N16Life_SUMMER2017

GETAWAY
the Basilica Cistern (20 TL / £4.50),
a breathtaking underground water
reservoir built with 336 columns during
the reign of Byzantine emperor Justinian I.
It will take you three to four hours to
see these magnificent historical sites.
TOPKAPI PALACE
Afterwards, move firmly into the
Ottoman era with a visit to the Topkapı
Palace complex (40 TL / £8.99, closed
Tuesdays) where you could easily while
away the hours touring the grandiose
home of the sultans that reigned over
a vast empire. There are various low
buildings surrounding courtyards,
pavilions and gardens in an area covering
approximately 7.5 million square feet.
In addition to Ottoman sultans’
possessions and documents, you can
also see the sceptre of the Prophet
Muhammad. There is also a café with a
magnificent view of the Bosporus where
you can take the weight off your feet for a
minute.
If, after that, you are still not tired, drop
into the nearby Istanbul Archaeological
Museum.
DAY TWO
KUZGUNCUK
Today we are off to the Asian side – or,
as Istanbul people call it, the Anatolia
(Anadolu) side. The short boat trip across
the water from Eminönü on the shores of
the Bosporus to Üsküdar won’t be easy
to forget. From here, take a bus or cab
for the 10-minute trip to Kuzguncuk, the
artistic village that was once a meeting
point for different cultures with its
mosque, synagogue and Greek Orthodox
and Armenian churches.
This little neighbourhood was once
home to Jewish, Greek, Armenian and
ethnic Turks – in particular, it is where
ten thousand Jews settled when they
deported from Spain in the 15th century.
That is why it was known as “Little
Jerusalem”. Armenians followed in the
18th century alongside a small Greek
community. There was not even a mosque
here in Kuzguncuk until 1952.
BEYLERBEYI PALACE
Next head over to Beylerbeyi Palace
(20 TL / £4.50), the summer home of
Ottoman sultans, where guests from
around the world – including European
royalty – would be hosted.
It was constructed on the orders of
Sultan Abdulaziz and is a magnificent
show of crystal chandeliers, magnificent
staircases, the “Yıldız” style of porcelain
crockery, Hereke carpets and dolphinshaped
marble fountain.
KUZGUNCUK WAS ONCE
HOME TO JEWISH,
GREEK, ARMENIAN AND
ETHNIC TURKS
KÜÇÜKSU PALACE
Another Ottoman palace is at Küçüksu
(2.50 TL / 55p, closed Mondays &
Thursdays) which was designed as a
hunting lodge for Sultan Abdulmecid.
The 8-room stone building was built in
the 1850s. The outside features baroqueinspired
pomegranate and goose
figurines, while the interior boasts a twin
staircase and lighting provided through
Bohemian crystal.
Abdulmecid would spend the weekends
here to hunt, popping over from the
Dolmabahçe palace on the European
side of the city by boat. He would return
home in the evenings as the palace has no
bedroom.
Some scenes from the 1999 James
Bond film “The World Is Not Enough”
were filmed here at this architectural
treasure. Its location, on the shore of the
Göksu, has been the subject of many 19th
century European painting.
ANADOLUHISARI
With a leisurely walk, proceed to the
AnadoluHisar jetty. Form this point you
can see two castles, one on either side
of the Bosporus, overlooking the water
for centuries. AnadoluHisarı (Anatolian
Castle) was completed in 1395 as part
of Sultan Bayezid I’s preparations for a
second siege of Constantinople. Spend a
little while at one of the cafes around the
Göksu near AnadoluHisar, particularly if
the weather is sunny.
From here, you have two options. You
can either proceed to the bar street in
AnadoluHisarı
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