EuropeIstanbul Travelogue (#2): POI and Cuisine

Point of Interests

Hagia Sophia

With Istanbul’s turbulent historical developments, Hagia Sophia (Holy wisdom) was constructed 3 times in the same location. It was first built by the East Roman empire in the 6C, and served as the leading cathedral where emperors were crowned. It was conquered by the Ottoman sultans in the 15th century, and was reconstructed as an Islamic mosques with Islamic architecture added to the structure.

Hagia Sophia is a true architectural marvel, and it was also the first Islamic mosque of such a grand scale that I’ve ever visited. Originally constructed as a grand cathedral, the traditional basilical structure was built with beautiful marble columns, white marbles from the Marmara Islands, green porphyry from the Egriboz island, pink marbles from Afyon and the yellows from North Africa. The decorative interior wall coatings featured saints and Bible stories, yet were covered up with plastic as the Ottoman sultans conquered Constantinople. During the 16th and 17th century, mihrabs, minibars, maksoorahs, royal residences, and libraries were added to the Cathedral, and the converted mosque remains the remarkable architectural marvel we see today.

For me, the huge Ottoman calligraphy disks hung on the cathedral was the biggest attraction. 7.5 meters wide in radius, they were the biggest calligraphy paintings of the Islamic world, with characters as huge as 30 centimeters wide written with elegance and strength. They read “Allah, Hz Muhammed, Hz Ebubekir, Hz Omer, Hz Osman, Hz Ali, Hz Hasan ve, Hz Huseyin”, with the later few the names of the grandchildren of the sultan. The characters were lofty, symmetrical, and highly expressive, drastically different from that of Chinese calligraphy. Coated in gold and written on dark green wooden panels, the calligraphy was re-written in the 18th century by the famed calligraphists of their time. I replayed the audio guide many times, walking to and fro under these huge art marvels, 8 panels hanging from the ceiling of Hagia Sophia, frozen in a moment in time with eternal grace and beauty.

Sultanahmet Mosque and Suleyman Mosque

There is a total of more than 3000 mosques in Istanbul, some built by royal families while there are also mosques built by communities and individuals. The royal inaugurated mosques have 2 or 4 minarets, while only two mosques in Istanbul have 6 minarets. The amount of minarets are a sign of power and affluence, and these fluted, pencil shaped minarets each feature 3 balconies for the daily call of prayer.

The Blue mosque, also known as the Sultanahmet mosque, is characterized by 6 minarets and a flamboyant interior with more than 20,000 handmade ceramic tiles. Islamic faith is characterized by natural decorations, and flamboyant representations of flowers, fruits, plants, and cypresses are seen on the beautifully colored tiles.

Traditional Bazaars

Istanbul’s traditional bazaars are a feast to the five sensations. Abundant spice stands, Turkish delight vendors, Turkish souvenirs, and luxury goods (gold, watches, silver, antiques) are seen on display. The vendors are overly courteous, persistent, and curious. “China? Japan? Where are you from?”, “How can I help you spend your money?”, “Try! Take Have a taste of these Turkish delights!” It was a dazzling and overwhelming experience to the five senses, and bargaining is definitely part of the shopping experience.

2 of Istanbul’s most famed tourist bazaars are the Grand bazaar and the Egyptian (spice) bazaar. The grand bazaar was established in 1453, and was enlarged in the following decades into a huge shopping center serving diverse daily needs including currency exchange, daily shopping, and local services. The streets were named after vendors that gathered in groups, such as the gold dealers, the silversmiths, the silk traders, and mirror vendors.