Places of Interest
Travellers sometimes describe Turkey as a “symphony of sounds, smells and people in the most unlikely combinations of appearance and action”. In Turkey you will experience an incredible diversity in nature, culture, history, beliefs and ideas. As well as being the capital of Roman, Byzantine and Ottoman Empires, and the largest city of Turkey, it is the only city in the world, which embraces two continents – Europe and Asia.
The museums, churches, palaces, mosques and bazaars and the sights of natural beauty seem inexhaustible. Istanbul is truly one of the most glorious cities in the world.
Topkapi Palace is the most interesting place where the sultans and their court lived and governed. On the right of the second court, shaded by cypress and plane trees, stand the palace kitchens, now galleries exhibiting the imperial collections of crystal, silver and Chinese porcelain. To the left, the Harem, the secluded quarters of the wives, concubines and the children of the sultan. The third court holds the famous jewels of the treasury, a priceless collection of miniatures and imperial costumes.
Hagia Sophia is unquestionably one of the finest and most extraordinary buildings in the history of architecture and a monument to the golden age of the Byzantine Empire. Some of the most important events in the history of Byzantium are connected with this venerable edifice, and it played such a central role in the life of the city that it has become the enduring symbol of Byzantine Constantinople. You should linger here to absorb the building’s majestic serenity and to admire the fine Byzantine mosaics.
Near St. Sophia is the sixth century Byzantine cistern known as the Yerebatan Sarayi or Sunken Palace. 336 massive Corinthian columns support the chamber’s fine brick vaulting and stand in a depth of water that stretches for miles underground.
Sultan Ahmet Mosque, more widely known as the Blue Mosque, is one of the most prominent landmarks in Istanbul. It is thought by many to have the most splendid exterior of the imperial mosques in the city with unique six minarets. It is renowned for its magnificent blue tiles.
The ancient Hippodrome, onetime scene of chariot racing and the center of Byzantine civic life, is nowadays called Sultan Ahmet. Three remains are in the spina: The Egyptian Obelisk, the Serpentine Column and the Column of Constantine. Today the square forms the center of Istanbul’s historical, cultural and touristic activities.
11th century church of St. Savior in Chora, called the Kariye Museum, remains in its 14th century form and is, after St. Sophia, the most important Byzantine monument in Istanbul. Though unremarkable in its architecture, the interior walls are decorated with moving 14th century frescoes and mosaics. Illustrating scenes from the life of Christ and the Virgin Mary. These brilliantly colored artworks convey the vigor of Byzantine art.
In the 19th century Sultan Abdül Aziz built Beylerbeyi Palace, a fantasy in white marble amid magnolia-filled gardens, on the Asian shores of the Bosphorus. Used as the Sultan’s summer residence, it was offered to the most distinguished foreign dignitaries during their visits. Empress Eugenie of France was among its residents.
A stay in Istanbul is not complete without the traditional and unforgettable boat excursion up the Bosphorus, the winding strait that separates Europe and Asia. Its shores offer a delightful mixture of past and present, grand splendor of palaces, seaside residences and the simple beauty of nature.
During the cruise you pass in front of the magnificent Dolmabahce Palace, built in the 19th century by Sultan Abdül Mecit I. The facade stretches for 600 meters on the European shores of the Bosphorus. Atatürk, the founder of the Turkish Republic, died in Dolmabahçe on the 10th of November, 1938.
There is a church, mosque and a synagogue that have existed side by side for hundred of years in Ortaköy. Beylerbeyi Palace lies just past the bridge on the Asian side. Behind the palace rises Camlıca Hill, the highest point of Istanbul with a magnificent panoramic view of the whole city.
A few kilometers farther out, facing each other across the straits like sentries guarding the city, stand the fortresses of Rumeli Hisarı and Anadolu Hisarı.
Rumeli Hisari, or the European Fortress, was built by Mehmet the Conqueror in 1452, prior to his capture of Istanbul. Completed in only four months, it is one of the most stunning works of military architecture in the world.
The Princes Islands, an archipelago of nine islands in the Sea of Marmara, were places of exile for Byzantine princes. Today during the summer months, wealthy Istanbulites escape to their cool sea breezes and elegant 19th century houses. Here, you can enjoy a ride in a horse-drawn carriage underneath the palm trees and visit the Orthodox -Christian monasteries on the islands.
Synagogues – Princes’ Islands
Hesed Le Avraam Synagogue
Located on the biggest of the Princes’ Islands, called Buyukada (Prenkipo), the synagogue is open only during the summer when the majority of the Jewish population, of Istanbul comes to spend their summer months. Boats and sea-buses commute regularly from various points in Istanbul to Buyukada. For Information and appointments please contact the Chief Rabbinate.
Bet Yaakov Synagogue
Located an the island called Heybeliada (Halki), it was built in 1953 because in the 1940′s there were more than 250 Jewish families passing their summer months on the island.
Burgazada Synagogue
There were few Jewish families in the 1950′s in Burgaz (Antigone), but in the 60′s the need to have a Synagogue arose and permission was taken in 1968 to build one. It is open for services only during summer months, like the other synagogues of the Princes’ Islands.
Another very interesting place to visit near Istanbul is Bursa, the fifth biggest city in Turkey. The city derives its name from its founder Prusias, and came under Roman and Byzantine rule before falling to Orhan Gazi in 1326, thus becoming the first capital city of the Ottoman Empire.
Bursa lies on the lower slopes of Uludağ (Mount Olympos of Mysia), which houses the most popular ski-resort in Turkey.
