Cultural Highlights

Topics on this Page:

	Topkapi Palace			Aya Sofya			The Blue Mosque
	The Grand Bazaar

Topkapi Palace

Open: 09:00 – 17:00 (closed Tuesdays) - (212) 512 0480

Built between 1459 and 1465, the palace consists of a collection of buildings arranged around a series of courtyards -- the hub of Ottoman power for nearly four centuries. Its ornately gilded and marbled interior was the perfect setting for the dramas of the Ottoman Empire, acting as part military command center, part eastern pleasure dome.

In terms of lavish decor and exquisite location, there is little to rival it in all Europe (although Spaniards might argue for their own Islamic treasure in Grenada – the Alhambra).

The business of running the empire was conducted from within the second courtyard. The beautifully restored Divan is where imperial viziers received crowds of petitioners from across the empire.

Today, the queues are still made up of visitors from afar, but their interest lies mainly in entering the Harem – haram being the Arabic word for forbidden.

Over 400 rooms of breathtaking excess, the Harem is fascinating, despite the obligatory guided tour (09:00 – 12:00 and 13:00 – 16:00, every 30min).

Aya Sofya

Open: 09:15am – 16:30, Tues–Sun

Also known as Sancta Sophia, Hagia Sofia (in Greek), and the Church of the Divine Wisdom, the former Byzantine cathedral of Aya Sofya is perhaps the single most compelling sight in the city.

Visible from across the city due to its massive domes, It was for centuries the largest enclosed space in the world. Regarded as the greatest church in Christendom up until the fall of Constantinople, it was converted into a mosque in 1453. The minarets were added shortly thereafter.

Examining the interior of the church is more a metaphysical than a physical experience. Visitors entering through the main entrance experience both a gradual sense of being drawn upwards and a sense of gloomy darkness being dispelled by the light from 30 million gold mosaic tiles.

Both the decoration and the soaring, brilliant weightlessness of the main dome make Aya Sofya a must-see item on any visit to Istanbul.

The Blue Mosque

Open: 09:00 – 17:00 daily

With its six minarets, the Blue Mosque is impressive and instantly recognizable, a triumph of harmony, proportion and elegance

Upon entering, a series of domes ripple upwards, drawing the viewer's eye ever-closer to heaven. The 20,000 blue tiles beneath give the mosque its name. Fine examples of late-sixteenth-century Iznik ware, they include flower and tree panels as well as more abstract designs.

The Ottoman design is carried through to the ablution fountains in the centre of the courtyards, the arabesques painted on the domes, and the luminous stained-glass windows that filter the outside light.

The mosque is such a popular tourist sight that entry is strictly controlled to preserve its sacred atmosphere. Only worshippers can enter through the main door; tourists must use the north door and are not admitted during prayer.

The Grand Bazaar

Open: 08:30 – 18:00, closed Sundays.

The Grand Bazaar is a world apart, a 15th century maze of interconnecting vaulted passageways containing some 4,000 shops. This is the Orient.

The heart of the bazaar is made up of the Old Bedesten, where the most precious items have always been located. Even today, over 100 tons of gold is sold annually from its narrow alleys.

The streets were originally named after the goods sold there (Mirror-makers Street, Pearl Merchants Street, Fez Makers Street and so on), and although that's not necessarily the case today, it is still possible to buy precious gems, old coins and intricately crafted jewelry in Jewelers Street.

Hit badly by an earthquake in 1894, it wasn’t until the republic found its economic footing in the 1950’s that the bazaar’s fortunes began to revive.

As Turkey modernizes rapidly, the middle-classes are deserting the Grand Bazaar for its modern counterparts – the sleek new shopping malls dotted around the city. The result has been the Grand Bazaar’s increasing reliance upon tourist trade (sadly reflected in the sea of mantelpiece trinkets, no-label jeans and hippy-wear). Nevertheless, there are still attractive quality goods to be had.