Antalya city tour
City Tour to Antalya on the Mediterranean Sea, an area known as the Turquoise Coast. The highlights on this tour include a visit to Hadrianus Gate, Clock Tower, Republican Square and finally Antalya Archaeological Museum.
The tour includes Hadrianus Gate from the time of Roman Emperor Hadrian, Clock Tower, Palm Street, Old Town with Marina, Republican Square and finally Antalya Archaeological Museum where Antalya's several thousand years of history is laid out before you in chronological order.
The tour concludes with shopping facilities where you can purchase local goods and services.
On your first or second day in Antalya, Cruise the city's palm-lined boulevards stopping at
Hadrian's Gate, the Clock Tower at Kalekapisi, Republic Square with its dramatic statue and excellent views of the Mediterranean coast and the distant Olimpos Mountains. Descending from the square, you explore the narrow, winding streets of historic Old Antalya (Kaleiçi), filled with graceful Ottoman-era houses and gardens. Last stop is the fine Antalya Museum, which is somewhat out of the city center and easiest to visit on a tour.
Perge, Aspendos & Side Excursion (9 hours)
Head eastward along the coast to Perge, with its fine theater, stadium, mammoth towered gate and colonnaded marble street, then continue to Aspendos which has the best-preserved classical theater on the Mediterranean.
Head eastward along the coast to Perge, with its fine theater, stadium, mammoth towered gate and colonnaded marble street, then continue to Aspendos which has the best-preserved classical theater on the Mediterranean.
Enjoy a picnic lunch by the famous waterfalls in Manavgat, then explore Side and its beaches as you like. This tour is an efficient, comfortable way to visit and enjoy the major sights east of Antalya.
Termessos Excursion (5 hours)
The high in the mountains north of Antalya, Termessos is among the most striking and dramatic ancient cities in the region. Because of its location it's a bit difficult to get to, which is why a private tour makes sense. This one includes a stop at the Düden Waterfalls as well.
The high in the mountains north of Antalya, Termessos is among the most striking and dramatic ancient cities in the region. Because of its location it's a bit difficult to get to, which is why a private tour makes sense. This one includes a stop at the Düden Waterfalls as well.
Demre, Myra & Kekova Tour (12-1/2 hours)
Pack your bathing-suit and journey south and west along the Mediterranean shore to Demre(Myra), where you embark for a cruise to Kekova Island, site of the ancient city of Simena. Some of its Byzantine-era ruins are on the island, others are submerged—Atlantis-like—beneath the clear Mediterranean waters. Swim and snorkel in the sky-blue water, gazing down at the "sunken city" now populated by crabs and fish.
Pack your bathing-suit and journey south and west along the Mediterranean shore to Demre(Myra), where you embark for a cruise to Kekova Island, site of the ancient city of Simena. Some of its Byzantine-era ruins are on the island, others are submerged—Atlantis-like—beneath the clear Mediterranean waters. Swim and snorkel in the sky-blue water, gazing down at the "sunken city" now populated by crabs and fish.
Back on land, you'll see Myra's ancient rock-hewn cliff tombs, Roman theater, and fertile river delta covered with orchards and greenhouses. Myra is famous as the seat of a 4th-century Byzantine bishop named Nicholas who, sainted for his charitable works, was changed by myth and legend into Santa Claus/Father Christmas. You'll visit the church dedicated to him and see where he was buried.
Pamukkale & Aphrodisias Overnight Excursion (2 days)
Pack your bathing suit in your overnight bag and drive up through the mountains and onto the Anatolian plateau to Pamukkale, the "Cotton Castle." Bathe in its naturally warm, calcium-laden mineral waters and admire the billows of gleaming white stone cascading down the steep mountainside. There's time to explore the extensive ruins of the Roman spa city of Hierapolis, right there on the Pamukkale pleateau, if you like.
Pack your bathing suit in your overnight bag and drive up through the mountains and onto the Anatolian plateau to Pamukkale, the "Cotton Castle." Bathe in its naturally warm, calcium-laden mineral waters and admire the billows of gleaming white stone cascading down the steep mountainside. There's time to explore the extensive ruins of the Roman spa city of Hierapolis, right there on the Pamukkale pleateau, if you like.
You'll also visit the well-preserved ruins of Aphrodisias, the City of the Goddess of Love, with a near-perfect Great Theater and Odeon of white marble, and a stadium almost ready for the chariots to run again, before returning to Antalya.
Antalya is the largest city and Holiday resort on the Turkish Mediterranean coast.
The snow-capped peaks of the Taurus mountain chain crown this charming bay,where the turquoise sea reflects the lush vegetation consisting of palm-trees,oleanders and lemon –trees.
İt is the center of the coastal strip famous for its tourism;with its modern hotel facilities,sport ground,tourist harbor and numerous camping grounds, boasts evergrowing numbers of tourists,who are attracted by its historic and artistic heritage and civilization,together with its spectacular scenery.Antalya ,is one of the few cities existing today whose ground was inhabited in remote times.Teeth,arrow-heads,and various utensils have been discovered which date back as far as 50,000 years.
The entire region has been occupied by indigeneous peoples since 1200B.C . until it was colonized by the Greeks who intermarried with the locals.
Antalya was founded in 159 B.C. by King Attalus of Pergamon who gave it its name:Attaleia.However,the Crusader called it Satalia.The city only took on its present name under the dominion of the sultan Alaeddin Keykubat,who made it his winter residence.İn 130 A.D .,the emperor Hadrian ,a great traveller,honoured the city built the city’s most outstanding monument :Hadrian’s gate.Most imposing in its grandeur,the gate opens with three supporting arches and columns crowned by Corinthian capitals.It must have originally been built in two stories and have been surrounded by statues of the emperor and his family.The arch provides Access to the town:or should we say the’’town’’ because Antalya consists of the old town with its old wooden adrases (typical Seleucidan structures) and picturesque corners where time stands stil and the pulsating ,more modern town with its palmshaded boulvards,exptic gardens overhanging the sea and charming little ports where a fishing-boat is moored alongside a tourist yacht.Overlooking these two towns,we shall notice that they are dominated by an unusual minaret,whose turquoise majolica exterior has disappeared showing its brick lining.Yivli Minare,or grooved minaret,37 meters high,was built at the beginning of the 13th century.The original mosque no longer exists.You will notice another strange sight:the ‘’broken minaret’’ of Kesik Minare Camii.İn fact,the tapered minaret of the mosque was struck by lightining.The latter was originally a Byzantine basillica with three naves dedicated to Our Lady.The finds from all over Antalya are exhibited in the Archaeological Museum .Sarcophagi and statues,votive figures and architectural friezes,ceramics and mosaics are lined up in the garden and halls.İt is worth mentioning a mosaic from Xanthus depicting the goddess Tethys holding her son Archilles by the heel;she is dipping him into the Styx river to ensure his invulnerability.How can one not recall Homer and Iliad and the names of all Greek heroes in this land of conquest?
Old town(Kaleici)
The aincient city of Antalya Kaleici is the historic section situated at the center of the sprawling modern city of Antalya. This is old restored Ottoman houses. At present, this is a protected district having strict rules and regulations and constructed new buildings. But, there are also preservation of historic buildings in the area. Kaleici has many entrances too and a must see which is worth seeing.Features of interest in the narrow bazaar-filled streets of the Old Town of Antalya are a fortified gate with a clock-tower in the busy main square, the nearby Tekeli Mehmet Pasa Mosque, the Seljuk Karatay Mosque (the Kesik Minare ,Truncated Minaret) beside the ruins of an abandoned mosque which was once a Byzantine church.
Hadrian’s gate
The Hadrian’s Gate (Hadrianus Gate or The Three Gates) is a triumphal arch which was built in the name of the Roman emperor Hadrian, who visited Antalya in 130 A.D. It has three arched gates. According to the legend, Sultan Belkis, the Queen of Sheba, is said to have passed under those gates and enjoyed a happy day in the palace in Aspendos on her way to visit King Solomon. Formerly the city walls enclosed the outside of the gate and it was not used for many years.
The Harbour
The harbour (Eski Liman) has got an old history; it dates back to Roman times. The harbour lies below Kaleici with citadel walls along the slopes. Around the harbour lie cafes, restaurants and shops for tourists.
In the harbour are tour boats lying on line. If you walk around here in the evening you will for sure be asked to go on a day tour the day after or on an evening trip that same moment.
In the harbour are tour boats lying on line. If you walk around here in the evening you will for sure be asked to go on a day tour the day after or on an evening trip that same moment.
Termessos
Termessos is located on a natural plateu flanked by two mountains at 1050 meters above sea level ;it is one of the best preserved archaeological sites in Turkey and the only town that Alexander the Great never managed to conquer .Certain inscriptions lead us to believe that its townsmen were emigrants from Lycia,who thought this was an ideal place to build a town.Walled only on two sides, best defence lies in the mountain and the step valley below.İts natural impregnability is enhanced by its exceptional water supply,which is quite unique if you think of the place and conditions under which it was built:a series of five tanks (7m deep and at the most 11 m wide) were fed by aduct cut into the rock.İn 334 B.C.,Alexander decided that it was too risky tackle the town and passed on .
During the 2nd and 3rd centuries B.C.,İt was at the peak of its glory and boasted as many as 150,000 inhabitants:most of its buildings also date back to this period.Later on ,it was severely damaged by an earthquake and gradually became less populated until it was completely deserted in the 7th century A.D
Of all the ruins,themost impressive by far is the theatre;hewn out of the rock ,it offers a view as far as Antalya.Built during the Hellenistic era,it offers a view as far as Antalya.Built during the Hellenistic era,with its frons scenae opened by five doors,it featured twenty seven of steps and could seat up to 4,000 spectators.
An outstanding feature of İt remains the large number of tombs,all around the slopes to the east ,west and South.Some are hewn out of the rocks while other are in the form of sarcophagi mounted on high pedestals.The latter ,scattered amoung the bushes in the valley ,date back to the 2nd and 3rd centuries B.C.
Perge
Joined to the sea in ancient times by the Kestros River –navigable at the time-Perge is one of the most important and spectacular coastal towns;it is also famous from the religious point of view because it was here that St.Paul delivered his first sermon,and from the historic standpoint because it is the birth-place of the mathematician Apollonius,author of a famous treatise on geometry.
The name Perge comes from an Anatolian dialect;nonethelles,in ancient times the townsmen believed that it had been founded by Greek heroes after the siege of Troy.
The first settlement dates back to 1000 B.C.and was probably located on the acropolis.Subsequently,it extended to the underlying plain.
Perge was a free and independent town until the arrival of Alexander the Great in 334 B.C.;it was already walled at the time.İt prospered during the Hellenistic and Roman eras;during the 2nd century B.C.,it minted coins featuring the statue of the Artemis of Perge ,the major cult of the city .Having flourished during thefirst three centuries of imperial Rome,it went into a decline during the Byzantine era.Access is gained to the lower part of the town through three Gates,of which the southern one,which dates back to the Hellenistic era,is the most majestic.Flanked by two round towers,its oval courtyard inside was transformed into a sort of court of honor in 120 A.D.;its walls were covered with precious marble slabs and its niches housed statues of the gods,the emperor’s family,the mythical founders of Perge and celebrities of the Roman world.This remarkable renovation was made possible through the generousity of Plancia the Great,the only woman in Perge who held in the direction of the Acropolis.Perge was cut into quadrants by two colonnaded streets which intersected at right angles and which both date back to the 2nd century A.D. Halfway down each street ,which was 20 meters wide,there was a water channel.
Aspendos
The present-day Belkiz was once situated on the banks of the River Eurymedon ,now known as the Köprü Çay.İn ainciant times it was navigable;in fact,according to Strabo,the Persians anchored their ships there in 468 B.C.,before the epic battle against the Delian Confederation.
İt is commonly believed that it was founded by colonists from Agros.One thing is certain:right from the beginning of the 5th century,Aspendos and Side were the only two towns to mint coins.An important river trading port,it was occupied by Alexander the Great in 333B.C.because it refused to pay tribute to the Macedonian king.İt became an ally of Rome after the Battle of Sipylum in 190 B.C. and entered the Roman Empire.
The town is built against two hills:on the ‘’great hill’’ or Buyuk Tepe stood the acropolis,with the agora ,basillica,nymphaeum and bouleuterion or ’’council chamber’’.Of all these buildings,which were the very hub of the town,only ruins remain.About one kilometer North of the town ,only ruins remain.About one kilometer North of the town,only ruins remain.About one kilometer North of the town,one can stil see the remains of the Roman aqueduct that supplied it with water,transporting it from a distance of over twenty kilometers,and which stil maintains its original height.
Aspendos’ theatre is the best preserved Roman theatre anywhere in Turkey .İt was designed during the 2nd century A.D. by the architect Zeno ,son of Theodore and originally from Aspendos.İts two benefactors-dedicated it to the İmperial family as can be seen from certain engravings on the Stones.Discovered in 1871 by Count Landskonski during one of his trips to the region,the theatre is in excellent condition thanks to the top quality of the calcareous Stone and to the fact that the Seljuks turned it into a palace ,reinforcing the entire North wing with bricks.İts thirty-nine tiers of steps-96meters long-could seat about twenty thousand spectators.At the top,the elegant gallery and covered arcade sheltered spectators.One is immediately struck by the integrity and architectural distinction of the stage building,consisting of a frons scaenae which opens with five doors onto the proscenium and scanned by two orders of Windows which also Project onto the outside wall.
Kash
Coming from inland,we are dazzled by the magnificent view from above the bay of Kash,one of the most famous tourist resort along the southern coast of Turkey.But it is also famous from the historic point of view because Kash was originally the aincient town of Antiphellus ,harbour of the town of Phellus which stood in front of it.
Founded during the 6th century B.C.,it soon became an important trading port and-according to Pliny-it was used for exporting wood from the gren forest that covered Lycia.On the top of the hill,offering a theatre,built during the 1st century A.D. it is very small and has 26 rows of seats divided into three sectors,with the cavea much larger than the usual semircircle.İts proportions,excellent condition and panoramic position have made it one of the most outstanding monuments along this strech of the coast.
Kekova
The long,narrow island of Kekova and archaelogical sites that surround it are one of the most characteristic settings along this part of the coast.
Separated from the mainland by an arm of sea,since ancient times it has been saf efor anchoring :once upon a time for pirate or Roman ships,Simena and Teimiussa have been turned into ruins,partly submerged by the water;therefore one can swim in the cyristal clear water brushing against remains of walls or a Lycian sarcophagus which seems to emerge from the waves as if by magic.Very few other places have managed to blend in so well the charm and fscination of antiquity with the pleasure of life that passes serenely and timelessly in these little fishing villages.
Demre
The present-day town of Demre-Myra in antiquity –boasts a very touching historic and architectural feature:the Church of St.Nicholas.Born in Patara in about 300 A.D.,St.Nicholas studied in Xanthus and became bishop in Myra ,where he preached until he was martyred in 325 A.D.,during the Diocletian persecutions.He was buried in this church built along Byzantine lines:three apses preceded by an atrium and a double narthex,with fresoes and mosaic flooring.İmmediately after his death ,visitors to his tomb were miraculously cured;that is how Myra became a scared place and destination of pilgrims.Destroyed and rebuilt several times,the church was sacked by vandals following on the Arab incursion in 1034.İt was then surrounded by a protective wall by order of the Emperor Constantine Monomacus IX and his wife Zoe.Lastly,in 1087,İtalian traders opened the sarcophagus containing the saint’s remains,they were overwhelmed by a strong scent of myrrh,which emanated from his bones.By virtue of another legend ,St.Nicholas became the patron Saint children to whom he brings Christmas presents.
This a place of great interest for Christianity if it is also true that St.Paul met here with the apostles fort he last time before going to Rome.
Myra
A couple of kilometers North of Demre,the ruins include a score of tombs arranged on the cliff in a jumble overlooking the sea;perhaps this is the most amazing collection of rock tombs in the whole of Anatolia .Myra comes from the Greek world ‘’mirra’’;we know for certain that it dates back at least as far as the 5th century B.C. and was one of the most important towns in the Lycian Federation .İts superiority lasted in time ;İn fact ,during the Byzantine era Theodosios II promoted it to capital of Lycia.Unfortunately,its promotion coincided with the Arab predations that commenced during the 7th century and continued for over two centuries.İn 809 ,Myra was conquered by Harun el-Rashid and the city was gradually abandoned.
Evidence of its glorious pasta re the Greco –Roman theatre.On the Subject of its unique necropolis,it was a Lycian custom to bury their dead high up because they believed that in this way they were more easily transported heavon.These funurel monuments date from the 6th to 3rd century B.C.:built isolatedly or cut out of the rock-face ,several of the facades have flat or sloping roofs carved to imitate wooden beams supported by pillars,suggesting that they are copied in form from wooden temples;the Greek temple is revealed by the rich decorated architraves.The richness of decorations –some stil have traces of color-and in particular the magnificence of sculptured basreliefts,usually portraing the dead person surrounded by his family ,testify to the exceptional taste and artistic sense of local artists fort he time.
The same decorative taste can be found in the theatre,built in Greek style,that is against a hill with fourteen flights of steps dividing the cavea in thirteen sectors,with twenty-nine rows of seats in the lower part and nine in the upper.
Here too the stage wall featured bas-reliefs with garlands,friezes and theatrecal masks.
Olympos
Olympos was probably founded in the III century B.C., and it was one of the most important cities in the Lycian Leauge;it was also a major seaport on the Anatolian coast.Some coins mintded during the II century B.C.are the earliest items that have come down to us from the aincient city.İt was inhabitand by pirates during the I century B.C.,and it became part of the Venetians,and then of the Genoese and Knight of Rhodes,The city enjoyed a long period of was abandoned after the XV century.
The site of aincient is now a protected area since it is located inside the boundaries of the recently established Olympos-Beydagları National Park with its many interesting environmental attractions.
The city is crossed by a small stream;along its banks amidst thick palustrine plants are the ruins of a small theatre ,the baths,the agora and some tombs that even date from the Hellenistic period.
One of the outstanding points of Monumental door to a Roman temple that had been built by the emperor Marcus Aurelius.
On the hill overlooking the beach,where the stream flows into the sea,are the ruins of a Medieval Byzantine fortress.
Along the road that leads to the beach ,at the foot of the hill there are two sarcophagi,one of which has a fine Hellenistic relief carving of a ship.
The hill northwest of Olympos was once the sanctuary of the Chimera.During the Hellenistic period there stood a temple to the god Hepheaestus.According to Greek myth,it is here that Bellerophon ,astride Pegasus ,killed the Chimera ,the monster with the head of a lion,the body of a goat and the tail of a serpent.The fires tht came from the earth supposedly came from the mouth of the monster buried here.Most probably ,however,it was the other way around :the firey gases that issued from the earth gave rise to the legend of the Chimera.
Phaselis
The old village of Phaselis,now Tekirova ,has always been associated with the sea.Founded by Rhodes at the beginning of the 6th century B.C.,it soon became an important harbor,as can be deduced from the ships portrayed on coins.Strabo mentions three harbors;one in the North ,one in the North-east an done in the South.One can stil recognise the remains of the wall which protected the city’s leading harbor like a dyke .However,the ruins of the most important buildings of Phaselis,barely covered today by the lush vegetation,lie between the later two ports.
The theatre dates back to the 2nd century A.D.,but it is highly likely that it was preceded by an analogous building.Small and elegantly proportioned,with a cavea gently sloping down the side of the hill,it can seat 1,500 spectatours.
The arches of the aqueduct that supplied the city stand out among the gren of the pines.The water supply to Phaselis was assured also by a series of rainwater tanks.
Lastly,one can admire the baths and the paved road that leads to a gate erected in honor of the emperor Hadrian.
Kemer
With Kemer,aincient city and now a growing resort town with tourist villages hidden in the woods surrounding the bay,one takes a step back into mythology.Homer narrates in the VI book of the Liad that it was the dwelling-place of Chimera ,the fire-breathing monster,part lion,goat and serpent,which gave it its name.The hero Bellerophon ,astridePegasus,defeated it by sticking his lead-lined sword into its throat,but its flames were not extinguished and stil burn on the small mountain;known as Yanartas meaning volcano;as a matter of fact ,only a jet of natural gas which catches fire when it comes into contact with the open air,creating a fantastic effect especiallya at night.However,the mythological explanation is much more appealing and convincing!
Near Kemer are the remains of aincient Olympos,founded during the 3rd century B.C. and pirates before becoming part of the Roman Empire.Surrounded by a luxuriant park,the town in named after the high mountain ten kilometers away which reaches a height of 2,400 meters.One can stil admire the remains of the baths,agora and basillica,apart from countless funeral monuments and interseting sarcophagi in Olympos.
Side
According to Strabo ,during the second half of the 7th century B.C.,Greek colonists from an İonian city settled there.
The Greek settlers immediately gave considerable impetus to the city’s development.Side was an excellent port and trade flourished.Not only did the city prosper with piracy-widely diffused at the time-but also with its slave trade;its female slaves were renowed for their beauty even in Syria.
Due to the fact that Sideans never fell foul of Rome ,Side was left in peace during the 2nd and 1st centuries B.C. İt reached its moment of glory later on,during the 1st centurty and first half of the 2nd century A.D.: during this era it was embelished and encriched with outstanding monuments . The depredation of the Arabs during the 9th century put an end to Side,and it gradually dwindled in importance before being completely abandoned.
Despite several earthquakes,Side has preserved the majority of its buildings.One of the most important is the one erected in honor of the Emperor Vespasian and his son Titus.WHen it was restored,it was transformed into a fountain.
Side’s importance in antiquity can also be deduced from the fact that the city possessed two Agoras.
Side’s largest building was the theatre.İt was built during the mid-2nd century A.D. with a technique which was quite exceptional for those times.The peculiarity of this monument lies in the fact that,unlike other theatres in the region ,it is not Greek (built against a hill) but Roman:that is,built on flat land,it required vaulted constructions to Support the tiers.The majority of statues found here are now housed in the city Museum,which was set up in 1964 in the Roman Baths,dating back to the 5th century A.D.
Alanya
From above,Alanya is the most spectacular setting along the southern Anatoliam coast.What is nowadays the best equipped,busiest tourist harbor in Turkey was in aincient times a famous naval base,known as Korakesion.Founded in the 4th century B.C.,under the Roman Empire it became a famous pirates.
During the 13 th century ,it was annexed to the kingdom of the great Seljuk sovereign,Alaeddin Keykubat who,having driven away the Byzantines,married the daughter of the defeated governor and made Korakesion his winter residence.The sultan also changed its name,to Alaya and then to its present name,Alanya.
The Arsenal dates back to this period; it is the only one of its kind from the Seljuk period that is stil standing,with its elegant brick arches,marble entrance,servants’ quarters and mosque.
However ,the most important architectural feature of the town is the complex of walls,eight kilometers long,of the Byzantine fortress which dominates the town.They took twelve years to build;of the fifty towers,the most imposing is the Kızıl Kule or Red Tower.29meters high,it was built in 1225 in an octagonal shape along the lines of cruciform fortifications.İt owes its name to the ruddy color of the Stone blocks in the lower part and the bricks in the upper part.İt was to defend the harbor of Alanya and its nearby Arsenal;the spouts from which they poured boiling oil or tar over the enemy jut out from its massive structure.
Pirate raids that characterized Alanya’s history also left their mark in the numerous caves in the vicinity ,many of which can be reached only by boat.İn the Kızlar Magarası ,pirates are said to have hidden the women they abducted during their incursions.
The most famous of all is Damlatas Cave.İt is small in size yet steeped in history ,dating back about 15,000 years.
Situated on the eastern side of the crag of Alanya ,it seems an unreal world in which stalactites,stalagmites and calcareous concretions combine to form a forest of petrified shapes.
With a constant temperture of 22 to 23C and humidity content of 90 to 98 per cent ,Damlatas Cave has the properties to heal asthma and other respiratory disorders.
Istanbul
History
İn 658 B.C a group of Dorian colonists under King Byzas founded a colony on the European shores of the Bosphorus,in a tranquil sheltered port.Thanks to this felicitous geographical position(through the straits of the Bosphorus the Black Sea communucates with the Sea of Marmara which in turn via the Dardanelles empites out into the Mediterranean).Byzantium soon became an important trading center,attracting the attention of Darius of Persia,who conquered it in 513 B.C .Subsequently the city made a pact of allance with Rome,and while the later,worn out by the continuous Barbarian invasions,was on the wane,the star of Byzantium was growing ever brighter.İn 324 A.D.Constantine reunited the two parts of the Empire and on May 11,330,he solemnly consecrated the city as the new capital with the name of the Nea Roma,or New Rome.İt was however beter known as Constantinople and the Byzantinecivilization that was created here shone for centuries.Constantinople reached the heights of its splendor under the Emperor Justinian,sole head of Church an State.
At the end of 11century,the spiritual tensions that characterized the West,together with the idea of liberating the holy places of Jerusalem from the İnfidels,led to the Crusades.İn April of 1204 the Christian knights conquered Constantinople,where they plundered and killed without pity,pillaged and destroyed.Countless art treasures of inestimable value were lost.With no more then a hundred thousand inhabitants,its past splendor gone,the city was reconquered by the Byzantine Empire just as the Ottoman Turks were beginning their inexorable march.İn 1451 the able and ambitious Sultan Mohammed II rose to the throne.His dream had always been that of conquering Constantinople.The siege began on April 5,1453,and on the morning of May 23rd the city surrendered.Chrisitian Constantinople thus passed into the hands of a sultan barely 23 years old.Later the new city was also to have a different name,İstanbul,an abbreviated form of the Greek expression ‘’eis ten polin’’ meaning ‘’towards the city’’
The power of the Ottoman empire reached its zenith with Suleyman the Magnificent,whose great architect Sinan embellished the city with magnificent mosques,bridges,palaces,fountains.With the progressive decline of Ottoman power and the dismembering of the empire.The city too declined,until at the dawn of the 20 century the empire came to an end and the Turkish republic was born.İn 1923 the capital was transfered to Ankara,but it is in İstanbul and its glorious monuments that its thousand years of history will live on.
Historical places
Blue Mosque
No one who has been to İstanbul at least once can ever forget the feeling of awe and wonder inspired by the sight of the slender minarets boldly silhouetted against the sky,the looing bulk,the cascade of domes and half domes,the astonishing harmony of its colors and forms.The views is incomparable either from Galata Bridge or from Golden Horn.
Sultan Ahmed I ,who came to the throne when he was barely fourteen,was deeply religious and entrusted the construction to a pupil of the great Sinan,the architect Mohammed Aga known also as’’Sedefkar’’,which means ‘’worker of mother-of-pearl’’.According to manuscript in the Topkapı library he was originally a gardener in the mausoleum of Suleyman’s mosque.He had joined the Janissaries and had dedicated himself to the building of mosques,palaces and fountains,even going so far as restore to Kaaba.
Work on the mosque beganin 1609 and ended in 1616,just a year before the death of the sultan who had spent 1,181 gold thalers on it.İt is said that on the day of the solemn inauguration Ahmed ı,as a sign of humality,wore a hat in the shape of the Prophet’s foot.The firs thing that strikes us as we approach the mosque is that it is the only one in the world to have six minarets,four of which have three balconies each.When the building was finished,the sultan had to add a seventh minaret to it of the Mecca which also had six in order to reestablish its religious primacy.
İt is surrounded on three sides by a vast walled courtyard with a portico.Three impressive entrance doors lead into an internal court,paved in marble,which is as large as the inside of the mosque.İn the center of the court is the hexagonal Shadirvan(basin or fountain for ritual ablutions)surrounded by six marble columns.
The inside is approximately square:a single immense space into which the light pours from 260 windows,freely playing over the surfaces.The powerfull dome,43 meters high,is supported by four enermous circular pillars 5 meters in diameter which have vertical grooves anda re known as ‘’ elephant feet’’.
The mosque takes its name from the splendid blue decoration which covers this perfectly balanced harmonious ensemble.For a third of their height the walls and pillars are sheathed with 21,043 faience tiles of the 16th and 17th centuries,predominantly in all possible shades of blue and with floral designs ranging from roses to tulips,carnations and lilacs.
Hippodrome
The vast area covered by the Hippodrome lies between Hagia Sophia and the Blue Mosque .İt is also known as at Meydani,or plaza of the horses,because after the conquest of Constantinople it was used principally for horse races.
İts original layout dates to 203 A.D under Septimius Severus.İt was enlarged and embellished by Constantine in 325 and recalls the Circus Maximus in Rome.Almost 400 metres long and 120 meters wide,there was room for 100,000 spectators in forty rows of seats.The athleltes were divided into factions:The Blues,The Greens,the Reds and the Whites.The emperor’s box,decorated with four splendid bronze horses which are now in Venice,was to the North.But the plaza of the horses was not the scene of games and festivities only.İn 532,during the İdes of January,the revolt against Justinian was staged here.At the cry of nika(which in Greek means’’Victory’’),the rebels raged through the city pillaging and plundering.The uprising,which went down in history as the Nika riots,was bloodily put down by General Belisarius who had over 40,000 men executed next to what was known from then on as the ‘’gate of death’’.İn 1826 the Hippodrome was once more the scene for execution of 30,000 Janissaries who had opposed the rule of Sultan Mahmud II.The Hippodrome was so resplendent with statues,obelisks and trophies which came from various countries that St.Jerome wrote:’’the splendor of Constantinople is inaugurated despoiling all other cities.
The oldest is without doubt the obelisk of Theodosius,a porphyry monolith 25 meters high from Karnak where it had been erected in honor of Thutmosis III. The marble base is 6 meters high and is decorated with low reliefs.Another obelisk is that of Constantine,beter known as the walled obelisk,which is compared to the Colossus of Rhodes in the inscription on is base.İt is 32 meters high and is built of blocks of limestone faced with plaques of guilded bronze and was erected under Constantine VII Porphyrogenitus.The oddest monument is without doubt the Serpentine Column,originally 8 meters high (today five and a half meters are left).This bronze column came from Delphi where it had been set up in the temple of Apollo in memory of the victorious battles of Salamina and Platea.İt is said that the bodies of three entwined serpents which form the column were cast from the shields of the Persian soldiers who fell in the battle.Lastly the Kaiser Fountain,a gift of the German emperor William II to Sultan Abdulhamid II in 1895,during the Kaiser’s trip to the East.
Hagia Sophia
Hagia Sophia or the Church of Divine Wisdom is a masterpiece of grandeur and proportions,coveted by the İslamic East and the Christian West,an done of the most important attestations of humanity-surely the only one that for 1400 years has served God and Allah,the Christian world and İslam.
The first church was built between 325 and 360 under Constans II,even though his father Constantine may have had the foundations laid.Ravaged by fire in 404,it was restored and reconsecrated by Theodosius II only to be completely burnt down during the Nika riots in January 532.Justinian had only recently risen to the throne and the supreme ambition of the emperor, a champion of the cause of orthodox Christianity and divinely appointed,was to buid the greatest temple that Christianity had ever had.No more than 32 days had elapsed after the destruction of the church when work on the new building began.İt is said thatthe shape of the church was revealed to Justinian in adream.Artisans arrived from allparts of the world.Justinian,who spent much of his time in the building yards,name done hundred overseers,each one responsible for a hundred workers.Anthemious of Trallers was designated as architect in chief,assisted by İsidoros of Milatos,both Greeks from Asia Minor.On December 27,537,Hagia Sophia was solemnly consecrated by the emperor.İt is said that when he arrived in front of the church,Justinian raised his arms to heaven and exclaimed ‘’Glory toGod who has deigned tol et me finish so great a work.O Solomon,ı have outdone thee!’’.And indeed it seems to surpass Solomon’s temple in size,beauty and richness.The Grand interior of the basillica is central plan.With a total surface of 7,570 square meters,Hagia Sophia takes fourth place after St.Peter’s ,the Cathedral of Seville and that of Milan.The interior is dominated by the enermous dome 55 meters above the ground and with a diameter of over 36 meters.Forty ribs divide the dome into sections which terminate at their base in 40 windows.The weight of the dome is supported by four main pillars which in turn are buttressed by four smaller pillars.Hagia Sophia was also an exultation of light which entered through the numerous Windows to illuminate the nave where the worshippers were gathered in prayer.At night thousands of lamps and candelaba reflected their light on the 16,000 square meters of gold mosaics scattered here and there throughout the building.The dome too was covered by a pure gold mosaic, with a cross at the center.Unfortunately most of mosaic decoration of Hagia Sophia disappeared,first under the wrath of the iconoclasts,who spared only the abstract decoration,and subsquently with the conquest of the Ottoman Turks and the İslamic prohobition to reproduce the human figure.Natural calamities sorely tried the architectural challenge of Hagia Sophia.The earthquakes of 553 and 557 weakend the structure of the basillica,until in 558 the eastearn arch and part of the dome crashed to the ground destroying the atlar,the ciborium and the ambo.Restored and newly consecrated,it was to see other more tragic events.
At the beginning of the 13th century Constantinople,after having withstood at least seventeen sieges by barbarians and infidels,fell under the fury of a Christian army.During the three days of plunder,Hagia Sophia ws complitely pillaged and stripped of its precious icons,its gold and silver candelabra,the jeweled crosses,the glittering reliquaries.Anything of gold was simply melted down.On May29,1453 the Ottoman Turks conquired Constantinople.That day ,late in the afternoon,Mohammed II entered Hagia Sophia and fort he first time after nine centuries,the imam’s prayer to Allah,the only god,resounded under the imposing domes.The transformation of Hagia Sophia into a mosque was carried out with unbelieveble respect ,event though there were of course many changes.The metal cross on the dome was replaced by the crescent moon which a century later was covered –it is said-with 50,000 fused gold coins.The ambo was replaced by a mimbar ,and a mihrab for prayer in the direction of Mecca was set up.An initial polygonal minaret was builtm to which others were later added.Christian mosaic with human figures were not touched.
The exterior of Hagia Sophia was also modified.What had been the baptistery was tarnsformed at the beginning of the 17th century into the turbeh of Mustafa I ,where the sultan is buried together with his nephew İbrahim.Next to this mausoleum are the octagonal and hexagonal tombs of three other sultans,Mohammed III,Selim II and Murat III,each with their wives and relatives.
The 20th century brought the downfall of the Ottoman Empire and the simultaneous rise of the young Turkish republic.
The first president ,Kemal Ataturk,decided to transform the mosque into a Byzantine-Ottoman museum and in April 1932 the mosaics once more began to be laid bare;so it was that,under the careful guidance of Thomas Whittemore of the Byzantine İnstitute of America the gleaming gold mosaics began to surface from the walls of the mosque,direct evidence of the great past of Hagia Sophia and of the city as a whole.
Palace of Topkapı
The Palace of Topkapı,or Topkapı Saray is an extraordinary complex of buildings spread out over one of the seven hills of İstanbul,in a splendid site above the Sea of Marmara and the Golden Horn.Constantine’s imperial palace once stood here until it was abandoned and fell into ruin with the fall of the Empire.When the Turks conquared Istanbul,Mohammed II first chose the site of the present University as the seat fort his palace of Topkapı,which means ‘’gate of the canon’’.Begun in 1462,its principal parts were finished in 1478 and it was the official seat of the Ottoman sultans up until 1855 when Abdulmecid moved to the new and sumptuous palace of Dolmabahce,built on the model of the ostentatious imperial residences of the west.
We enter the palace through the Ortakapı,the central gate known also as Bab-ı-Salaam,or ‘’gate of salvation’’.Built in 1525 under Suleyman the Magnificient,it is flanked by two octagonal Gates where those condemned to death were kept prisoner.Only the sultan could pass through Bab-ı-Salaam on horseback-all the others had to go on foot.
Immediately behind the entrance we find the beatiful kitchens built at the time of Mohammed theConqueror and later restored by Sinan.They are a strange imposing sight:each one is composed of two square rooms covered with a dome with eight Windows and topped by ten conical chimneys.A splendid collection of Chinese and Japanese porcelain is now exhibited here where once 1200 cooks were kept at work.
Treasury-By general consensus one of the most fascinating pats of Topkapı:in these rooms jewels and objects of incomparable beauty and inestimable worth which belonged to the sultansa re on display.
Throne of Nadir-Known also as throne of Shah İsmail,it is basically an oval armchair on four legs 46sm,high,made of ebony covered with gold,and with emeralds,rubies and pearls set into a layer of enamel.Along the outer border of the throne there are nine pine cones of rubies crowned by an emerald.The pillow ,in purple velvet ,is decorated with plaques of gold with flowers in pearls,rubies and turquoises.A costly work of İndian craftsmanship ,it was bought back as war booty by Nadir Shah and presented to Sultan Mahmud I also a gift in 1746.Since it comes from İndia some scholars have even advanced the fascinating hypothesis that this precious throne belonged to no less a person than Tamerlane.
Dagger-This splendid jewel,so famous that it was even the protagonist of a celebrated film,was one of the gifts that Sultan Mahmud ı sent to Nadir Shah in 1746.When the Turkish delegation arrived in Baghdad,they had been killed .The Turkish ambassadors returned to İstanbul ,taking all their gifts with them ,including the dagger.İt is 35 cm.Long and encrusted with diamonds and with enamel decoration sists of three enormous emeralds surrounded by diamonds.Another octagonal cut emerald ,which closes on a small watch,is at the tip of hilt.
The ‘’spoon’’ diamond-A jewel from A Thousand and One Nights,this diamond of 86 karats is surrouded by forty-nine extremely pure cut diamonds.There are two constrasting versions as to the stone’s origin.The first ,perhaps a legend ,says that it was found in a refuse heap by a poor fisherman who sold it to a crafty jeweler in the bazaar in Exchange for three spoons.This explains the name of the diamond ,’’kaşikci’’ ,which in Turkish means ‘’maker of spoons’’,although the jewel also recalls a spoon in its form.According to the second version which is certainly much more reliable,a French officer named Pigot bought it in 1774 from the Maharajah of Madras and took it to France.İt changed hands several times and was put on auction ,in which Giacomo Casanova is also said to have taken part,and was acquired by Napoleon’s mother who however had to sell it in an attempt to save her son from exile.Then ,for 150,000 gold coins it came into the possession of the governor Tepedelenli Ali Pasha who put it with the other jewels in his personal treasury.
When the governor was accused of treason and dismissed by Mahmud II,the diamond became part of the Ottoman treasury.İt also seems likely that this diamond is the Pikot diamond,all track of which was also said to have been 86 karats.
Ceremonial throne-The throne that the Turkish sultans used during the solemn investiture ceremonies is 178cm.high and is walnut completely sheathed with golden plaques for which 80,000 golden ducats where melted down.
İt weighs 250 kilograms and 954 chrysolites are embeded in it.İn 1585 it was presented to Murat III by the governor og Egypt Ibrahim Pasha and remained in the Topkapı Palace even after the sultans had moved to the palace of Dolmabahce.
Harem-The world harem derives the Arab ‘’harim’’ which means something forbidden and ‘’haram’’,literally sanctuary.The harem was in fact the private residence of the sultan ,the quarter where the woman in the palace lived-the Turkish sovereign’s mother,his sister,his wives,his concubines..The harem today covers an area of circa 15,000 square meters:it was governed by a corps of black eunuchs,almost all Abyssiniana who had been offered to the Sultan by the pasha of Egypt when they were young.They guarded the entrances to the harem so that no outsider might enter the appartments reserved to the women.
