had a special education in the palace. She attracted the interest of Sultan Suleyman, by using her femininity, intelligence and talents. She became very influential for the women of Harem and for the other people of the palace. She won the love and reliance of Sultan Suleyman in a short time and became the legal wife of him. She acted very well planned and her intrigues very negatively effected the Ottoman Empire in the 16th century. Prince Mustafa was the eldest son of Sultan Suleyman, born from Gulbahar Hatun. Hurrem Sultan had ordered firstly to strangle her most dangerous rival Gulbahar Hatun and next 40 years old prince Mustafa. Hurrem Sultan became very influential in the governmental administrations and she supported the war with Persia and she restored the peace with Russia and Poland. She died before seeing, one of her sons on the throne. She was 52 years old when she died.




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 Galata Tower
Although it is not completely certain as to when the Galata Tower was built, it is claimed that the it was built during the reign of the Byzantian Emperor, Iustinianos in 507 CE.

It was called the Christea Turris (Tower of Christ) by the Genoese and the Megalos Pyrgos (The Great Tower) by the Byzantines. It took its present shape during the Genoese period. The Tower was heavily damaged during an earthquake in 1509, and it was renewed by the architect, Hayrettin, who was very famous during that period. During the reign of Süleiman the Magnificent (1520-66), it was used as a jail for prisoners who were sentenced to work at the Kasımpaşa Naval Dockyard. The head astrologer, Takıyeddin Efendi, established an observatory on the top of the tower at the end of the 16th century and functioned as an observatory for a particular period of time. Later, it was closed and again turned into a prison by Sultan Murat III (1546-1595).
In 1638, Hezarfen Ahmet Çelebi flew as an early aviator using artificial wings from this tower across the Bosphorus to the slopes of Üsküdar on the Anatolian side during the reign of Murad V. Towards the 17th century, it was used  by the Mehter Band, the janissary band of musicians. After 1717, it was used as a fire-observatory tower, butthe tower itself was unfortunately destroyed in a fire in 1794.
After it was repaired, a cumba, a little room made of wood, was added to the tower during the reign of Sultan Selim III (1761-1808). After another fire in 1831, Sultan Mahmut added two more floors to the Tower and covered the top of the tower with a famous cloth in the shape of a conical hat.  An inscription written by Pertev Paşa concerning the tower’s repair works was affixedduring that time. After a strong storm in 1875,  the framework of the roofwas damaged and was late repaired in 1960. Today, the Galata Tower operates solely as a touristic attraction by a private company. The elevator only goes to the 7th floor, and the last two floors of the tower must be climbed by stairs.
After passing though the restaurant on the top floor, there is a balcony that encircles the tower. The restaurant’s view showcases a scene of Istanbul and the Bosphorus.
Dimensions
The height of the tower is 66.90 meters (62.59 meters non-including the ornament on top), the outer diameter is 16.45 meters, the inner diameter is 8.95 meters, and the thickness of the wall is 3.75 meters.
Translated by Mr. Irfan KOKSAL 

http://www.ibb.gov.tr/sites/ks/en-us/1-places-to-go/towers/pages/galata-tower.aspx

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_acQwnfIsfk

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THE GRAND BAZAAR


















The Grand Bazaar (Kapalıçarşı) in Istanbul is one of the largest covered markets in the world with 60 streets and 5,000 shops, and attracts between 250,000 and 400,000 visitors daily. It is well known for its jewellery, hand-painted ceramics, carpets, embroideries, spices and antique shops. Many of the stalls in the bazaar are grouped by type of goods, with special areas for leather, gold jewellery and the like. The bazaar has been an important trad
ing centre since 1461 and its labyrinthine vaults feature two bedestens (domed buildings), the first of which was constructed between 1455 and 1461 by the order of Sultan Mehmed the Conqueror. The bazaar was vastly enlarged in the 16th century, during the reign of Sultan Suleiman the Magnificent, and in 1894 underwent a major restoration following an earthquake.

The complex houses two mosques, four fountains, two hamams, and several cafés and restaurants. In the centre is the high domed hall of the Cevahir Bedesten, where the most valuable items and antiques were to be found in the past, and still are today, including furniture, copperware, amber prayer beads, inlaid weapons, icons, moth
er-of-pearl mirrors, water pipes, watches and clocks, candlesticks, old coins, and silver and gold jewellery set with coral and turquoise. A leisurely afternoon spent exploring the bazaar, sitting in one of the cafés and watching the crowds pass by, and bargaining for purchases is one of the best ways to recapture the romantic atmosphere of old Istanbul.

Gates:
The Grand Bazaar has four main gates situated at the ends of its two major streets which intersect near the southwestern corner of the bazaar.

Opening Times:
Monday to Saturday  9:00 - 19:00. Closed Sundays and bank holidays.

Getting there:
Take a tram to Beyazit, Üniversite or Sirkeci.




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