Istanbul Tours information
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Ortakoy
As well as the Sunday exhibit by artists, this area is well worth a visit at night with its nightclubs, fish restaurants, bars and jazz clubs. Additionally the area shows religious tolerance in the fact that a church, a synagogue and mosque have stood side by side for centuries.
Ortaköy
On the European side of the Bosporus, the Turkish name for this horn shaped bay is Haliç, and is widely acknowledged as one of the best natural bays in the world. It was hugely important during both the Byzantine and Ottoman times … and is now surrounded by parks and promenades. Walking along the streets in this area of the city is like looking back in time as in the areas of Fener and Balat you can see whole streets with houses, churches and synagogues from both the Ottoman and Byzantine times. Another Ottoman looking area is Eyüp with old tombs of saints and cemeteries where people still come to pray. From this vantage point you have a wonderful view of the bay itself, and there are plenty of places for you to sit and drink a traditional Turkish coffee and watch the world go by. Also whilst you are here you can visit the Eyüp Mosque.
Istanbul City Walls
Emperor Theodosius II had these walls built in the 5th century and they stretch some 7 kilometres from the Sea of Marmara to the Golden Horn. Restoration of some sections has brought them back to their original state when they were known as the mightiest fortifications in Europe. The many towers and bastions of the walls, and the area which they enclose, have been declared by UNESCO a cultural heritage sight.
Rumelian
This Turkish word meaning the land of the Romans, and has been used since the 15th century to describe the southern Balkan regions of the Ottoman Empire. Today the word has largely been replaced in Turkey by Trakya when referring to the part of Turkey which is in Europe.
Sea of Marmara
The Sea of Marmara is the inland sea which connects the Black Sea, to the north of Turkey, to the Aegean Sea to the west of Turkey, thus separating Istanbul between Europe and Asia. The Bosporus strait connects it to the Black Sea and the Dardanelles strait connects it to the Aegean Sea. The North Anatolian fault, which has triggered many earthquakes including the last major one in Turkey in 1999, runs under the Sea of Marmara.
The Church of Saint Irene
This was the first church in Istanbul built by Constantine in the 4th century, and then rebuilt by Justinian, and is reputedly the site of a pre-Christian temple.
The Church of Saint Irene
Museum of Turkish and Islamic Art
Housed in the Ibrihim Paşa Palace, built in 1524, it was the grandest private residence ever built in the Ottoman Empire. Ibrihim Paşa was the Grand Vizier (most important minister of a sultan) of Süleyman the Magnificent. Nowadays the museum displays many beautiful Turkish and Persian miniatures, Seljuk tiles, Korans and antique carpets.
Archaeology Museums
Original created as the Imperial Museum, the main archaeology museum is in the grounds of the Topakı Palace and was first opened to the public in 1891. The construction of the current neo-Greek style building was started in 1881, but this part was not finished and opened until 1908. The design for the front of the building is taken from Alexander’s sarcophagus which is housed in the museum. The museums vast collection was gathered from around Turkey when a decree was put in place to protect cultural goods in the then Ottoman Empire. Governors of provinces sent items to the museum from their area, thus ensuring that there is a diverse range of artefacts from throughout the country and the wider old Ottoman Empire. If you are interested in history and archaeology then a visit to his treasure trove is a must while you are in Istanbul.
This was a hugely important place for socialising during the Byzantine period. People came to watch the chariot and horse races. The various emperors who reigned during the height of the Hippodrome’s life brought some important features here including an Egyptian and a stone obelisk as well as the Serpentine Column.
This 6th century Byzantine building was created during the rule of Justinian I. The water was originally brought from the Belgrade Forest, which is some 19 kilometres north of Istanbul. In its day it contained 100,000 tonnes of water. Nowadays this underground museum contains cafeterias and performances of music and theatre – but you can still see the original friezes and architecture.
Justinian was a Byzantine Emperor was born in Macedonia in the late 5th Century and died in the mid 6th Century A.D, after having survived a bout of the plague some 20 years before. He was known as the “the Emperor who never sleeps”, due to his capacity for work – which included a considerable amount of building work including St. Sophia.
Constantine I (or Constantine the Great)
This influential Roman leader was born in the late 3rd Century and was responsible for moving the Roman capital to the River Bosporus – thus giving the name Constantinople, which lasted for nearly 1,000 years. It literally meant Constantine’s City. Much has been written about this leader and famous warrior, who was the first Christian Roman Emperor. A mosaic of Constantine can be found in St. Sophia.
No trip to any part of Turkey is truly complete without the traveller experiencing a Turkish bath, or hamam as it is known in Turkey. If you have never had a Turkish bath before it is a real treat … and for those who have had one, you are sure to want to indulge in another! You first enter into the warm room where you sit, chat, douse yourself with warm water drawn and put in to ornate copper bowls and your begin to perspire. This action opens your pores and gets your skin ready for the massage to begin. You lie on a warm marble slab and your attendant gives you an exfoliating scrub prior to a wash with soap suds. After this massage you are then rinsed down, again with warm water, before relaxing. A Turkish bath is the ideal way to refresh your skin, and proves an ideal way to prepare your body for getting an enviable suntan.
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