Istanbul Turkey Day 1

8 June 2014 - Sunday

1. Blue Mosque 2. Hagia Sophia

3. Sultan Selim Turbesi 4. Basilica Cistern

5. Hippodrome

Blue Mosque / Sultan Ahmed Mosque

The Sultanahmet Mosque took its name from the ruler at the time of its construction,

Sultan Ahmet I (1590 -1617), the 14th emperor of the Ottoman Empire. Constructed

between 1609 and 1616, it is also known as the Blue Mosque for its mass of 20,000 blue

and green toned tiles adorning its ceiling.

It stands opposite the Orthodox basilica-turned-mosque-turned-museum of Hagia Sophia,

and it's said that the Sultan built the Blue Mosque in an attempt to rival the beauty of the

former.

Architect Sedefkar Mehmet Aga was the brains behind the design. The design centres on

a series of successively smaller domes set on huge 'elephant feet' columns and six

minarets. The initial complex included a theological college, hospital, market, kitchen for

the poor, and the tomb of the Sultan and his wife and family. Although most of these

buildings were torn down in the 19th century, it's still possible to visit the tomb, which lies

to the north of the Mosque.

The Mosque's six minarets were the source of much controversy

for its time. Legend has it that when the Sultan was briefing

Mehmet Aga on the design, his architect misunderstood

his request to have golden

(in Turkish: altin) minarets made, and instead thought

he wanted six (alti) minarets. When it was completed,

the only other mosque in the world with as many minarets

was the Haram Mosque of Mecca. So outraged were the

religious leaders of the time that the Sultan sent his own

architect to Mecca to build a seventh minaret for this most

holy mosque.

Inside, visitors are free to marvel at the mass of hand painted

Iznik tiles which bear traditional Ottoman patterns of lilies,

carnations and tulips, and to watch the light filter through the

Mosque's 260 stained glass windows. If not for the scores

of tourists during the summer months, it also offers some

necessary solace from the hustle and bustle of Sultanahmet .

Hagia Sophia Opening Hours: Tuesday - Sunday, 9am-4:30pm. Closed Mondays. Tickets: 20 TL.

The Byzantine emperor Justinian I had Hagia Sophia built, in all its glory, in under five

and a half years. Completed in 537AD, this patriarchal basilica remained the

largest cathedral in the world until 1453, when

Constantinople was conquered by Ottoman armies and Sultan Mehmet the Conqueror

converted Hagia Sophia into a mosque.

Prior to its conversion, the interior walls were covered

with marble and porphyry, as well as beautiful mosaics

which included 30 million gold tiles depicting various religious

scenes. Its massive columns are made from granite.

Hagia Sophia is rectangular in structure, measuring 70

metres by 75 metres with a massive central dome. Its

dome made it the focus of intense architectural interest

and wonder; with a height of 55.5 metres and a diameter

measuring 31.24 metres, it appears to float on its arches.

This was achieved by the construction of triangular piers

at the corners of the base and by a sequence of arched

windows under it, allowing vast amounts of sunlight

into the building.

The Crusaders ransacked Hagia Sophia in 1204.

In the wake of their destruction and desecration they also

robbed the cathedral of many of its relics, shipping them to

Venice, and replaced its Patriarch with a Latin bishop.

This event ultimately

served to divide the Greek Orthodox and Roman Catholic

Churches.

Mustafa Kemal Ataturk, the founder of the secular Turkish Republic, had Hagia Sophia converted into a museum in 1935 following extensive

restoration led by Thomas Whitmore of the Byzantine Institute of America. In the process, a compromise had to be made as many of the

covered Christian mosaics and icons were exposed, resulting in the destruction of the Islamic art which had replaced it. In this regard, the

restoration project has attempted to strike a balance between the two religious styles. The Museum's restoration is ongoing, visible by the

scaffolding inside.

Sultan Selim Türbesi / Sultan Selim ii Tomb

Sultan Mehmet II. Selim shrine, located in Gulhane Istanbul Hagia Sophia complex in the graveyard was built in 1577 by Mimar Sinan. The tomb was completed three years after the death of the sultan. Hagia Sophia, the tomb is one of three in the graveyard. outer facade is covered in marble square, double-domed structure. And with the help of a two-part high arches, domes was based on eight columns inside. these shrines as internal arrangement similar to the tomb of Sultan Suleyman the Magnificent and Sinan the Architect is an example of an interesting structure. Tomb broadly beveled corners body was covered with a dome rising above the pulley. Internal walls of the tomb which is square in shape applied an octagonal plan and connecting them to each other with pointed arches, domes are exposed to pandantifle. Thus, Suleiman the Magnificent in the tomb, as well as the superstructure as of an octagonal central space was obtained and on the inside of a chest of circumnavigation in a gallery was

obtained. broad fringed, three-arched portico, then at the entrance two large tile panels attract attention. The turquoise blue tiles XVI. century's most beautiful examples reflect. XIX. s.doringy engaged in Istanbul at the end of the century, a French dentistry, referring to the Ministry of Awqaf shrine of time to complete the missing tiles stated that he wanted and he was allowed to. s.doringy these tiles instead of the real relations as in the New Mosque Sultan's Summer

Palace by removing one of the panels, and instead took an imitation made with oil paint.

Today it is exhibited in the Museum Louver tile panels. 4.50 m

from the floor of the sepulcher. at an altitude of up to is covered

with tiles. Between the surfaces of windows and cabinets, to the

edge of the lower window on a white background, blue, green, red,

navy blue in color, is decorated with flowers and leaves. Turquoise

ground with white clouds processed China border surrounds the

windows and cabinet doors. Window on the dark blue background

with white cel-written verses thuluth a wide inscription band has

been touring all around. Pendants in the mid-i Celal name and

opt yar-i Güzin forming names were placed round medallions.

Tomb is located within 41 cist. These Sultan. Selim, as well as large

and high sarcophagus, III. Nurbanu Sultan Murat's mother, Sultan

Mehmet II. Gevherh Sultan Selim's daughter, İsmihan Sultan and

Sultan Ahmed III. Murat on the voyage (during the throne) strangled

Sultan II. Prince Solomon of the prince Selim Osman, Cihangir, Mustafa Abdullah Sultan III. The 21 men drowned with his brother Sultan Mehmet III. Murat belongs to the sons and daughter.

Basilica Cistern Opening hours: Open every day from 9am - 6.30pm. / Tickets: Foreign visitors 10 TL

Taking visitors to the tranquil depths of Istanbul, the Basilica Cistern is the city's largest

covered reservoir. Built in 532 AD on the site of a great basilica, the Basilica Cistern

once supplied water to nearby palaces such as the Great Palace of Constantinople

and Topkapi Palace.

Also known as the Sunken Palace, the underground site takes up 9,800m2 and has

the capacity to store up to 100, 000 tons of water. The water which fed the Cistern

came through a viaduct, which connected the source of supply atBelgrade Forest to

the Basilica Cistern, a distance of about 19km. Five meter thick walls surround the

Cistern and are specially coated to ensure waterproofing.

Its domed ceilings are held up by intricately designed marble and granite columns

which vary in style between Corinthian, Doric and Ionic. There are 336 columns in all,

arranged in 12 rows of 28 columns.

There are two columns of particular interest at the Basilica Cistern;

those bearing the head of Medusa. Medusa is a female monster from

Greek mythology with hair made of snakes, which is said to have

turned those who looked at her into stone. She was beheaded by the

hero Perseus who then gave her head to Athena to use as a weapon

on the top of her shield as a way of averting evil.

Medusa's upside down head is found on the base of one column.

There are various theories surrounding why her head was placed

upside down, but many believe that it was done to ward off evil spirits.

Next to the upside down head is another head depicting Medusa

which has been placed sideways. Why the two heads were placed in

different directions has only served to deepen the mystery, but some

think that placing the heads in the same direction would give rise to

evil forces.

Massive restoration was required to make the Basilica Cistern as visitor-friendly as it is

today. In 1985, 50,000 tons of mud was removed from the site and walking platforms

were constructed; in 1994, another revamp was carried out.

Hippodrome of Constantinople

The Hippodrome of Constantinople (Turkish: Sultanahmet Meydanı, At Meydanı, Turkish pronunciation: [sulˌtanahˈmet]) was a circus that was the sporting and social centre ofConstantinople, capital of the Byzantine Empire. Today it is a square named Sultanahmet Meydanı (Sultan Ahmet Square) in the Turkish city of Istanbul, with a few fragments of the original structure surviving. It is sometimes also called Atmeydanı (Horse Square) in Turkish.

The word hippodrome comes from the Greek hippos ('ιππος), horse, and dromos (δρομος), path or way. Horse racing and chariot racing were popular pastimes in the ancient world and hippodromes were common features of Greek cities in the Hellenistic, Roman and Byzantine eras.

Istanbul Turkey Day 2

9 June 2014 - Monday

6. Miniaturk

7. Eyub Mosque 8. Mihrimah Sultan Mosque

9. Fatih Mosque

Miniaturk Opening hours: Open every day from 9am – 6pm. / Tickets: Foreign visitors 10 TL Getting there ferry Sütlüce / from Eminonu, take bus 47, 47C or 47E or from Topkapi, take bus 41 ST

Opened in 2002 on the Golden Horn, the world’s largest miniature park

contains 105 miniature models in 1/25th scale of well known Turkish

historical sites in an open air expanse. Covering an area of 60,000m2,

Miniaturk offers dwarfed versions of famous sights including Hagia

Sophia , Topkapi Palace, Blue Mosque, Nemrut Dag, Artemis Temple

and even a walkable Bosphorus Bridge.

There is a coin-operated cable boat which travels across a pond and a

miniature train. Almost half of the structures are from Istanbul, but it also

features monuments that were built by the Ottoman Empire that now lie

outside Turkish borders.

Each exhibit has automated audio commentary about the structure in

English; you will need to have your ticket with you as this activates the

commentary.

The complex also houses a gift shop, restaurant with indoor and

outdoor seating, cafe, shopping centre, cinema, exhibition hall, library,

playground, labyrinth and an open air theatre. There is also a parking lot

with capacity for 500 vehicles.

Miniaturk gets mixed reviews from visitors; however, it is nonetheless a

good option to spend a sunny day in Istanbul with children while soaking

up a bit of Turkish history.

Eyub Mosque Getting there: bus

Terdapat lebih 20 ubur para sahabat.

Kubur sahabat Abu Ayub Al-Ansari.

Ahmad Ammar satu2 rakyat Malaysia yg juga dikebumikan ditempat sama dan tempat sukar bg rakyat Turki disemadikan.

Mihrimah Sultan Mosque Getting there bus

According to legend, Sinan was in love with Mihrimah but he was fifty and already married. When they married her off to Rustem Pasha he buried his love in his bosom and continued to prove his devotion by the

architectural

masterpieces he built

for her. And he planned

the location of the two

mosques so perfectly

that when the sun sets

over Mihrimah's mosque

in Edirnekapi, the moon

rises over her mosque

in Uskudar simultaneously...

recalling her name Sun

and moon.

Fatih Mosque Getting there bus 31E, 32, 336E, 36KE & 38E from Eminönü

It is named after Fatih Sultan Mehmed, the Ottoman sultan who conquered Constantinople in 1453. Sahn-ı Seman Medrese, a main center for the study of various traditional Islamic sciences such as theology, law, medicine, astronomy, physics and mathematics, were part of the Fatih Mosque and were founded by the Turk astronomer Ali Qushji who was invited by Fatih Sultan Mehmed to his court in Istanbul.

Istanbul Turkey Day 6

13 June 2014 - Friday

10. Topkapi Palace 11. Panorama 1453 12. Galata Bridge 13. Galata tower

14. Karakoy Gulluoglu 15 New Mosque

16. Spice Market / Misir Carsisi

Topkapi Palace Getting there tram / walking Topkapi Palace is closed on Tuesdays. Tickets: Palace: 20 TL Harem: By guided tour only. Extra tickets for the Harem must be purchased inside the palace by the Harem entrance for 15 TL per person. Guides: Available at an extra fee –approximately 10TL per person for a large group. Audio Guides: 5TL. Available in English, German, French, Italian and Spanish.

Panorama 1453 Getting there : walking

Ticket : 10TL

If you are around

Sultanahmet, Eminonu,

Sirkeci, Beyazıt or around the

line just take the tram and

leave at Topkapi Station. Take

the steps upside and you will

see the building on the side. It is very easy to reach.

Gulhane Park

Galata Bridge Getting there : Tram Sirke to Karakoy

Galata Tower Getting there : from Tram Karakoy walk to Galata Tower Price ticket : 15 TL

Karaköy Güllüoğlu Getting there : from Galata Tower walk by 10 min Beli Baklava Coklate (recommed by many people even Turki President buying from here

New Mosque Getting there by Tram or Walk 8 min from

Karakoy Tram

Spice Market / Misir Carsisi Getting there by walk from New Mosque

Istanbul Turkey Day 7

14 June 2014 - Saturday

17. Atik Ali Pasa Mosque 18. Grand Bazaar

19. Beyazit Mosque 20. Beyazit Square

21. Sehzade Mosque 22. Suleymaniye Mosque

23. Rustem Pasha Mosque

Atik Ali Pasa Mosque Getting there : from Gülhane tram to Çemberlitaş Tram or walk by 18 min

Atik Ali Pasha Mosque may refer to one of two mosques built in the Fatih district of Istanbul, Turkey by the late 15th- and early 16th-century Ottoman statesman Hadım Atik Ali Pasha

Grand Bazaar Getting there : walk by 5 min

The construction of the future

Grand Bazaar's core started

during the winter of 1455/56,

shortly after the

Ottoman conquest of

Constantinople. Sultan Mehmet

II had an edifice erected

devoted to the trading of textiles.

The Grand

Bazaar (Turkish: Kapalıçarşı,

meaning ‘Covered Bazaar’;

also Büyük Çarşı, meaning ‘Grand

Bazaar’[1]) in Istanbul is one of the

largest and oldest covered

markets in the world, with 61 covered

streets and over 3,000

shops [2][3] which attract between

250,000 and 400,000 visitors daily

Beyazit Mosque Getting there : walk 4 min from Grand Bazaar

The Beyazidiye Camii was commissioned by Ottoman Sultan Bayezid II, and was the second large imperial mosque complex to be erected in Istanbul after the Conquest. As the earliest complex, the Fatih Mosque was subsequently destroyed byearthquakes and completely rebuilt in a different style, the Beyazidiye complex is thus of considerable historical and architectural significance.[1] Little is known about the architect other than that he also built a caravansary in Bursa; however, the polished style of the mosque itself indicates experience with earlier Ottoman and western architectural techniques.[2] The surrounding külliye complex (madrasah, primary school, imaret (public kitchen) and hammam), date from 1501 to 1506.

The dome was partially rebuilt after an earthquake in 1509, and Mimar Sinan conducted further repairs in 1573–74. Theminarets burned separately in 1683 and 1764. An inscription above the courtyard entrance suggests that repairs were also conducted in 1767.

The Bayezid II Mosque (Turkish: Beyazıt Camii, Bayezid Camii) is an Ottoman imperial mosque located in the Beyazıt Square area of Istanbul, Turkey, near the ruins of the Forum of Theodosius of ancient Constantinople.

Beyazit Square Getting there : walk 4 min

Beyazıt Square (Turkish: Beyazıt Meydanı), situated in the European part of Istanbul, Turkey, is a square in the district of Fatih. It is officially named Freedom Square (Turkish: Hürriyet Meydanı), but is known as Beyazıt Square after the Bayezid II Mosque on one side of it. The Square is the former site of the Forum of Theodosius built by Constantine the Great. On one side of the square is the main entrance of Istanbul University; the Beyazıt Tower is on the university's campus and can be seen from the square. The current

form of the square was designed by

Turgut Cansever.

The square has been the site of political

protests, including some in 1969 known

as Bloody Sunday, and a terrorist attack

in 1978 (Beyazıt Massacre). In 1915

twenty Armenian activists were hanged

in the square (The 20 Hunchakian gallows).

Sehzade Mosque Getting there : walk 20 min from Beyazit Square

The Şehzade Mosque (Turkish: 'Şehzade Camii') is an Ottoman imperial mosque located in the district of Fatih, on the third hill of Istanbul, Turkey. It is sometimes referred to as the “Prince's Mosque” in English

The Sehzade Complex was commissioned by Ottoman Sultan Süleyman, also known as Süleyman the Magnificent and Qanuni, the Lawgiver, (reg. 1520-1566 CE / AH 924-976) to commemorate his favorite son Sehzade Mehmed (1520-1543 CE / AH 924-950) upon his early passing in 1543. Twenty-two years old at the time of his death, Sehzade Mehmed was killed while returning to Istanbul after a victorious military campaign in Hungary. Mehmed was the eldest son of Süleyman's only legal wife Hürrem - although not his eldest so - and before his untimely death he was primed to accept the sultanate following Süleyman's reign. Süleyman is said to have personally mourned the death of Mehmed for forty days at his temporary tomb in Istanbul, the site upon which famed imperial architect Sinan (1490-1588 CE / AH 895-996) would quickly construct a lavish mausoleum to Mehmed as one part of a larger funerary külliye, or mosque complex, dedicated to the princely heir. The mosque complex was Sinan's first imperial commission and ultimately one of his most ambitious architectural works, even though it was designed early in his long career

Suleymaniye Mosque Getting there : walk 11 min

The Süleymaniye Mosque is an Ottoman imperial mosque located on the Third Hill of Istanbul, Turkey. It is the largest mosque in the city, and one of the best-known sights of Istanbul. Wikipedia

Opened: 1558

Architectural style: Ottoman architecture

Burials: Suleiman the

Magnificent, Roxelana,

Mihrimah Sultan,

Saliha Dilaşub Sultan,

Hatice Muazzez

Architect: Mimar Sinan

Rustem Pasha Mosque Getting there : walk 8 min

The Rüstem Pasha Mosque was designed by Ottoman imperial architect Mimar Sinan for the grand vizier Rüstem Pasha (thehusband of one of the daughters of Suleiman the Magnificent, Princess Mihrimah). Rüstem Pasha died in July 1561 and the mosque was built after his death from around 1561 until 1563. The mosque complex hosts now a religious school.