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Istanbul Diaries:
Part I teXt & PHotos BY: ALISTAIR SPEIRS
“Madam, madam, come inside” cried the handsome smartly dressed
shopkeeper in the Grand Bazaar, “Come inside, and let me sell you
something you really don’t need”. And with these words the true
enjoyment of our Istanbul adventure were sealed, says Alistair Speirs
after four days in Turkey’s vibrant mega-city.
“Let’s go to Istanbul! I said to my dear
wife”. “Sure” she replied, not thinking
I was serious, “Let’s go this weekend”.
So we did. And with the combined
assistance of Turkish Airlines and Renk
United Travel we had four extraordinary
days of constant fun and stimulation in
one of the best cities in the world for
tourism.
Here are a few of the places we
visited, on just the first two days. More
to come in Part II!
Hagia Sophia
Everyone has heard of the massive
Church-which-became-a-mosquewhich-became-a-museum
but few are
prepared for its astonishing age, its
amazing size, its awesome decoration, its
aura of mystery, its fascinating history
and the thrill of entering for the first
time. I certaintly wasn’t, but I came away
impressed.
The entrance is well organised, as
are most attractions in Istanbul, with
efficient ticketing and good security. The
grounds are well kept and clean. But it’s
inside this enormous structure that the
excitement begins.
I wasn’t anticipating the size of the
main room, with its multitude of half
domes and roof structures. I was amazed
at the lights hanging low on forty metre
cables. I was impressed by the mozaics
which are still nearly intact after 1500
years of history.
First built by Constantine in 360 AD
it was burnt down in 404 and rebuilt by
Theodosius II starting in 405 but was
destroyed again in 532 AD.
The third construction was started
immediately by Justinian and took
10,000 people to build the incredible
structure that still stands today. It was
finished about 550, and was the centre
of Orthodox Christianity for 900 years
till 1453 when it fell into the ottoman
empire’s hands and became the grand
mosque; and remained an important
centre of Islamic worship for 400 years.
It officially became a UNESCO
World Heritage site in 1985.
Topakapi Palace
Close by Hagia Sophia lies the
sprawling complex called Topakapi.
Overlooking the Bosphorus, this was
the focal point of the Ottoman Empire
for 4 centuries. This is where the Sultans
and their many courtiers lived, worked,
played and often died without leaving
the grounds.
There is an extensive series of rooms
containing a mind-boggling array of
jewelry, clothing, furniture and valuables
collected by the Sultans, with the most
amazing being original religious artifacts
including the cloak of the Prophet
Mohammed, his sword, his teeth and his
beard! Sadly no photography is allowed
in these rooms.
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