Istanbul is one of the highlights of a cruise of the eastern Mediterranean and Aegean Sea. Many cruise ships use Istanbul as an embarkation or disembarkation point for cruises of the Greek Isles and Turkey. My first visit to Istanbul came at the end of our wonderful cruise on the Silversea Silver Shadow. Leaving the Aegean Sea, the Silver Shadow spent a day at sea sailing through the historic Dardanelles into the Sea of Marmara south of Istanbul. The captain timed our sail up the Bosphorus perfectly, arriving in Istanbul at dawn. Seeing the magnificent Blue Mosque, Haggia Sophia, and Topkapi Palace and watching the bustling channel from the deck of the ship in the early morning are sights I will remember forever. As always, the Silver Shadow staff anticipated this special moment and brought champagne, mimosas, or juice to those of us on deck who were enjoying the spectacle.
Istanbul is spread over two continents, divided by the Bosphorus. Most of the more famous sites are on the European side of the channel. Cruise ships dock on the European side of Istanbul between the Dolmabahçe Palace and the Golden Horn, which serves as Istanbul's harbor. It is actually a flooded river valley that flows southwest into the Bosphorus. Turkish legend says that the Golden Horn got its name from all the valuables the Byzantines threw into it during the Ottoman conquest of Constantinople. Supposedly, the waters of the harbor took on a golden color. Several of the "must see" sites in Istanbul lie on the south side of the Golden Horn, and are a short distance from the cruise ship port. Many passengers on our cruise disembarked in Istanbul and flew home the same day. Others spent an extra day or two in the city or took a side trip to Cappadocia, and a few lucky ones stayed on the Silver Shadow as she took on more passengers and sailed on through the Bosphorus to the Black Sea.
After disembarking the Silver Shadow, we spent a night in Istanbul at the beautiful Swissôtel near the Dolmabahçe Palace. This high-rise hotel with 600 rooms has a wonderful hilltop setting that gives guests an amazing view of the city. The Swissôtel has modern, nicely-decorated rooms and several highly-rated restaurants of various cuisines. It also has a delightful open-air rooftop bar and restaurant where we enjoyed counting the minarets all over the city and watching the sunset over the channel. Dinner at the rooftop restaurant also gave us an excellent view of the Silver Shadow at the dock below. We couldn't help but wish we could sneak back on board for another voyage and jealously wondered who was enjoying "our" suite!
Extending our cruise vacation an extra day in Istanbul was a great idea, but we came away from Istanbul wishing we had stayed longer in this fascinating city. We had an exceptional guide, Ebru Ilker who met us at the ship and escorted us to as many of the sites she could squeeze into a day. Her English was excellent, and her knowledge of the history of Istanbul and the places we visited was impressive. Unfortunately, our one day in Istanbul was a Sunday, and the Grand Bazaar and Spice Market were both closed. Needless to say, as dedicated "super shoppers", we were disappointed! Fortunately, several of the "must sees" are in the central city of Istanbul, and within easy walking distance of one another. We disembarked the Silver Shadow in mid-morning and had plenty of time to visit some of the highlights of the city before checking into the Swissôtel in the late afternoon. We also had a delightful, leisurely lunch at the Four Seasons Hotel, which was once a prison and is now a luxury boutique hotel. Let's take at these popular sites located south of the Golden Horn in Sultanahmet or Seraglio Point.
The Blue Mosque and Hippodrome of Istanbul
The Blue Mosque of Istanbul with its six minarets towering over the Sea of Marmara and the Bosphorus is one of the first things a cruise ship passenger will see when sailing into Istanbul from the Mediterranean Sea. The Blue Mosque is perched on a hill overlooking the Marmara, and the magnificent exterior domes and minarets greeting incoming visitors to Istanbul will make you even more eager to explore the city. The exterior is not blue; the mosque's nickname comes from the spectacular interior wall-covering of over 20,000 blue tiles from Iznik. The Hippodrome, which was once the center of Byzantine Constantinople, is adjacent to the Blue Mosque.
The Blue Mosque was commissioned by Sultan Ahmet I in the early 1600's, and it has a classic Ottoman design. He charged Mehmet Aga, the imperial architect, with building a mosque that would rival the nearby Aya Sofya (also called Hagia Sophia or the Church of the Divine Wisdom) built by Justinian a thousand years before. Most visitors to Istanbul today believe that Aga met his charge, but the mosque caused quite a sensation in the 17th century among the more pious Muslims. They thought the six minarets were somewhat sacrilegious, because until that time, only the Great Mosque in Mecca had that many. In addition to the six minarets surrounding the mosque, the exterior of the Blue Mosque is highlighted by a series of domes that are designed to bring the visitors' eyes towards the heavens. The whole view is really quite awesome.
The Blue Mosque is located in the European Sultanahmet District of Istanbul just a short ride across the bridge over the Golden Horn from the cruise ship pier. Our guide Ebru had the driver let us out of the van at the Hippodrome, which was a great place to start our understanding of Istanbul.
The Hippodrome was built by the Romans in about 200 AD. It was originally used for chariot racing and other public events, and the stadium surrounding the track held over 100,000 people. The Hippodrome was the center of life in Byzantine Constantinople for over 1,000 years and of Ottoman life in Istanbul for over 400 years. It was also the center of numerous political and civil battles, some brutal. The bloodiest brawl occurred in 532 AD when two rival chariot racing teams ignited a riot that resulted in most of the city being burned. The revolt ended when an army of Justinian's mercenaries massacred about 30,000 people who were trapped in the Hippodrome.
Very little of the Hippodrome survives today, and the area is now a large park adjacent to the Blue Mosque. The floor of the Hippodrome lies buried under 16 feet of soil and the track is now a paved road. Emperor Constantine once lined the Hippodrome with large columns, but only three survive in the park. Some of the rest were taken by the Crusaders, and can be found in European locations outside of Istanbul such as Venice. The oldest remaining column is called the Egyptian Obelisk, which was built in Egypt in 1500 BC, and once stood in Luxor before Constantine brought it to his city. Experts believe the beautifully carved column is only about 1/3 its original height, the rest being broken while it was being shipped to Constantinople. Next to the Egyptian Obelisk is the spiral Serpentine Column, dating back to 479 BC. It was brought to Istanbul from Delphi, and originally consisted of three intertwined serpents supporting a large cauldron. The cauldron and snakes' heads were broken off the column in the 18th century. The third remaining column stands over 100 feet high and is called the Column of Constantine Porphyrogenitus. Not much is known about this unadorned column other than that it was once covered in bronze before being looted by the Crusaders.
Let's leave the Hippodrome and move into the Blue Mosque.
Things to See and Do in Istanbul
Leaving the Hippodrome, visitors to Istanbul enter the courtyard of Sultan Ahmet Camii, or the Blue Mosque. The Blue Mosque is probably Istanbul's most famous landmark, and was built by some of the same stone masons who helped construct the Taj Mahal in India. The architect used classical Ottoman design in the mosque, and the numerous domes and half-domes used throughout the mosque continually draw the eyes of the visitors skyward to heaven. Most of these domes and semidomes are best seen from the courtyard.
The inside of the Blue Mosque is flooded with light due to the over 250 windows that were formerly filled with 17th century Venetian stained glass. The Venetian glass is gone, but the effect is still quite light and airy. One note of caution--you will need to remove your shoes at the entrance of the mosque, and women will need to cover their heads. Men should remove their hats. If the attendants think you are dressed inappropriately for local standards (i.e. bare shoulders or knees), they will lend you a robe to wear.
The 20,000 magnificent blue ceramic tiles covering much of the interior of the Blue Mosque and giving the mosque its nickname are the first things noticed when entering. These tiles are quite splendid and were produced in Iznik, which was once known as Nicaea in early Christian times. Workers in Isnik, about 55 miles from Istanbul, used local deposits of fine clay to create their pottery, which is similar to porcelain. Sultan Ahmet banned others from ordering tiles from Isnik while the Blue Mosque was under construction, which may have contributed to the industry's subsequent decline in the 17th century.
Looking around the inside of the mosque, there's a lot to absorb. Anyone who has never visited a mosque will first notice that there are no images of living things inside (either human or animal), as these are forbidden by Islam. The geometric and abstract artwork is quite impressive, however. Four large 16-foot diameter columns dominate the interior of the Blue Mosque, supporting the huge dome above. The doors and shutters on the windows were intricately carved with latticework, as was the imperial loge where the sultan and his entourage could pray safely behind screens away from would-be assassins. Flowering arabesque designs are painted on the inside of the domes and semidomes. The mihrab, which is an ornate niche in the wall marking the direction of Mecca, has a piece of the sacred Black Stone from the Kaaba in Mecca. Muslims always kneel and face the Kaaba in the holy city of Mecca in Saudi Arabia when praying. Next to the mihrab is the minbar, the high pulpit where the imam delivers his Friday sermon. The mosque has separate prayer areas for women and men. Unfortunately, the prayer carpets covering the floor are no longer hand-woven because people kept stealing them for their value. Muslims are called to pray five times each day, and so all mosques have a clock. The one in the Blue Mosque is a grandfather clock. The exact time to pray is set by the sunrise and sunset each day, so it changes with the seasons. The muezzin used to call the faithful to prayer from the balcony of the minaret, but nowadays loudspeakers broadcast the call across the city.
Tourists exit the Blue Mosque through a side door. We next walked the short distance to the Basilica Cistern, which many consider the most unusual tourist attraction in Istanbul, and then on to the Haghia Sophia (Aya Sofya or Church of the Divine Wisdom).
Hagia Sophia and the Basilica Cistern of Istanbul
The Aya Sofya (Hagia Sophia) of Istanbul and the Basilica Cistern are both within easy walking distance of the Blue Mosque. The Basilica Cistern was built by Justinian in 532 AD, and it is the largest surviving Byzantine cistern in Istanbul. This huge underground cistern, which measures 70 meters by 140 meters, once held over 80,000 cubic meters of water. The vaulted brick roof is supported by 336 columns, each over 30 feet tall, and water was pumped through over 40 miles of aqueducts from a reservoir near the Black Sea. Although the extra water was needed by the city during long sieges, Justinian originally built it to correct water shortages at his nearby Great Palace. Visitors to the cistern today descend underground via stairway and use walkways over the remaining water to explore the mysterious cavern. The columns vary in design and intricacy with different capitals and bases. It is very interesting, and well worth a short visit. It is also cool inside and is a welcome respite from the heat outside if you are visiting Istanbul in the summer.
The Haghia Sophia (or Aya Sofya or Church of the Divine Wisdom) is among the world's greatest architectural achievements. Built by Justinian, the church was completed in 537 AD. Its size and grandeur demonstrates the sophistication of the architects in the 6th century Byzantine capital, and influenced building for centuries after. Unlike many early Christian churches, this church was not named for a saint, but was called Sancta Sophia in Latin, Hagia (or Haghia) Sophia in Greek, Aya Sofya in Turkish, and the Church of the Divine Wisdom in English. The Hagia Sophia was the world's greatest Christian church until the conquest of Constantinople in 1453. The Ottomans converted the church into a mosque, and added minarets and fountains. The Ottomans also plastered over some of the original Christian mosaics of the holy family since the Muslim religion forbids images in their mosques. Aya Sofya was used as a mosque until 1935, when it became a museum. Today many of the Christian mosaics have been uncovered and stand next to the Ottoman modifications added in the 15th century. Pictures of Jesus and Mary are intermingled with the muezzin mahfili and mihrab added by the Muslims. This gives the Aya Sofya a very distinct look, much different from the Blue Mosque.
When you enter Sancta Sophia, the vastness of the 105-foot dome towering 184 feet overhead is astounding, especially given that the building was constructed 1500 years ago! Through the centuries, earthquakes have damaged the building, and it has been fortified numerous times. Since this was Christendom's largest early church, it was decorated with the finest materials and supposedly housed an array of Christian relics, including the True Cross, Jesus' swaddling clothes, and the table used in the Last Supper. These relics were collected in the Holy Land by the Empress Helena, the mother of Constantine the Great, and sent to Constantinople. The walls are covered in a variety of the finest marbles, but the mosaics are the most impressive part of the interior. Originally, all of the interior not faced with marble were covered in gold, green, blue, or red mosaics. These simple geometric designs covered over 200,000 square feet of the interior, and figurative mosaics were added later.
Unfortunately, much of the original church's Byzantine furnishings were either destroyed by the crusading Christians in June 1204 or by the Ottomans in May 1453. Some of the Ottoman decorative pieces were preserved, including two large alabaster urns and four large gold medallions with Arabic script.
After touring Aya Sofya, we decided to break for lunch at the nearby Four Seasons Hotel before touring the Topkapi Palace.
Istanbul - Port of Call - Things to See and Do
Sultan Mehmet the Ottoman Conqueror built the Topkapi Palace in Istanbul shortly after he conquered the city in the 15th century. The palace was expanded by successive sultans, and remained the sultan's residence for the Ottoman Empire for over 400 years. It has opulent rooms, fine art collections, and peaceful courtyards, and is one of the highlights of the city. When looking at a map of Topkapi, the palace complex looks immense. The palace has been a museum since 1924. Like many national museums, visitors can easily spend at least a day exploring all of the buildings and grounds. Visitors with less time will have to do what we did--choose a few exhibits to tour and hope to return someday for more.
The palace has four courtyards, each of which is more private than the first. The Imperial Gate leads to the first courtyard, and the twin towers of the Gate of Salutations serve as the entry to the second courtyard of Topkapi Palace. Each of the buildings inside harbors a different type of treasure. For example, the old kitchen houses a wonderful collection of priceless Chinese porcelain and some huge ancient kitchen utensils. The Treasury has exquisite jewels, many of which are embedded in daggars, chainmail, or other weapons of war. The Treasury also has golden thrones encrusted with precious stones and the 86-carat Spoonmaker's Diamond, the 5th largest in the world, which once adorned the turban of Mehmet IV.
Some of the relics in the Topkapi Palace are harder to authenticate. Among them is a cabinet containing bones from the skull and hands of John the Baptist. The Pavilion of the Holy Mantle has some of the holiest relics of Islam, most of which found their way to Istanbul during the reign of Selim the Grim who conquered both Egypt and Arabia. The most sacred treasure is the mantle once worn by the Prophet Mohammed. A holy man continually chants passages from the Koran night and day over a gold chest containing the mantle. In the same room are hairs from Mohammed, two of his swords, a letter written by him and an impression of his footprint.
We didn't have time to tour the harem, but it sounds very intriguing. Just the idea of over 1,000 wives and concubines living together in a lush area guarded by black slave eunuchs and frequented by sultans and their sons probably sounds more exotic and interesting than it actually was. The concubines were foreign slaves and all hoped to become a sultan's favorite or provide him a son. Since Islam forbid enslaving Muslims, Christians, and Jews, the girls were often brought from far away, many from Russia. The concubines were educated and schooled in the ways of Islam life and culture. Many were eventually granted their freedom to marry powerful men in the empire, thus securing loyalty to the sultan. If you visit Topkapi, be sure to sign up early for the guided tour of the harem. You can't enter otherwise, and the tours fill up early in the day.
After a long day of sightseeing, we were glad to see the van and our driver. Ebru had taught us much about Istanbul and our heads were spinning. We checked in at the Swissôtel and had a leisurely dinner at the hotel's rooftop restaurant while we watched the sunset over the city. We had missed seeing some of the "must sees" in the city and didn't get to the bazaar. But our cruise on the Silversea Silver Shadow and our day in Istanbul had been wonderful -- just not long enough. As we looked out over the Bosphorus and the Silver Shadow and the city below, we toasted the ship, its crew, our guide, and this fascinating city, promising to return one day in the future.
From Linda Garrison,Your Guide to Cruises.
http://cruises.about.com/cs/europe/a/istanbul_p.htm
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