A Day in "Old Istanbul"

Today we spent the day touring the Sultanahmet district in Istanbul. Sultanahmet is the neighborhood standing right on top of the ancient Byzantium settlement. The area is very easily maneuvered on foot, and having been fortunate enough to stay in the Arcadia Hotel located right in the Sultanahmet district, made for a memorable last day here in Istanbul.

The Hippodrome was the center of Byzantine life for 1000 years and Ottoman life for another 400. It was the center of Byzantium’s political and social life, a place for gathering and discussion and debate for the residents of the city. The Sultan’s ruled from their palaces while the hippodrome was the place that belonged to the people. Political parties were formed here and chariot races were often conducted between teams. Victorius charioteers might even have effects on political policy. Many a Sultan kept a watchful eye over the events in the Hippodrome, discontent was observed here as it could signal the beginnings of riot, demonstrations and revolution. In the northern corner of the Hippodrome is the Kaiser Wilhelm Fountain, presented as a token of friendship from the German keiser to the Turkish Sultan as a token of friendship. In the center of the Hippodrome is the Obelisk of Theodosius. The emperor Theodosius had this Egyptian obelisk brought to Constantinople in AD 390. Next to that is a bronze spiral column that once had three serpent heads atop. It was made by the Greeks from melted Persian war helmets to commemorate the Greek victory over the Persians. It was brought to Constantinople by Constantine in AD 330. Finally on the southern end of the Hippodrome is the Rough-Stone Obelisk that once was covered by bronze plates before removed by the invading Crusaders of the Fourth Crusade.

Hagia Sofia (The Church of Great Wisdom) is surely Istanbul’s most famous monument. First built as a church by Emperor Justinian in 527-65 as part of his efforts to restore the greatness of the Roman Empire. Mehmet the Conqueror, the Ottoman Sultan who conquered Constantinople in 1453, converted the church into a mosque. In 1935, Attaturk, the founder of the Turkish republic turned Aya Sofya into a museum. Entering into this museum is awe-inspiring. The Emperor Justinian was said to have declared, upon entering the church for the first time following its completion that he was honored to have built such a glorious house of worship and he is said to have uttered aloud,“ I have outdone Solomon himself.” Entering this site and immediately understand why. The enormous dome is the largest in all the world and truly one of the great wonders of ancient Byzantium. One is certainly overwhelmed by the height and breadth of Hagia Sofia. There is a mix of Byzantine and Islamic art throughout the site.

Sultanahmet Mosque. The Ottoman Sultan Ahmet I (1603-17) set out to build a monument that would rival the nearby Hagia Sofia in grandeur and beauty. Today it’s more widely known as the Blue Mosque due to the stained-glass windows and Iznik tiles lining the walls of the mosque. The mosque has six minarets and the courtyard is the biggest of all the Ottoman mosques.

The mosque is an absolutely stunning achievement of architecture. Both beautiful inside and out, it is truly a wonder of the Ottoman Age. From our hotel terrace at night we could see the Blue Mosque along the Bosphorus with its unique six minarets. With the moon shinning from above on this lovely summer evening and the call to prayer being heard through loudspeakers, one is easily mesmerized by the beauty and mystery of this ancient city.