ISTANBUL

1. ISTANBUL The guide

2. The Bosphorus The Bosphorus is the 32 km (20-mile)-long strait which joins the Sea of Marmara with the Black Sea in Istanbul, and separates the continents of Europe and Asia. It's great for a half-day cruise north toward the Black Sea. You can return to Istanbul by land along the European shore and see all the sights. It runs right through the heart of Istanbul, past theIstanbul Modern Art Museum, several Ottoman palaces, at least two fortresses, forested hills, and shore villages with Ottoman architecture.. Its English name comes from a Greek legend: Zeus had an affair with a beautiful women named Io. When Hera, his wife, discovered his infidelity, she turned Io into a cow and created a horsefly to sting her on the rump. Io jumped clear across the strait. Thus bous =cow, and poros = crossing-place: Bosphorus = "crossing-place of the cow." Recent marine archeological research in the chill, deep waters of the Black Sea has revealed sunken cities on the underwater slopes along the Turkish coast. Geological evidence supports the theory that in ancient times the northern end of the Bosphorus was blocked by earth and rock. The Black Sea had no outlet (like Lake Van today), and its water level was below that of the Aegean Sea, the Sea of Marmara, and the Bosphorus. However, an earthquake destroyed the Bosphorus blockage, releasing a deluge of water from the Bosphorus into the Black Sea, raising the water level and flooding its coastal communities. So it may well be that the Bosphorus is the source of Noah's flood and the legend of Noah's Ark! (Mount Ararat is also in Turkey.)    32 km (20 miles) from the Black Sea to the Sea of Marmara...The Bosphorus has been a waterway of the highest importance since ancient times. Ulysses passed through. Byzas, who founded Byzantium (later Constantinople, later Istanbul) sailed up and down looking for the perfect place to found his village. In 1452, Mehmet the Conqueror ordered the construction of the mighty fortresses of Rumeli Hisarı(Fortress of Europe) and Anadolu Hisarı (Fortress of Anatolia) so he could control the strait and prevent reinforcements from reaching the besieged Byzantine capital of Constantinople. To the Ottomans it was mostly an obstacle: each spring they had to ship their gigantic armies across the strait from Istanbul for campaigns in Anatolia, Syria and Persia. During World War I, the Bosphorus was the key to the Black Sea and Russia. The Sultan held the key. The Entente powers wanted it. What they failed to get in battle they got by treaty, and British gunboats anchored outside Dolmabahçe Palace. Today, the way to enjoy the Bosphorus is to take a cruise by traditional ferry ,TurYol boat or Dentur Avrasya boat, a self-guided tour of the European shore, or to relax at a tea-house or restaurant along its shores

3. HistoryofInstanbul What is now called Asian Istanbul was probably inhabited by people as early as 3000 BC. Eventually, in the 7th century, Greek colonists led by King Byzas established the colony of Byzantium, the Greek name for a city on the Bosphorus. Byzas chose the spot after consulting an oracle of Delphi who told him to settle across from the "land of the blind ones." Indeed, Byzas concluded, earlier settlers must have been deprived of their sight to have overlooked this superb location at the mouth of the Bosphorus strait. This proved an auspicious decision by Byzas, as history has shown Istanbul's location important far beyond what these early Greek settlers might possibly have conceived. Byzas gave his name to the city: Byzantium. In the early 100's BC, it became part of the Roman Empire and in 306 AD, Emperor Constantine the Great made Byzantium capital of the Eastern Roman Empire. From that point on, the city was known as Constantinople. The mid 400's AD was a time of enormous upheaval in the empire. Barbarians conquered the western Roman Empire while the Eastern, also called the Byzantine Empire, kept Constantinople as its capital. In 532 during the reign of Justinian I, antigovernment riots destroyed the city. It was rebuilt, and outstanding structures such as Hagia Sophia stand as monuments to the heights Byzantine culture reached. The attribute that made the city so desirable, its incomparable location for trade and transport between three continents, was also its nemesis. For the next several hundred years Persians, Arabs, nomadic peoples, and members of the Fourth Crusade (who for a time governed the city) attacked Constantinople. Finally, in 1453, when Constantinople was so weakened by almost constant invasions and battles, the Ottoman Turks led by Sultan Mehmet II were able to conquer the city. Renamed Istanbul, it became the third and last capital of the Ottoman Empire. It was the nerve center for military campaigns that were to enlarge the Ottoman Empire dramatically. By the mid 1500's, Istanbul, with a population of almost half a million, was a major cultural, political, and commercial center. Ottoman rule continued until it was defeated in WWI and Istanbul was occupied by the allies. When the Republic of Turkey was born in 1923 after the War of Independence, Kemal Ataturk moved the capital to the city of Ankara. The city of Istanbul has continued to expand dramatically and today its population is over 13,6 million and increases at an estimated 700,000 immigrants per year. Industry has expanded even as tourism has grown. It continues to be a city that creates its own history at the meeting point of the two continents; Europe and Asia. Some of the interesting districts of the city are: Sultanahmet, Haydarpasa, Uskudar, Eyup, Galata, Pera, Ortaköy, Taksim, Eminönü, Fatih, Balat, and The Bosphorus. Princess Islands are a popular summer resort for local people.

4. Topkapi Palace, (TopkapıSarayı) Topkapi Palace is definitely the best looking palace in Turkey. Home for the Ottoman Sultans, is now a perfect place to be a Museum to reflect the glory of Ottoman Empire, Sultans and their way of living. The Museum is open between 9:00 am- 7:00 pm everyday except for Tuesdays. Tickets are purchased in the gateway to the Second Court. The tickets cost 20,- TL (approx. to 13 USD or 9 EURO) per person for 2011 season. The Harem section needs a separate admission fee and costs another 15,- TL. There is a discounted fee for the students. The Harem Section can be visited with a separate ticket in the ticket office near the Harem entrance. The tours to Harem are operated every half hour from 9:30 am to 4:00 pm. Topkapi palace has now an audio guide system which can be rented on the entrance for a cost of 15,- TL. The audio guide system is much like a big mobile phone. All important items on the palace was identified with numbers and if you dial the code number of the item or place, you can get a full description of it. Currently the system is available on following languages, English, Germain, French, Spanish and Italian. When Sultan Mehmed II captured Constantinople in 1453, he found the palaces of the Byzantine Emperors in such ruins as to be uninhabitable. He chose a large area on the broad peak of the Third Hill as the site of his first imperial residence. He constructed a great complex of buildings and gardens here and they came to be known as "EskiSaray" which means "The Old Palace". A few years later, he decided to have his palace on the N side of the First Hill which had been the acropolis of the ancient Byzantium. He constructed a massive wall surrounding the area along the Sea of Marmara to the Golden Horn. This took place during the period 1459-65 after the Sultan left the former palace to women of his father's harem. The Harem in Topkapi Palace in its present state dates back to the reign of Murat III(1574-95), Mehmed IV(1648-87) and Osman III(1754-57). Topkapi Palace was more than just the private residence of the Sultan and his court. It was the seat of the supreme executive and judiciary council, the Divan and the training school, the Palace School. In the First Courtyard, there were a hospital, bakery, arsenal, a state mint, a part of the treasury and the Outer Service. It was open to public. The Second Courtyard was open to people who had business with the council. The Third Courtyard was reserved to the Sultan's household and palace children. The Fourth Courtyard was exclusively reserved for the Sultan's use. Topkapi Palace continued to be the principal residence for four centuries until in 1853, Sultan Abdul Mecid I moved into the new palace of Dolmabahce on the Bosphorus. The old palace was used as house for the women of the departed sultans and their servants until the Harem was officially disbanded in 1909. In 1924, Topkapi Palace was converted to a museum with the order of Mustafa Kemal Ataturk. The final step was the opening of the Harem to the public in 1960.

5. THE BLUE MOSQUE The Blue Mosque is so named because of the beautiful blue Iznik tiles decorating the interior. Officially called the 'Sultan Ahmet Mosque' by local people, it was built by Sultan Ahmet in 1609 and completed 7 years later... The Blue Mosque in the Old City of Istanbul is so named because of the beautiful blue Iznik tiles decorating the interior. Officially called the 'Sultan Ahmet Mosque' by local people, it was built by Sultan Ahmet in 1609 and completed 7 years later... The architect who oversaw its design was SedefkarMehmet Aga, better known as a student of Sinan (the greatest architect ever seen in the Ottoman Empire). Not only was it built to serve as a mosque, but its huge surrounding complex also held a medrese (theological school), turbe (tomb), hospital, caravanserai, primary school, public kitchen and market, although the hospital and caravanserai were destroyed in the nineteenth century. After the public kitchens were destroyed in a fire in 1970, they were restored and incorporated into the School of Industrial Art. It presently serves as the Dean's Office for the Marmara University. The Blue Mosque is open all day except during prayer times.

6. THE GALATA TOWER  The GalataTower (GalataKulesi in Turkish) is a medievalstonetower in the Galatadistrictof Istanbul, just to the northof the Golden Horn. Oneof the city's moststrikinglandmarks, itis a high, cone-cappedcylinderthatdominates the skyline and affords a panoramic vista ofOld Istanbul and itsenvirons.The towerwasbuilt in 1348 duringanexpansionof the Genoesecolony in Constantinople and is 66.90 meterstall.In 1875, during a storm, the conicroof on the top of the building wasdestroyed. The towerremainedwithoutthisconicrooffor the restof the Ottomanperiod. Manyyearslater, in 1965-1967, during the Turkish Republic, the originalconicalcapwasrestored.

7. GALATA BRIDGE The Galata Bridge (in TurkishGalataKöprüsü) is a bridge thatspans the Golden Horn in Istanbul. Itwas a symbolic link between the traditional city of Istanbul , site of the imperialpalace and principalreligious and secularinstitutions of the empire.The first recorded bridge over the Golden Horn in Istanbul wasbuiltduring the reign of Justinian the Great in the 6th century, itwascloseto the area near the TheodosianLandWalls at the western end of the Roman city.Thentherewerebuiltotherbridgesover the Golden Horn and one of the projectshasbeenthoughtby Leonardo da Vinci, however, ithasneverbeenbuilt.

8. The Golden Horn The Golden Hornisaninletof the Bosphorusdividing the city of Istanbul and forming a naturalharbor. Itis a scimitar-shapedestuarythatjoins the Bosphorus just at the pointwherethatstraitenters the Seaof Marmara, thusforming a peninsula the tipofwhichis "Old Istanbul" .Itis a floodedprehistoricestuary long 7.5 kilometers and 750 metersacross at itswidest. Itsmaximumdepth, whereitflowsinto the Bosphorus, isabout 35 meters. Itistodayspannedbyfourbridges. The Byzantine Empire haditsnavalheadquartersthere, and wallswerebuiltalong the shorelinetoprotect the city ofConstantinoplefromnavalattacks. At the entranceto the Horn on the northern side, a largechainwaspulledacrossfromConstantinopleto the oldTowerofGalatatopreventunwantedshipsfromentering.

9. The Grand Bazar The GrandBazaar (Kapalıçarşı) in Istanbul isoneof the largestcoveredmarkets in the world with 60 streets and 5,000 shops, and attractsbetween 250,000 and 400,000 visitorsdaily. Itiswellknownforitsjewellery, hand-paintedceramics, carpets, embroideries, spices and antiqueshops. Manyof the stalls in the bazaar are groupedbytypeofgoods, withspecialareasforleather, goldjewellery and the like. The bazaarhasbeenanimportant trading centresince 1461 and itslabyrinthinevaultsfeaturetwobedestens (domedbuildings), the first of whichwasconstructedbetween 1455 and 1461 by the order of SultanMehmed the Conqueror. The bazaarwasvastlyenlarged in the 16th century, during the reign of SultanSuleiman the Magnificent, and in 1894 underwent a major restorationfollowinganearthquake.  The complexhousestwomosques, fourfountains, twohamams, and severalcafés and restaurants. In the centreis the high domed hall of the CevahirBedesten, where the mostvaluableitems and antiquesweretobefound in the past, and still are today, includingfurniture, copperware, amberprayerbeads, inlaidweapons, icons, mother-of-pearlmirrors, water pipes, watches and clocks, candlesticks, oldcoins, and silver and goldjewellery set withcoral and turquoise. A leisurelyafternoonspentexploring the bazaar, sitting in oneof the cafés and watching the crowds pass by, and bargainingforpurchasesisoneof the best waystorecapture the romantic atmosphere ofold Istanbul.

10. The Chora Church The Chora Church wasoriginallybuiltoutside the wallsofConstantinople, to the southof the Golden Horn. Literallytranslated, the church's full namewas the Church of the HolySaviour in the Country: although "The Church of the HolyRedeemer in the Fields" wouldbe a more naturalrenderingof the name in English. The last part ofthatname, Chora, referringtoits location originallyoutsideof the walls, became the shortenednameof the church. The originalchurch on this site wasbuilt in the early 5th century, and stoodoutsideof the 4th centurywallsofConstantine the Great. However, whenTheodosius II builthisformidablelandwalls in 413–414, the churchbecameincorporatedwithin the city's defences, butretained the nameChora. The namemusthavecarriedsymbolicmeaning, as the mosaics in the narthexdescribe Christ as the Landof the Living and Mary, the MotherofJesus, as the Container of the Uncontainable.The majorityof the fabricof the current building datesfrom 1077–1081, when Maria Dukaina, the mother-in-lawofAlexius I Comnenus, rebuilt the Chora Church asaninscribed cross or quincunx: a populararchitectural style of the time. Early in the 12th century, the churchsuffered a partialcollapse, perhaps due toanearthquake. The churchwasrebuiltby Isaac Comnenus, Alexius's third son. However, itwasonlyafter the thirdphaseof building, twocenturiesafter, that the churchasitstandstodaywascompleted. The powerfulByzantinestatesmanTheodoreMetochitesendowed the churchwithmuchofits fine mosaics and frescos. Theodore's impressivedecorationof the interiorwascarried out between 1315 and 1321. The mosaic-workis the finestexampleof the Palaeologian Renaissance. The artistsremainunknown. In 1328, Theodorewas sent intoexileby the usurperAndronicus III Palaeologus. However, hewasallowedtoreturnto the city twoyearslater, and lived out the last twoyearsofhis life as a monk in hisChora Church.During the last siegeofConstantinople in 1453, the Iconof the TheotokosHodegetria, considered the protectorof the City, wasbroughttoChora in orderto assist the defendersagainst the assaultof the Ottomans.Aroundfiftyyearsafter the fallof the city to the Ottomans, Atık Ali Paşa, the GrandVizierofSultanBayezid II, ordered the Chora Church tobeconvertedinto a mosque — KariyeCamii. Due to the prohibitionagainsticonicimages in Islam, the mosaics and frescoeswerecoveredbehind a layerofplaster. This and frequentearthquakes in the regionhavetakentheirtoll on the artwork.In 1948, Thomas Whittemore and Paul A. Underwood, from the ByzantineInstituteof America and the DumbartonOaks Center forByzantineStudies, sponsored a programmeofrestoration. Fromthattime on, the building ceasedtobe a functioningmosque. In 1958, itwasopenedto the public as a museum — KariyeMüzesi.

11. Dolmabahçe Palace Dolmabahçe Palace (Turkish: DolmabahçeSarayı) located in the Beşiktaşdistrict of Istanbul on the Europeancoastline of the Bosphorusstrait, servedas the mainadministrative center of the Ottoman Empire from 1856 to 1922. The design containseclecticelementsfrom the Baroque, Rococo and Neoclassicalstyles, blendedwithtraditionalOttomanarchitectureto create a new synthesis. The palace layout and décorreflect the increasinginfluenceofEuropeanstyles and standards on Ottoman culture and art during the Tanzimatperiod. Functionally, on the otherhand, itretainselements of traditionalOttomanpalace life, and alsofeatures of traditionalTurkishhomes. Dolmabahçe Palace was home tosixSultansfrom 1856, whenitwas first inhabited, up until the abolition of the Caliphate in 1924: The last royalto live herewasCaliphAbdülmecid Efendi. A lawthatwentintoeffect on March 3, 1924 transferred the ownership of the palaceto the nationalheritage of the new Turkish Republic. The palaceiscomposed of threeparts; the Mabeyn-iHümâyûn (the quartersreservedfor the men), MuayedeSalonu (the ceremonial hall) and the Harem-iHümâyûn (the Harem, the residentialapartments of the family of the Sultan). The palacehasan area of 45,000 m2 (11.2 acres), and contains 285 rooms, 46 halls, 6 baths (hamam) and 68 toilets.

12. Egyptian Bazar The Spice Bazaar, (Turkish: 'MısırÇarşısı', or EgyptianBazaar) in Istanbul, Turkeyisoneof the largestbazaars in the city. Located in Fatih, in the neighborhood of Eminönü, itis the secondlargestcovered shopping complexafter the GrandBazaar. There are severaldocumentssuggesting the name of the bazaarwas first "New Bazaar". The building wasendowedto the foundationof the YeniMosque, and gotitsname ("EgyptianBazaar", Turkish: MısırÇarşısı) becauseitwasbuiltwith the revenuesfromEgypt.The word mısırhas a doublemeaning in Turkish: "Egypt" and "maize". Thisiswhysometimes the nameiswronglytranslatedas "CornBazaar". The bazaarwas (and stillis) the center forspicetrade in Istanbul, but in the last years more and more shopsofothertype are replacing the spiceshops. [The building itselfis part of the külliyeofYeniMosque, and rentsfrom the shopswithinwasintendedto help payfor the upkeepof the mosque. The structurewasdesignedby the chief court architectKocaKasımAğa, butcompletedbyarchitectMustafa in 1660. The Spice Bazaarisan “L”-shaped building, consisting of 88 vaultedrooms, almostall of which are nowdividedintoan upper and lower story. Monumentalgateways are at the endsofbothhalls, withchambersaboveeachentrance way. The mainentranceis in the southwest corner, facing the YeniMosque.

13. Createdby: Andrea Flamini Sandro Marseglia Lorenzo Maugeri Francesco Mazzetti Massimiliano Zampano