Dolmabahçe Palace can be summed up in three words. Not to sell the palace short or anything, but the simplistic essence of the palace that is Dolmabahçe can be adequately described with three simple words. Opulent, (or for those less concerned with vocabulary; really, really, really, really, really, really nice), which is a perfect descriptor to convey the amount of effort that was involved in making Dolmabahçe Palace beautiful.

Turkish language class occupies our weekday mornings, taught by Selcuk Bey from TOMER.  He repeatedly reminds us that ”Türkçe çok kolay” = “Turkish is very easy.” True, the rules are regular with few exceptions, but English speakers struggle with sentences where the verbs belong at the end, and where those verbs are composed of strings of suffixes for person, tense, interogation, and negation. However, after only a week and a half of intensive work, sentences begin to come together.

The Museum of Turkish and Islamic Art – A Brief History

Today we visited the Museum of Turkish and Islamic Art, which is renowned for its expansive collection of rugs and artifacts dating from almost 1500 years ago. Built in 1524 by Grand Vizier Ibrahim Pasha, the museum was once the Vizier’s palace. However, when the Vizier was murdered, the palace was turned over to Sultan Süleyman the Magnificent. Although a majority of the grounds are gone, the section that remains is the home of the museum.

Historically forbidden to all who were not part of the sultan’s immediate family or concubine, the Harem is one of the most fascinating parts available for tour in the Topkap Palace because it is in this section that much of the palace intrigue occurred.  After experiencing the peaceful tranquility of the First Court and viewing the arms and amour collection in the Inner Treasury located in the Second Court, the elaborate private quarters of the Ottoman sultans augmented the grandeur of the palace.  While the rest of the palace is splendidly ornate with Iznik tiles, gold accented pillars, tidy gardens, and marble walkways, the Harem is equally impressive because of the intricacy of over 400 hundred rooms surrounding the sultan’s opulent suits. 

HISTORY and ARCHITECURE

Ahmet I was the Sultan of the Ottoman Empire from 1603 until his death in 1617. Ordered to be built by this Sultan, architect Mehmed Aga began construction on the Blue Mosque in 1609 and completed the complex in 1616. The mosque was strategically built on the site of the Byzantine Great Palace of Constantinople which served as main residence of the Byzantine emperors from 330 CE to 1081 CE. Facing the Ayasofya and adjacent to the hippodrome, this is a site of centrality and great importance.  

Topkapi Palace was built by Mehmet II from 1459 to 1465, after his conquest of Constantinople (1453). He had to build a place to show off his new booty, and it wouldn’t be very classy to take the Roman palace. So he built Topkapi. It is a sprawl of buildings and gardens on the tip of Seraglio Point in the Sultanahmet region of Istanbul. Well-cared for since it was built, it has aged extremely well, and visitors can still see its luxury and beauty.

Many of the buildings now contain exhibits, while others are left largely empty. They are still fascinating, however, because of the amazing decorations that grace their walls and ceilings. Each area and exhibit of the palace is amazing, so I’ll begin with the Throne Room and go through some of the main areas of the palace.

 

Like many sacred sites in Istanbul, the Church of St. Savior in Chora (Kariye Camii) was originally a church, then was converted into a mosque, then became a museum.  These shifts reflect the change of power in Turkish history, from the Christian Byzantine empire to the Islamic Ottoman empire to the staunchly secular modern state of Turkey.  After the Ottomans assumed power over Constantinople, the mosaics that make the Church a must-see today were plastered over, and eventually uncovered during World War II.  The church of St. Savior (dedicated to Christ the Savior) was a church until 1511, when it became a mosque under the Ottoman Empire.  Originally built outside of the city walls as a monastery in the 4^th century, the present structure dates from the 11^th century.  The stunning mosaics date from the 14^th century, when the Grand Logothete of the Treasury named Theodore Metokhites commissioned their construction (as illustrated in a gilded mosaic in the inner narthex).[1] 

What makes the Basilica Cistern such an important historical site to see when visiting Istanbul? Laying in the cool depths below the city it is a great place to chill out for a little while and cool off in the hot summer months of Istanbul. In all seriousness though, at one time it was a great source of water for the Great Palace and surrounding buildings. Originally Constantine had already built and cistern in the same spot and ended up enlarging it to what it is today. The cistern’s water was provided from the Belgrade Woods—which lie 19km north of the city—via aqueducts built by the emperor Justinian.
Nowadays though, it isn’t something you would want to drink from, mainly because it has been restored three times and used to be a dumping ground for Ottomans ranging from everyday trash to dead bodies.

My roommate Eric said that the Aya Sofya is rumored to be one of the new Seven Wonders of the World. After further inspection on Wikipedia I discovered that it was one of the thirteen finalists, but in the end was not nominated. Even if it isn’t, this incredible site should be seen by anyone who is in Turkey for even a day because of its incredible architecture and variety of mosaics throughout. First entering the gate it doesn’t seem too impressive with the plain trees and foliage. As well as resembling many mosques in throughout the area. Right when I entered the enormous door, for a brief moment I forgot about all the noise, the people, and the various distractions surrounding me. It was just me staring out into the huge domed ceilings as tall as the heavens and just as marvelous and striking.

Istanbul is a vibrant city filled with many links to its past. This is one city where the past, present and future merge and this mergence is very visible in the architecture, the people, and the culture. Our historical adventures in Turkey began with the Byzantine and Ottoman Empires which were great empires of their day. Although not much visual information is left from the Byzantine Empire, we were able to appreciate the historical richness of its remains.