Ottoman Splendour Imperial Capitals

Suit of ceremonial armour of Mustafa III Ottoman, Imperial Armoury, Topkapi Ottoman Splendour Imperial Capitals EasternTurkeyTours Tel: (UK Office) ...
Author: Elmer Hoover
0 downloads 0 Views 3MB Size
Suit of ceremonial armour of Mustafa III Ottoman, Imperial Armoury, Topkapi

Ottoman Splendour Imperial Capitals

EasternTurkeyTours Tel: (UK Office) +44 (0)1792 293 464 Tel: (Turkish Office) +90 432 215 20 92

Constantinople on the eve of the Ottoman conquest 1453

Day 1: Arrival in Istanbul. Overnight Istanbul Istanbul was capital to three great world empires: the Roman Empire, the Byzantine Empire and the Ottoman Empire. Known as the “City of the World’s desire” Istanbul straddles the Bosphorus, that narrow strip of water separating Europe from Asia, and has been for millennia, a cultural confluence of East and West. Founded in this location by Greek colonists and named Byzantium in 657 BC because of its fabulous harbour, the city was inaugurated by Constantine the Great as the capital of the Roman Empire in 330 AD. With the collapse of the Empire in the west Constantinople became the sole inheritor of Rome’s cachet and its cultural riches. Captured for the Ottomans by Sultan Mehmed II on the 29th of May 1453, the city became the Ottoman capital until the end of empire in 1922; he was 21 at the time. After the conquest he set about to reestablish the city, fallen on sad times since the depredations of the Crusaders of the 4th Crusade in 1202, as a great world city once again. It is from the Ottoman period that Istanbul takes its familiar appearance but one doesn’t have to look very hard to see the heritage of Roman and Byzantine Constantinople. Istanbul must be one of

Kadikoy markets

the most photogenic cities in the world. Once one has gone beyond the modern, bustling city of Istanbul, in many respects the city remains, as it was in ancient times, an agglomeration of towns and smaller villages. The many neighbourhoods of the city, on both sides of the Bosphorus, still retain their distinct characteristics. We will begin our tour on the European side concentrating on the great familiar sites and sights but looking at them with the eye of the locals. At the end of the tour we will return to Istanbul but keep to the Asian side using Kadikoy as our base, a part of

Istanbul most foreign tourists are completely unfamiliar with. Kadikoy, ancient Chalcedon, was called the “City of the Blind” by the inhabitants of Byzantium across the water. They could not comprehend why the Chalcedonians, who arrived in the region first, could possibly have built their city in that location while ignoring the superb natural harbour on the Golden Horn. The district has a notable Christian heritage and was the site of the 4th Ecumenical Council in 451 AD. This council established what became known as the Chalcedonian Creed which established

Aya Sophia

Day 2 the dual nature of Christ accepted by the Catholic and Eastern Orthodox churches as well as most Protestant Churches but not the Coptic, Ethiopian, Eritrean, Syriac and Armenian Apostolic Churches. In short Kadikoy is an unfamiliar place with an important history.

Day 2 We will spend the first day in the heart of old Istanbul, Sultanahmet where all the most famous sites are situated: Aya Sophia, Hippodrome, Mosaic Museum and Yerebetan Saray. Aya Sophia, the heart of Constantinople and for nearly 900 years the Imperial Church of the Byzantine empire and probably the greatest religious building in Christendom. After the Conquest the building was converted to a mosque and from early on in the Republican period a museum. However, whatever its incarnation may be, Aya Sofia is one of the world’s great buildings. The Hippodrome, built as an arena for horse, chariot and other sporting events was more than just a huge sporting arena; it was also the location for political events and revolution during both Byzantine and

Ottoman times. While the stands have mostly disappeared, to be replaced by more recent buildings such as the Blue Mosque and the Palace of Ibrahim Pasha, the course of the race track with its markers, are still clearly evident and its Turkish name, At Meydani (Horse Square) clearly identifies its original purpose. Historical events here include the infamous Nika Riots of 532 which saw the destruction of large parts of the city and the deaths of tens of thousands of people; although political in nature the spark that lit the fire was a confrontation between rival chariot racing team fans. This riot saw the destruction of Aya Sofia and the rebuilding of the church to produce the structure we see today. The Mosaic Museum behind the Blue Mosque, although small, contains exquisite examples of classical mosaic art depicting daily life such as children at play with miniature chariots and superbly detailed hunting scenes. Yerebetan Saray, found at the Golden Horn end of the Hippodrome, is one of the many cisterns to be found throughout Istanbul. Dating from the late Roman period, it is the terminal point of the Aqueduct of Valens and served the Great Imperial Palace

Medusa head, Central Pillar, Yerebetan Saray

(roughly the site of the Blue Mosque). This is a large cistern roughly 140 x 65 metres and capable of storing about 80,000 cubic metres of water. What we see today is a Cathedral sized subterranean chamber supported by 336 nine metre high columns; the columns are mixed Ionic, Corinthian and Doric styles and are clearly built with recycled materials as is evident from the main attraction of the cistern, the upsidedown Medusa’s head being used as a column base at the far end of the cistern. In the afternoon we will visit Istanbul Archaeology Museums with a special emphasis on Byzantine collection.There are in fact three museums here: the main archeological museum, the Ancient Orient Museum and the Tiled Kiosk Museum.

Day 3 & 4 Day 3 The City Walls of Constantinople, Chora Museum. One of the great sites of Constantinople, the Great Walls stretch from the Sea of Marmara to the Golden Horn; these defensive walls (still largely intact) were the inspiration for military architects as far afield as Britain where castles built by

Constantine the great

Edward I at Caernarfon and Conwy to subdue the Welsh in the 13th century are clearly modeled on Constantinople’s defenses which so impressed the participants of the Fourth Crusade. The Church of the Patriarchate (An active Orthodox Church) Brief visits to some of the Churches which are now Mosques such as the Church of Theodosia (Gül Camii) and Genoese Church known as The Arabian Mosque. A Jewish synagogue, now a museum, can be visited here also; the museum was established to commemorate the 500th anniversary of Jews coming to the Ottoman Empire from Spain after the Reconquista in 1492 and the subsequent expulsion of Jews from the Iberian Peninsula. We will now have a chance to ride the Tunel which is one of the oldest underground railways in the world (1875) and then on to visit the Galata Tower and its environs (a 14.Century Genoese tower,

once part of the defensive walls of the Genoese trading settlement and which now gives its name to the old neighborhood around it). The tower offers a spectacular 360 degree panoramic view of Istanbul. From Galata Tower we can stroll on İstiklal Street and enjoying the Belle Époque air of the area, the markets and arcades around the Flower Sellers passage and the busy Catholic Church of St. Anthony.

Day 4 The Blue Mosque, built between 1609 and 1616 was the imperial mosque of Sultan Ahmet I and it is from this mosque that the district takes its name. The architect was Sedefkar Mehmet Aga a student of the great Ottoman architect Sinan. The mosque is popularly known as the Blue Mosque because of the stunning use of blue Iznik tiles on the interior but what particularly distinguishes Sultan Ahmet Camii is the fact that it has six minarets and is the centre piece of Istanbul’s iconic skyline. The Turkish and Islamic Art Museum is housed in the palace of Suleyman the Magnificent’s Grand Vizier, Ibrahim Pasha; the building was constructed in the early

Süleymaniye Mosque

Day 4 16th century. Ibrahim was a Greek from Epirus who was sold into slavery by pirates as a child. He was befriended by Suleyman and when Suleyman became Sultan in 1520 he rose to great power through ability as well as his connection with the Sultan, eventually marrying the Sultan’s sister. Ultimately he succumbed to a combination of excessive ambition and palace politics; he was executed in 1536. The collection at the museum contains artistic and ethnographic material covering both Seljuk and Ottoman periods. In the afternoon we will visit the Topkapi Palace. Built in 1565, the palace complex was the home of the Ottoman Sultans and

the centre of empire until 1856 when the Sultan moved to the modern European styled palace at Dolmabhace. Built on the site of the old acropolis, the palace complex resembled in many respects, a military camp with many courtyards and pavilions, housing at its peak about 4000 people. Süleymaniye Mosque. Completed in 1558 the Süleymaniye dominates the Istanbul skyline as viewed from the Golden Horn; it is the masterpiece of the greatest and most prolific of all Ottoman architects, Mimar Sinan. Sinan was a product of the Devşirme soon after it was extended from the Balkans to include Anatolia; from Kayseri, he was probably either Greek or Armenian and got his start as a military engineer in the Janissary Corps. He constructed buildings across the empire including mosques, schools, baths, religious complexes,

Topkapi palace in the snow

roads and bridges eventually becoming the chief imperial architect of Suleyman. His apprentices are responsible for some of the great buildings in the architectural record from the Blue Mosque to the Taj Mahal. The Süleymaniye, along with the Selime in Edirne, is his crowning achievement and is a synthesis of Byzantine and Ottoman styles, but exceeds both not only in its elegance and ambition but also its sheer artistry. Sinan lived on after Suleyman’s death to serve his successor Selim, dying in 1588 just one year short of his 100th birthday. Both Sinan and Suleyman are buried in the grounds of the Süleymaniye mosque gardens.

Haydarpaşa Station, serving the Orient

Day 5, 6 & 7 Day 5 Take the Bosphorus Cruise which travels the entire length of the Bosphorus as far as the last stop on the Asian side at Anadolu Kavagi; lunch in one of the many excellent fish restaurants in this small fishing village. Travel back to Istanbul down the Asian shore of the Bosphorus by coach, stopping

at the Beylerbeyi Palace (please note that this museum is closed on Mondays and Thursdays and closes at 4.00pm). Beylerbeyi was commissioned by the sultan Abdul-Aziz and built between 1861-1865 by the Armenian architects Sarkis and Agop Balyanin. French neo-baroque style with a traditional Ottoman house plan which incorporates public spaces with private or harem areas. The gardens also include two exquisite pavilions built in stone to exactly replicate nomadic tents. The Palace enjoys beautiful views of the Bosphorus.

Day 6

Selimiye Mosque, Edirne Photo by Nuran Zorlu

Depart by train from Sirkeci Station (the terminus for the fabled Orient Express) for Edirne. Previously known as Hadrianoplolis (after the Roman Emperor Hadrian) then later Adrianopol it was known to the Ottomans as Edirne. Edirne was the Ottoman capital from 1365 to 1453 and it was here the Mehmed II, the Conqueror, was born. The city was the launching point for the final assault on Constantinople in 1453 and was the hub for the principle military preparations including the foundries that produced the giant cannons that were so

important to the Ottoman success. The city is located on the borders between Greece, Bulgaria and Turkey and in military terms has been one of the most fought over places on earth. We are here primarily for the architecture as Edirne is the location of the great the Selimiye mosque. Commissioned by Sultan Selim II and built by the great Ottoman architect Sinan and completed in 1575 when he was already 80 years old. Sinan considered this mosque to be his masterpiece and it is considered to be one of the greatest achievements of Islamic architecture. A massive structure, with a dome larger than Aya Sofia’s in Istanbul and with four graceful 83 metre minarets, the mosque is set within an extensive complex which includes a hospital, school, library, kitchens and baths. Overnight Edirne.

Day 7 From Edirne we proceed to the site of the World War I battlefield at Gallipoli. After breakfast at the hotel, we drive south across the Thracian Plain to the Battlefield sites of Gallipoli and visit monuments at Anzac Cove, Nek, Conk Bair, Lone Pine and 57th regiment memorial with a final stop at

Day 7, 8 & 9 the new War Museum. Gallipoli, in Turkish Gelibolu, was the site of allied landings on the 25th of April, 1915 by French, British Empire and Commonwealth troops which intended to force the Dardanelles and gain naval access to Constantinople. It is a place that saw the awakening of a national consciousness amongst not just Australians and New Zealanders but also Turks, because it was here that Mustafa Kemal, later Ataturk, founder of the Turkish

Republic, first came to national prominence. Gallipoli is a moving place to ponder the terrible war that wracked the civilised world between 1914 and 1918 but more than that, it is today a tranquil place of pilgrimage for Australians, New Zealanders, British and Turks and it is a monument to the ideals of peace and reconciliation. This ideal is best represented in an unassuming monument on Anzac Cove that simply carries the words of Kemal Ataturk from 1934: “T hose heroes that shed their blood and lost their lives… You are now living in the soil of a friendly country. T herefore rest in peace. T here is no difference between

From Gallipoli we cross the Dardanelles by ferry for Canakkale. Overnight near Canakkale.

the Johnnies and the Mehmets to us where they lie side by side here in this

Days 8 & 9

country of ours…

From Canakkale we proceed to the Great Ottoman capital of Bursa. Founded in 550 BC Bursa (or Proussa) became a spa town during the Roman period. It was under the Ottomans that Bursa really came to prominence when it became the first Ottoman capital; it remained the capital until 1416 when the capital was transferred

You, the mothers, who sent their sons from faraway countries, wipe away your tears; your sons are now lying in our bosom and are in peace, after having lost their lives on this land they have become our sons as well."

Tomb of Osman, founder of the Ottoman Empire

Days 8, 9 & 10 to Edirne as Ottoman interest concentrated on the Balkans. However, as the Ottoman dynasty spread its wings Bursa became the capital in 1326. The city was referred to as Hüdavendigar ("God's gift" in Turkish) during the Ottoman period but a more recent nickname is Yeşil Bursa ("Green Bursa") in reference to the parks found across the city, as well as forests that

surround it. Overlooking the city is the mountain Uludağ (2543 m). The tombs of the early Ottoman sultans are all located in Bursa and the city's main landmarks include many graceful mausoleums, mosques and bazaars dating from this early and dynamic Ottoman period. The famous Turkish shadow puppets Karagöz and Hacivat were reputedly based on historic

Trojan horse from the Hollywood epic movie Troy in Canakkale

personalities who lived and died in Bursa. Bursa is also home to some of the most famous Turkish dishes such as Iskender kebab and Locum (Turkish Delight). We will spend two nights and one full day enjoying the sights, sounds, smells and tastes of Bursa.

Day 10 Depart Bursa for Istanbul via Iznik, a small walled city, Iznik, or ancient Nicaea, was the location of a number of crucial ecclesiastical conferences that established not just the unity of Christianity in the centuries to come, but also prepared the ground for many of Christianity’s divisions which still plague the Christian world today. In 325 AD this first Council of Nicaea established many of the precepts of Christian creed and practice that Christians live by today: it established the nature of the Trinity and set out the article of faith known as the Nicene Creed or the Credo, still recited in western Churches today. The conference also set the rules for the calculation of the date of Easter, a matter which still mystifies many Christians around the world. Basically Easter Sunday falls on

Suleyman the Magnificent

Day 10, 11 & 12 the first Sunday following the first full moon that falls on or after the spring equinox. For this we can thank the Emperor Constantine and the Council of Nicaea of 325 AD. The Roman Byzantine walls with four gates are still intact and we will visit the Church of Aya Sofia (a common church name) which is now a museum and The Museum

of Archeology. From Iznik we will return to Istanbul around the Sea of Marmara (4 hours) and we will stay in Kadikoy. Kadikoy today, while resolutely Turkish, retains a bustling and cosmopolitan atmosphere with a number of functioning Armenian churches and a thriving restaurant district not to mention fabulous views across the Bosphorus

towards the minaret studded skyline of old Istanbul. Overnight Kadikoy.

Day 11 Free Day Istanbul Day 12 Depart

Ottoman Splendour Imperial Capitals

EasternTurkeyTours Exceed your expectations Email: [email protected]