Istanbul - Part 2

After visitng the Blue Mosque we walked over to the Hagia Sophia. I have taken the following from Wikipedia, as I am unable to explain it in my own words.



Hagia Sophia. (Greek: ???α S?f?a; "Holy Wisdom", Turkish: Ayasofya) is a former patriarchal basilica, later a mosque, now a museum, in Istanbul, Turkey. Famous in particular for its massive dome, it is considered the epitome of Byzantine architecture. It was the largest cathedral in the world for nearly a thousand years, until the completion of the Medieval Seville Cathedral in 1520.
The current building was originally constructed as a church between 532 and 537 on the orders of the Byzantine Emperor Justinian I, and was in fact the third Church of the Holy Wisdom to occupy the site (the previous two had both been destroyed by riots). It was designed by two architects, Isidore of Miletus and Anthemius of Tralles. The Church contained a large collection of holy relics and featured, among other things, a 50-foot (15 m) silver iconostasis. It was the patriarchal church of the Patriarch of Constantinople and the religious focus point of the Orthodox Byzantine Empire for nearly 1000 years.

In 1453, Constantinople was conquered by the Ottoman Turks and Sultan Mehmed II ordered the building to be converted into a mosque. The bells, altar, iconostasis, and sacrificial vessels were removed, and many of the mosaics were eventually plastered over. The Islamic features - such as the mihrab, the minbar, and the four minarets outside - were added over the course of its history under the Ottomans. It remained as a mosque until 1935, when it was converted into a museum by the secular Republic of Turkey.

For almost 500 years the principal mosque of Istanbul, Hagia Sophia served as a model for many of the Ottoman mosques such as the Sultan Ahmed Mosque (Blue Mosque of Istanbul), the Sehzade Mosque, the Süleymaniye Mosque, and the Rüstem Pasha Mosque.

Although it is sometimes referred to as Saint Sophia (greek for wisdom), the Greek name in full is Church of the Holy Wisdom of God ?a?? t?? ???a? t?? Te?? S?f?a? - and it was dedicated to the Holy Wisdom of God rather than a specific saint named Sophia.

Looking at this building in real life was incredible and seeing that the restoration is still continuing. They are still discovering mosaics that have been plastered over for hundreds of years, and it is incredible that these mosaics have come to life again due to the restoration process. It is hard to believe that it has survived 500 years of being hidden away due to the plaster. However, they have not been able to recover all the originals due to some permanent damage being done. If you look in the first picture, you will notice the white patches on the ceiling



The contrasts one sees between Christian and Muslim artefacts/symbols are amazing. In a mosque you will not find a picture. You will only find writings, whereas in a Christian church, you will find pictures depicting people.






We then walked to the Topkapi Palace.
I have again taken the following from Wikipedia.

The Topkapi Palace (Topkapi Sarayi in Turkish[1]) was the official and primary Istanbul residence of the Ottoman Sultans from 1465 to 1853. The palace was a setting for state occasions and royal entertainments and is a major tourist attraction today. The name directly translates as "Cannongate Palace," the palace being named after a nearby gate. Initial construction started in 1459, ordered by Sultan Mehmed II, the conqueror of Byzantine Constantinople. The palace is a complex made up of four main courtyards and many smaller buildings. At the height of its existence as a royal residence the palace was home to as many as 4,000 people.

After the end of the Ottoman Empire in 1921, Topkapi Palace was transformed by government decree on April 3, 1924 into a museum of the imperial era. The Topkapi Palace Museum is under the administration of the Ministy Of Culture and Tourism. The palace complex has hundreds of rooms and chambers, but only the most important are accessible to the public today. The complex is guarded by officials of the ministry as well as armed soldiers of the Turkish military.

The palace is full of examples of Ottoman architecture and also contains large collections of porcelain, robes, weapons, shields, armor, Ottoman miniatures, Islamic calligraphic manuscripts and murals, as well as a display of Ottoman treasure and jewelry.

We were given free time to explore this wonderful palace. To walk through the many courtyards and chambers, one could only imagine what it was like to live there.
To imagine the concubines in the Harem being taught how to present themselves to nobility. This was a highly sought after position. If one did not wed royalty by the age of 35, one could then leave.

The eunuch's courtyard, had one wondering what these people must have gone through.

The circumcision room, highly ornate with mosaic walls must have brought little relief to the young men.

Walking through the armoury and seeing the weapons used in those days gave one more insight into the days of the crusades. Just the body armour must have weighed a ton and these men still had to fight.

To see the beautiful porcelain from various dynasties, eg. Chinese, Japanese, Ottoman, Roman and Greek were amazing.

And finally, looking at the jewellery displayed behind bullet proof glass, gave us a taste of the oppulence that was once found there.

A really worthwhile tour and something I would recommend to anyone wanting to visit Europe.