Holiday Turkey Tourism

Museums and Ancient Cities

Hagia Sophia (Ayasofya) Museum : Aya Sophia was built, for nearly a thousand years ago, is the largest enclosed space in the world, and still seen as one of the world’s most important architectural monuments. It is one of Turkey’s most popular attractions, drawn by the sheer spectacle of its size, architecture, mosaics and art.

It used to be a church for 916 years, then a mosque for 481 years, and since 1935 has been a museum. Thought to have been constructed by Emperor Konstantinos I (324 – 337) it was burned down during a revolt. Rebuilt by Emperor Theodosium II, it was opened for worship in 415 and once again was burned to the ground, during the Nika revolts of 532.

Emperor Iustanianus (527 – 565) wanted to construct something even bigger than the original two and appointed architects Isidoros from Miletos, and Anthemios from Tralles to build the Aya Sophia which still stands. Columns, heads, marble and coloured stones were imported to Istanbul from ancient cities in Anatolia for the purpose.

(more…)

Mosques And Tombs

Important mosques in the area are Yivli Minaret Complex, Kesik Minaret Camii, Bali Bey Camii, Muratpasa Camii, Iskele Camii, Karatay Medrese, and Ahi Yusuf Camii and Tomb.

Evdir Han The first stopping point on the road leading north from Antalya is the Evdir Han, lying 18 km from the centre of Antalya, a rectangular structure made of cut stone and rubble. Its most interesting feature is the sharply pointed portal. Keykavus I had the han built between 1210-1219 AD.

Kirkgoz Han It is 30 km away from Antalya, extremely well preserved, and although built by one of the sultans departs from the traditional style of their usual hans. It is made from cut stone and rubble.

Galleries and Art Houses

Istanbul

Galleries and Art Houses
Name District Contact Information
AFA Art Gallery Beyoğlu Phone: + 90 212 249 22 18
Akademililer Art Center Beyoğlu Phone: + 90 212 245 02 29
Akbank Bahariye Art Gallery Kadıköy Phone: + 90 216 336 84 55
Akbank Bebek Art Gallery Bebek Phone: + 90 212 263 48 35
Akbank Beylerbeyi Art Beylerbeyi Phone: + 90 212 321 11 02
Aksanat Beyoğlu Phone: + 90 212 252 35 00
Alkent Actual Art Etiler Phone: + 90 212 257 46 84
Anka Art Art Gallery Şaşkınbakkal Phone: + 90 212 385 76 35
Fax: + 90 212 422 21 96
Antik Palace Maçka Phone: + 90 212 236 24 60
Antik Art Gallery Kadıköy Phone: + 90 216 330 13 54
Fax: + 90 216 348 74 33
Apel Art Gallery Beyoğlu Phone: + 90 212 292 72 36
Fax: + 90 212 263 62 33
Ares Art House Fenerbahçe Phone: + 90 216 345 11 62
Ariyel Art Gallery Şişli Phone: + 90 212 296 99 79
Fax: + 90 212 240 17 11
Art Hall Art Gallery Kozyatağı Phone: + 90 216 456 04 58
Artemis Art Center Şişli Phone: + 90 212 232 09 20
Artı Mezat Teşvikiye Phone: + 90 212 261 62 55
Fax: + 90 212 261 62 81
Artisan Art Gallery Nişantaşı Phone: + 90 212 247 71 19
Artium Art Gallery Teşvikiye Phone: + 90 212 291 01 31
Fax: + 90 212 231 87 50
Artium Sungur Art House Teşvikiye Phone: + 90 212 227 75 93
Fax: + 90 212 227 75 93
Artmosfer Art Gallery Yeniköy Phone: + 90 212 223 13 14
Fax: + 90 212 223 18 15
Military Museum Hasan Rıza Hall Harbiye Phone: + 90 212 233 27 20
Asmalımescit Art Gallery Tünel Phone: + 90 212 249 69 79
Atatürk Library Beyoğlu Phone: + 90 212 249 09 45
Örümcek Workshop Teşvikiye Phone: + 90 212 241 35 58
Austria Consulate Culture Office Yeniköy Phone: + 90 212 223 78 43
Fax: + 90 212 223 34 69
Axa Oyak Art Gallery Karaköy Phone: + 90 212 292 58 00
Fax: + 90 212 249 91 24
(more…)

Concert Halls and Showlands

İstanbul

Concert Halls and Showlands
Name District Contact Information
Aksanat Culture and Art Center Beyoğlu Phone: + 90 212 252 35 00
Aya İrini Sultanahmet Phone: + 90 212 526 07 24
(more…)

Istanbul Past and Future

All along its long and turbulant history Istanbul has lived through quite different types of urbanisation and in its present structure the city is still carrying the marks of these different modes.

The fact that the city has a long history and that Istanbul had existed through all those centuries as an important centre is closely related to the geographic position. The Bosphorus is a water way uniting two seas and on the other hand two continents are facing each other on its two shores. The strategic importance of such an intersection from military and commercial etc. aspects is all too apparent. Yet, from this point of view we see that Çanakkale (Dardanel) also has similar characteristics and in this position we may face the question of why an important city like Istanbul was not founded on the shores of this straight. The answer of this question is Haliç (the Golden Horn). The golden Horn is a port safe in all weather conditions, and in all Eastern Mediterranean there are only two other ports as such: İzmir and Selanik (Salonica). But those two ports do not possess the other privileges of the Bosphorus.

(more…)

The Hippodrome and the Monuments

In the Byzantine period the hippodrome was the centre of all activity. Rebellions were plotted and emperors were toppled from their thrones and punished. The new emperor, for whom the same fate may have been in store, was applauded. To put it in a nutshell, the hippodrome was where, the inhabitants of the city flocked and mingled in a huge crowd. It was the place where, of the three forces that made up the Byzantine Empire which were the palace, the church and the people, the latter would amuse themselves and make their presence felt. The construction of the Hippodrome was started by Septimius Severus during the Roman period. When the city was being founded it was located in the present-day Meydanı (which means “hippodrome” in Turkish). In the middle of the square was a line along which various monuments were erected, referred to as the “spina”, which endowed it with the richness of a museum. The race track extended round the edge of this area. The biggest of these monuments, of which three remain today, is an obelisque carved from a single piece of pink granite mounted on a console. This had been erected by the Egyptian pharoah Tutmosis III in his own name 1500 years before in Egypt. This magnificent piece of granite, which is covered with hieroglyphs describing the glory and victories of the pharoah, was brought to Istanbul in the 4th century and was, with great difficulty, erected on its present site.

(more…)

Climate and vegetation

Generally speaking İstanbul’s climate is temperate. Winters are usually fairly mild and cold spells do not last very long. Snow does not lie on the ground for more than three or four days. However, generally speaking, these cold spells and snow are followed by southerly winds which raise the temperature and melt the snow. Thus, considerable problems are encountered in terms of municipal services. Throughout history snowfall in Istanbul has been greeted as a kind of minor disaster, although the number of days, when the temperature is below zero and the ground is covered with snow is extremely limited, there is a great deal of rain. In spring and winter it is usually rainy, but summers are hot and sunny. This fine weather generally lasts from May until the end of November. It is said that Autumn, regarded as İstanbul’s loveliest season, sometimes lasts until the end of December. Winter rears its head in January and February and spring passes imperceptibly. It is because of all these climatic features that Istanbul is visited by sun-seeking foreigners most of all between April and October, and these two months could be considered as the beginning and end of the “tourist rush”.

(more…)

Mausoleums and graveyards

As a rule, the date of a sultan’s death did not coincide with the date of construction of his mausoleum because it was the custom to bury the deceased sovereign immediately and to erect a tent over his grave. The mausoleum was built at a later date. Istanbul’s oldest monumental mausoleum is the Mahmud Paşa Mausoleum, built in 1464. It is, with the enamelled tiles in shades of light and dark blue which cover its outer walls, an exquisite continuation of the old Turkish tradition. The mausoleums of Sultans which stood next to the mosques bearing their names are all major achievements of this branch of Turkish art. Of these the Mausoleum of Mehmet the Conqueror, severely damaged in the earthquake of 1766 was rebuilt before the end of the 18th century. However, the mausoleums of Selim 1, Crown Prince Mehmed, Süleyman the Magnificent and his wife, Hürrem Sultan, Ahmed I, that of Hatice Turhan Sultan next to Yenicami and those of Selim III, Murad (II and Mehmed lll, which are next to Ayasofia, were all built in the 16th and 17th century and are works of dazzling beauty as far as their interior decoration, particularly the enamelled tiles and painted designs are concerned. Of these, the tomb built for Selim II in 1577 by Sinan is square with a ring of columns bearing two domes. The outer dome rests on the walls. The interior and the walls of the entrance hall are covered with İznik tiles. One of the panels of tiles at the entrance hall was removed by Sorlin Doringy and sold to the Louvre Museum in Paris. The adjacent tomb of Murad lll is known to be the work of the architect Davud Ağa. It is hexagonal in shape and has two domes, one inside the other. The interior is embellished with enamelled tiles. The presence of the name of the architect Dalgıç Ahmed Ağa on its mother-of-pearl and ivory-encrusted doors has aroused considerable astonishment.

(more…)

Water supply systems and cisterns

During the Roman period Istanbul’s water requirements were met by water brought to the west of the city from distant parts of Thrace. The remains of the aqueducts belonging to this system can still be seen. Due to the fact that enemies coming from the west could easily cut off these supplies the Byzantines built large cisterns in order to be able to withstand long sieges. The water that came into the city via the channels of the Roman water supply system was stored in several large accumulation and distribution reservoirs. The water was then distributed from these reservoirs, which stood on high ground, to various points in the city by means of underground channels. The Valens Aqueduct (known in the Turkish period as the Bozdoğan Aqueduct), which lies between the Fatih and Şehzadebaşı districts, was built by the emperor Valens (364-378) in 368 to bring water to the valley lying between Fatih and Şehzadebaşı. The present width of this aqueduct, which was used during the Turkish period for one branch of the Halkalı supply system and repaired by Süleyman the Magnificent (1520-1566) and Mustafa II (1695-1703), is 970m and its highest part is 20m. The Bozdoğan Aqueduct has been extensively repaired by the Istanbul Municipality in recent years the vegetation covering it has been removed, cracked stones replaced and in places the part that was formerly below ground level was exposed, revealing the original bricklaying technique.

(more…)

Houses, mansions and waterside residences

None of the old houses of Istanbul have survived to this day. After the great earthquake which took place at the beginning of the 16th century, houses were built of wood, and these were destroyed by the terrible fires that swept the city at intervals. However, it is certain that the old houses of Istanbul possessed all the graceful interior decoration to be found in similar houses in other places. A great number of the bay-windowed, broad-eaved houses that filled Istanbul at one time can be seen in certain old engravings. Only one of the two or three storey Turkish houses that used to line the streets of Istanbul has managed to survive all the fires, and then the “development” and unplanned building disasters that befell the city in later years, and that is the one belonging to the artist Feyhaman Duran (1886-1970) and his wife, Güzin Duran, which stands in a side street in the Bayezit district. Every detail of the interior of this house, together with its fumiture, is still intact. The only survivor of the old, wood-built waterside residences is the Amcazade Hüseyin Paşa Mansion on the coast at Kanlıca. In fact only a part of this great mansion, the T-shaped reception room with its great windows overlooking the Bosphorus, remains. Unfortunately its walls, which are embellished with painted and gold leaf designs, have deteriora-ted rapidly during the last 50 years because of neglect. In the middle of this room is a marble pool and over it, a domed roof bearing traces of its former magnificence.

(more…)