The city with a great history

"Crowded" and "noisy" describe this fascinating city of twelve million. More than three hundred thousand people pour into Istanbul from other Turkish regions every year, hoping to better their living conditions. Inflation rates mean tourists can get real value for their dollars, so they pour into the city, too.

From its earliest origins this ancient city stood at the crossroads of trade routes, blending of cultures, war, and empire building. It rose to become the most influential one in the world and held that position for more than a thousand years. Emperor Constantine once built a mighty city here, but almost no part of it remains.

Excavations have unearthed proof that civilizations existed in this place long before record-keeping began. During later centuries Romans, Byzantines, and Ottomans ruled, bringing a variety of influences to architecture, lifestyles and religious practices.

The Republican rule by the Turks themselves began after World War 1 and exists to this day. Different civilizations gave the city different names. Romans changed Byzantian to Nea Roma. After Emperor Constantine took the throne of the city it changed again to Constantinople. Istanbul became the final name change.

The "old city" holds the greatest interest to tourists, for here they find beauty and history in ancient architecture, houses of worship, monuments, palaces, mansions, and all manner of unique experiences. Shopping continues to hold a high priority.

Inflation rates can make you a pauper or a millionaire. Australians who enter the city with two Australian dollars become millionaires instantly. On the other hand, poor Turks have a hard time making ends meet. Many, many of them become street vendors, clamoring with visitors to purchase a variety of wares from them that range from picture postcards to clothing items at ridiculously cheap prices.

Beautifully crafted items tempt travellers to take advantage of the exchange rates. Shopping can become addictive in such places as The Grand Bazaar's more than 4,000 shops. Gold and silver jewelry, coins, silk scarves, leather goods, rugs, household items made from copper and brass, ceramic tiles, gorgeous pottery, and logo covered T-shirts.

Most people want to take home a genuine Turkish rug. Look for them everywhere, from specialty rug shops to fine stores, crafted from wool, cotton, and silk. The Grand Bazaar offers bargains in used rugs and cushions made from old carpets. Dealers will tell you a rug from Turkey is an investment because it takes a couple of years to weave a large rug, and it becomes harder and harder to find people who want to spend that kind of time. A familiar theme throughout the world: more and more crafts persons are finding they can make more money at jobs that require less time and talent.

Near the Galata Bridge, in one of the oldest sections of Istanbul, stands The Spice Bazaar, another ancient trading place also known as the Misir Carsisi. There is no other place where so many spices and herbs are in one place. Big baskets and tubs of powdered cinnamon, saffron, sumac, chili, paprika, and many others. Dried fruits, teas, nuts, cheeses, honey, and candies perfumed the air, blending with the dialects and exciting chaos of an assortment of cultures, both visitors and vendor.

A primary sales pitch promoted an aphrodisiac known as "Turkish Delights." The Turks delighted in passing on the legend while offering samples. Turkish Delight contains 43 ingredients including royal jelly, the product honeybees feed their queen.

Bazaars abound throughout the city, and are named either for the day of the week they open, or the goods they sell. A bazaar will offer everything from fresh flowers to household goods. Shops and boutiques locate in the same section or street of the city, which makes comparative shopping convenient.

Istanbul is a modern city with a world class airport, hotels, shopping, and restaurants. But it is also an ancient city that served as capital for three different empires. If you want to see how early civilizations lived, worked, and played, then you must go to the museums.

Almost everything from those eras now serves as a monument or a museum. It would take many days to see them all. Here are a few to whet your appetite.

The dominant ruling class determined the kind of worship during their reign. The Byzantines ruled for approximately one thousand years, and built Christian churches and cathedrals during that period. The Byzantine cross and other Christian icons symbolized their worship. Their rule during the 5th and 6th centuries changed the face of architecture and brought unusual and breathtaking beauty to the city with domed ceilings and rounded arches. Beautiful frescoes and majestic mosaic murals adorned walls and decorated ceilings.

A break with the Catholic Church in 1054 brought on a different belief system in Eastern Religion, bringing more Greek influence. From this break came the Nestorian, Coptic, and Greek Orthodox churches.

The Ottomans were Muslims. Istanbul was the capital of this empire for almost 500 years. Their dominant types of architecture and monuments consisted of mosques, which they built throughout the city, each one a masterpiece of architecture. Sultans placed minarets atop their big mosque complexes called "selatin" or royal mosques that occupied central points of the city. Smaller complexes (Vizier Mosques) with one minaret were built for relatives of the dynasty and top state officials.

After the Ottomans overcame the Byzantines in 1453 they needed more worship centers, so they took over some of the Byzantine churches and monasteries and used them as mosques. They did not use icons or symbols in their worship, so they plastered over the murals and removed the Christian symbols and icons.

Muslims constitute at least 97% of Istanbul's population today, but residents are free to worship as they please. The muzzien calls them to worship five times per day, and comes from all the mosques throughout the city. The calls create a peaceful sound as the voices blend together in a beautiful harmony.

The Byzantine Empire vanished from the earth centuries ago, but it left the city of Istanbul a rich legacy in 25 of its churches. Hagia Sophia is the largest, and is considered one of the great buildings of the world. A stand-out, it is a place of historic interest, and is on the World Heritage List. Historians consider its dome, 105 feet in diameter, to be the most beautiful in the world.

Constantine built the church on the foundations of a pagan temple. Destroyed by fire twice and the dome toppled once by earthquake, the reinforced structure stands today as a museum. When the Ottomans converted it into a mosque in 1453 they plastered over the murals and mosaics and destroyed the Byzantine icons, but most of the plaster has now been removed.
Of special importance in this cathedral: of the 137 ionic columns, several were brought from the Temple of Diana in Ephesus and from a temple in Athens. The ceiling of gold consists of thumbnail size tiles, dipped in gold and cemented in.

The Kariye Museum began as the Church of St. Savior in Chora by Byzantine emperor Justinian. The pictorial art produced by Logotet Theodoros Metochites, tells the story of the New Testament from the birth of the Virgin Mary to the Resurrection of Christ. Earthquakes have destroyed portions of some frescoes and murals, but the outstanding work and the story of the artist is worth the tour. The building served as a mosque during the Ottoman reign, so many wooden houses from that era may be seen here. There is also an excellent market for tiles and pottery near the church.

Mosques consist of building complexes that include places to wash before entering the building. Carpets cover the floors, good news for tourists who are unused to removing their shoes prior to entering a building. Masterpieces of architecture on the outside, the interiors are simple, with gorgeous carpets donated by members throughout and prayer benches available for worshippers. Tourists should remember to keep their bodies covered to respect the religion of this country. (That means no shorts and halters!)

One of the largest and most popular mosques, The Blue Mosque, is named for the beautiful blue and white tiles that cover the inside walls.

If we could have visited Istanbul during its glory days we would stand in awe of the splendor and magnificence of the city. Fortunately for us, we can catch a glimpse of those days as we visit museums and other places of interest throughout the city. A visit to Topkapi brings scenes from the movie, "Anna and the King of Siam."

When Fatih Sultan Mehmet conquered the city in 1453, he built a palace that was used as the Ottoman residence for almost 400 years. Changes came with each sultan. When the final reigning sultan moved out, the complex began to fall apart. The Republican era restored the palace and turned it into a military museum during the 19th Century.

Known as Topkapi Palace, the grandiose immensity of the complex staggers the imagination. It contained four courtyards. The palace provided living quarters for 2500 soldiers, horses and carriages, 300 to 400 concubines and servants. The royal family used two courtyards, one included space for mansions built by various sultans who ruled there.

Visitors to this museum will find a hospital, bakery, mint, and armory near the entrance. The kitchen buildings, also found here, contain a rich, 500 year collection of glass and porcelain. St. Irene, the oldest of the Byzantine Churches stands near the entrance, and was used by the sultans as an armory. The church is used mainly as a concert hall today because of its acoustics.

You won't be able to see everything in one visit, so here are some areas you won't want to miss. The treasury chamber contains thrones, an outstanding collection of diamonds, rubies and emeralds, jewel-studded swords and other weapons, and medals. This room also contains costumes and crowns worn by various sultans. One of the world's largest diamonds is on display here.

They call the $230 million dollar diamond "the spoonmaker's diamond" because of its history. A poor fisherman found the diamond, but since it was unrefined, failed to realize its value. He took it to a local spoonmaker, who traded the fisherman a wooden spoon for the gem. The spoon maker realized its worth and took it to the sultan, who paid him a great deal of money for the prize.

Be sure to have lunch at the restaurant on the premises. Transformed from a former residence, it provides a magnificent view of the Bosphorous and the Golden Horn. The food is very good, too.

If time permits, visit several other palaces and mansions in order to get a better perspective of Istanbul's grand and glorious past.

Life depends upon fresh water. Early civilizations faced the problem of water and food during times of war. Both the Romans and Byzantines




built huge cavern type cisterns to store water. The Basilica Cisterns, an excellent example, now serves as a museum. Walk down forty steps and you're inside the cistern supported by 336 ionic columns in a 140 x 70 meter area. A column at the lowest level has a carved image of the Greek god, Meduasa.

Only a small curve of the Hippodrome can be seen today. Located at the center of the city, this huge recreation area became the site of horse and chariot races, circuses, shows and all kinds of events to entertain royalty and citizens.

Walls and fortresses can be found throughout the city, since that was the primary means of protection from the enemy. The gigantic, three-towered Rumeli Fortress, was constructed to prevent help from reaching the Byzantium. One hundred thousand soldiers built the fortress in four months and seventeen days. See the fortress beside the Bosphorous Sea and wonder: how did they build such a large fortress in that length of time, and how did their plans take into consideration the hills upon which it was built?

For many centuries Istanbul has stood at the crossroads of the world. One foot in Europe, the other in Asia Minor, it's the only city that straddles two countries. It's one of the world's busiest ports. Waterways make the difference here. The city lies on the shores of the Marmara Sea, at the mouth of the Bosphorus Strait, the only outlet of the Black Sea to the Marmara. From here you can sail to the Aegean, Mediterannean, and on to the Atlantic Ocean. This location has been strategic since early times, when vessels comprised the main shipping transit.

Modern transportation has changed. The waterways that once served as a main thoroughfare between European and Asian Istanbul are no longer the only way to reach Istanbul. One thing hasn't changed, however. One of the best ways to see both the European and Asian side of Istanbul is by boat.

Excursion boats cruise the winding strait on a regular basis, giving passengers a first hand look at splendid palaces, landscaped gardens, colorful parks, quaint fishing villages, mosques, and wonderful people watching. Locals as well as visitors stroll the walkways beside the water in Sunday finery and everyday casuals. Locals know how to find wonderful seafood restaurants along the shoreline.

You will see the Bosphorous Bridge, one of the world's largest suspension bridges, that links Europe and Asia. The Golden Horn estuary, named for its shape, divides European Istanbul, and is one of the world's best natural harbors. The Byzantine and Ottoman navies centered their navies and commercial shipping interests there.

Note the lovely parks and promenades that line the shores, and streets of old wooden houses and churches from Byzantine times at Fener, a neighborhood about midway up the Golden Horn. If you choose a late afternoon cruise you will experience a dazzling sight: the water shines like gold as the sun sets.

Affinity is organising tours to this beautiful city and other parts of Turkey. If you are interested, please click on the link below to fill out your details.

Istanbul can be extrememly cold in winter, hot during summer months. This is why Affinity Intercultural Foundation has chosen to travel in Autumn. Modest dress is recommended.

Essentially a safe city, petty street crime such as purse snatching and pick-pocketing is of moderate concern. Hang on to your purses and wallets in crowded areas.