Exotic Istanbul — Minarets, Mosques and Palaces

by: Joe Shaw

We only had a few hours to explore exotic Istanbul, so we were determined to make the most of it. This cosmopolitan city of minarets and bazaars beckoned to our sense of adventure, history and interest in architecture. Istanbul is a city that embraced several empires and cultures and has been both an important Islamic and Christian capital, which is reflected in its sights and sounds.

Spanning two continents across the wide Bosphurus, Istanbul’s most visited area is on the European side, called the Golden Horn, containing the Grand Bazaar, the Spice Bazaar, the Blue Mosque, St Sophia’s and Topkapi Palace, which was where we headed.

Our first stop was the Misir Casisi or Spice Bazaar, located right across from the ferries on the waterfront. The smells are intoxicating and the colors are vivid, offering a kaleidoscopic view of fresh and ground spices of every variety. The shops sell spices, sweets and nuts, which are a particular good buy.

Leaving there we headed southwest, up Ankara St towards the Grand Bazaar, or Kapali Carsi featuring goods of all kinds. There are more than 4,000 shops in this great covered market, selling rugs, jewelry and just about everything you can imagine. Make sure you negotiate a good price for anything you buy-it’s expected and is part of the fun of shopping in a Turkish market.

To the southeast of the Grand Bazaar, we followed a broad boulevard to the Blue Mosque, named so for the 20,000 exquisite blue Iznik tiles used in its creation. As we approached, we were awed by the sight of the Blue Mosque’s six minarets and the multitude of domes and mini domes.

But after we removed our shoes and went inside, we marveled even more at the shimmering blue tiles that covered so much of the mosque’s airy interior.

Just northeast of the Blue Mosque is St. Sophia’s, a cathedral that was built in 537 by the Roman emperor Justinian, and was converted to a mosque in the 15th Century by Sultan Mehmed II, who left some of the Christian aspects, giving us a good view of the mixing of cultures in the magnificent church.
St. Sophia’s is darker and older than the Blue Mosque, but no less magnificent. It’s an excellent surviving example of Byzantine architecture, and excavation of many of the original Christian mosaics continue. The mosaic of Virgin and Child in the apse dates from 867.

Finally we visited Topkapi Palace with lies at the tip of the Golden Horn adjacent to St. Sophia’s. Built in 1465, the palace and its grounds were the administrative center of the Ottoman Empire for nearly 400 years.

In the Treasury, you will find a collection of relics, jewelry and jewels second to none, including the Topkapi dagger, the Spoonmaker Diamond and the forearm and hand of John the Baptist.

But by far, the most spectacular part of the palace as it exists today is the Harem, with its tiled rooms and chambers. Once occupied by nearly 500 people it consists of 300 rooms. Among the rooms open to the public, of particular note are the Throne Room, and the great bedchamber, which retains its original interior.

The palace ended our quick tour of Istanbul, and we are hoping to return again to this city that spans east and west and continues to hold a place in our imagination.

If the Earth was a single state, Istanbul would be its capital. —Napoleon Bonaparte