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We touched down at Atatürk International Airport, located only 24 kilometres west of downtown Istanbul, at about 6PM on New Years Day and were immediately impressed with the modern terminal. During our taxi ride to our hotel in the city core, we transited along the shore of the Sea of Maramara and could see the lights of a multitude of ships waiting their turn to enter the River Bosphorus, which connects the Black Sea with the Maramara and the Mediterranean. Beyond the ships, the twinkling lights on the distant shore were actually in Asia – Istanbul straddles the line between Europe and Asia.
Istanbul is a sprawling city with an area of 98 square kilometres and a population of approximately 13 million. Someone with a vivid imagination could describe the city as an inverted broken heart. The point of the heart touches the Black Sea and the two rounded halves, which would normally represent the top, loom out to the east and west and re-join at a ‘V’ – the point where the Bosphorus passes through the city, creating the illusion that the heart was broken. But don’t let my broken heart analogy scare you off; the Istanbul that we experienced was joyful, vibrant and very hospitable.
On our first full day, we hired an English-speaking taxi driver and after a detailed discussion, that also involved negotiation of his fee, we worked out an itinerary for a day trip to some of the city’s most notable attractions. Our hotel was located near the point where the Bosphorus meets the Golden Horn (Haliç) – an isthmus that extends several kilometres into the shipyards in the western part of the city. As we crossed the Galata Bridge spanning the Golden Horn we admired a beautiful new Mosque on our left and to the distant right, the Yeni and other massive Mosques dominating the skyline on the hills of the city. In fact, Istanbul has dozens of huge Mosques and our destination was the quarter where the Hippodrome, Hagia Sophia (Sacred Wisdom) and Sultanahmet Mosque (Blue Mosque) are located.
Upon arrival, we walked the grounds of the Hippodrome, which was originally built in the style of the Circus Maximus in Rome (in 203 AD) to host games, but later enlarged by Constantine (in 325 AD) for purposes of chariot racing. Today, the high walls and seating for 100,000 spectators are gone and all that remains is a massive square. The Egyptian obelisk, Constantine’s column and the Serpent’s column all stand on the grounds of the Hippodrome. Of these, the Egyptian obelisk is the most impressive with its hieroglyphics describing the victories of the pharaoh, although it is not the oldest of the three.
Then we crossed over to Hagia Sophia, built as a church between 337 and 361 AD by Emperor Constantine – the first Christian ruler of the entire Roman Empire – and once regarded as the world’s greatest church. Upon its completion it is said that Constantine entered the church and exclaimed, “Solomon, I have surpassed you,” a reference to Solomon’s temple in Jerusalem. It remained a church until the fall of Constantinople, when it was put back in service as a mosque. It remained as a mosque until 1935 when it was proclaimed as a museum. Inside, it is embellished with many gilded panels and frescoes, all under a massive dome. While its latest religious significance was as a mosque, a fresco of the Virgin Mary cradling the Baby Jesus remains.
After touring Hagia Sophia, we passed through a well-appointed garden to Sultanahet Mosque (commonly referred to as Blue Mosque). Friday prayers were in progress upon our arrival so we were not allowed inside. The exterior however was impressive with a total of six unique minarets, a massive dome and several smaller ones.
Another historical site of the area is the Basilica Cistern, named due to its proximity to the Hagia Sophia. We thought that it was indeed a basilica at one time and were therefore puzzled by the absence of religious artefacts. Our guide finally set our confusion to rest. In fact, it is a large underground well, built between 306 and 337 AD. It still contains water and the roof is supported by twelve rows of 28 columns. The cistern was remarkable and well worth the twenty-minute visit.
After these attractions we drove over one of the two suspension bridges that cross the Bosphorus and officially into Asia. We ascended a large hill with radio towers to take in panoramic views of the city from several angles. After lunch at a hilltop restaurant we re-crossed the river and finished the day with a drive up the west bank of the river to the Black Sea. We passed through several quaint fishing villages along the way and stopped to mingle with locals at a sidewalk café. A word of advice: Turkish cigarettes are very strong!
The next morning we walked down to the Dolmabahce Palace, located on the shoreline at the junction of the Bosphorus and the Golden Horn. The palace complex has three sections – the administrative Mabeyn, the ceremonial hall and the harem. There is also an annex building called the Crystal Pavilion. All are as magnificent as the Hermitage and the Winter Palace of Catherine the Great in St. Petersburg and definitely worth a morning on a visit to Istanbul. In the afternoon we visited the Grand Bazaar (Kapalýçarþý), which was constructed and expanded over a period of 150 years, reaching its present state in 1701. It extends over 65 city blocks and contains as many as 3,300 shops that sell almost everything under the sun, but especially tiled pictures for which Istanbul is famous.
That night we boarded a bus that drove us eight hours to the city of Izmir – the birthplace of Homer. Our visit wasn’t Homer-related however; we went there to see the nearby ancient city of Ephesus – the best-preserved classical city on the Mediterranean. It is said to be perhaps the best place in the world to get the feeling for what life was like in Roman times. As a strategic coastal gateway to the Eastern World, this Ionian refuge grew to be the second largest city in the Roman Empire, the site of a Christian shrine, and one of the seven wonders of the ancient world.
Legend has it that the Virgin Mary, accompanied by St. Paul, came to Ephesus at the end of her life. Local Christians venerate a small house near Ephesus as having belonged to Mary. Pope Paul VI visited the site where a chapel now stands in 1997 and confirmed the authenticity of the legend. We arrived at the chapel just as a mass was about to begin and joined the small congregation of nine other people. The Basilica of St. John is also located near Ephesus. St. John is said to have lived the last years of his life there and after his death, a shrine was located over his grave. Toward the end of our wonderful day of traipsing through ancient ruins, we visited the nearby museum that displays artefacts from Ephesus, some of which were in an unblemished condition. Despite two nights (one to and one from) of sitting on a bus, our visit to the sits near the shores of the Aegean Sea was a worthwhile side trip.
Upon arrival back in Istanbul, we took a well-earned nap and later stopped in at the Spice Bazaar as we made our way to the airport for our trip back to India. The Spice Bazaar is similar in style to the Grand Bazaar and the products on sale are the same, except for those in the three (or so) actual spice shops in the ancient complex.
We realize that four days is not enough to experience the true essence of Turkey. What we saw in Istanbul and the Aegean region near Izmir was merely a sampling (a snowflake on the tip of the iceberg) of what we know Turkey has to offer tourists. We intend to return when we have more time at our disposal and therefore recommend the destination.
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