Istanbul and Turkey: History and Culture

Istanbul, a World City

"There God and human being, nature and art, created all together such a perfect place on earth, it is well worth seeing."

This unique city, at the meeting points of Europe and Asia, located on both sides of the Bosphorus (Istanbul Straits) is described as such by the famous French author Lamartine.

Istanbul embraces two continents, one arm reaching out to Asia, the other to Europe. Through the city's heart, the Bosphorus strait, flows the waters of the Black Sea, the Sea of Marmara and the Golden Horn, which is one of the most beautiful natural harbours in the world. The former capital of three successive empires - Roman, Byzantine and Ottoman - today Istanbul honors and preserves the legacy of its past while looking forward to its modern future.

The history of the city, which is known as the "Capital of the Empires", goes back to ancient times. The city was founded by the Megaras in A.D. 658 and was named Byzantium after their commander Byzas. The city, which developed very rapidly and turned into a large trade center, existed for hundreds of years as the capital of the Roman, Byzantine, and Ottoman Empires. Today it has become Turkey's most important tourism, trade, and industrial city.

The most beautiful historical works of Istanbul are at the historical peninsula inside the city walls between the Marmara Sea and the Golden Horn. This historical peninsula is like an open air museum full of architectural and artistic works bearing the traces of the Roman, Byzantine, and Ottoman Empires.

Istanbul's variety fascinates its visitors. The museums, churches, palaces, great mosques, bazaars and sights of natural beauty seem inexhaustible. The hills of the city are enhanced by the more than 500 mosques. Among these mosques, the Sultanahmet Mosque with its six minarets, built by Sultan Ahmet I in the seventeenth century, is the symbol of Istanbul. It is also called "the Blue Mosque" because of the blue glazed tiles used in its interior decoration. The Süleymaniye Mosque, another mosque of the Ottoman Period, is the most beautiful and magnificent architectural work in Istanbul. It was constructed by Turkey's famous architect Mimar Sinan, upon the order of Kanuni Sultan Süleyman (Süleyman the Magnificent) in the sixteenth century, when architectural beauty reached its peak. It is perched on the hills of the Golden Horn like a crown. The Rüstem Pasha Mosque, which reveals the aesthetics of the Ottoman art of glazed tiles, is a small but beautiful mosque constructed by Mimar Sinan in the sixteenth century. The inside of the mosque is covered with the most beautiful examples of the famous Iznik glazed tiles. The Mihrimah Sultan Mosque, another mosque remaining from the sixteenth century, is the mosque with the most light in Istanbul. The mosque has a total of 161 stained glass windows on its four façades.

The Topkapi Palace, which served the function of being the political center of the Ottoman Sultans for a period of 400 years, is located on a hill dominating the Bosphorus, the Marmara Sea and the Golden Horn. Today, the palace is a museum worth seeing, with its world famous Chinese porcelains, thrones ornamented with gold and precious stones, the costumes of the Sultans, jewelry, handwritten books and sacred pieces. Another magnificent palace is the Dolmabahçe Palace with its 600 meter front on the Bosphorus. The palace which was built by Sultan Abdülmecid in the mid-nineteenth century, is surrounded by 56 columns and is famous for its ceremony hall, illuminated by a 4.5 ton chandelier.

The most magnificent architectural work of the Byzantine era in the city is the Ayasofya (Saint Sophia) Museum. The Ayasofya, which was built by Emperor Constantine as a basilica in the fourth century, was destroyed in a fire, but later Emperor Justinian had it rebuilt in the sixth century. The dome has a height of 55 meters and a width of 31 meters. It is the oldest and the forth largest among domes of the cathedrals after the St. Peter's in Rome, St. Paul's in London, and the Duomo in Milan. The Kariye Museum also displays the beauties of Byzantine art with its mosaics and frescoes. These frescoes which were made in the fourteenth century, influenced and guided the European Renaissance. The Yerebatan Cistern with its 336 columns constructed by the Byzantines in the sixth century to meet the water needs of the city is worth seeing. The Sultanahmet Square, one of the most important squares in the city, is ornamented with the Dikilitas (Obelisk of Theodosius), the bronze Serpentine Column and the Column of Constantine from the Byzantine Period.

Besides these, there are many more museums and monuments in the city. Among these are the Istanbul Archeological Museums, the Atatürk Museum, the Sadberk Hanim Museum, the Mosaic Museum, the Tower of Leander (Kiz Kulesi), the Galata Tower, the Rumelian and Anatolian Fortresses and the Istanbul City Walls.

The Kapali Çarsi (Covered Bazaar) which dates back to the fifteenth century, has 4 000 shops today and is one of the places frequently visited by tourists. Jewelry, antiques, carpets, silver and copper souvenirs, leather and suede clothes, wood-carvings and carvings with mother-of-pearl are sold at this bazaar. Furthermore, it is possible to find every type of spice at the Misir Çarsisi (Egyptian Bazaar) constructed by Hatice Sultan in the seventeenth century. Istanbul is also a modern center for shopping. Along with the shopping malls, such as the Ataköy Galleria, the Akmerkez, the Capitol, the Carousel and the Car- refour; Istiklal, Rumeli and Bagdat Avenues are the most distinguished shopping areas of the city.

Turkey: Crossroads of Continents

The Republic of Turkey is a country located at a point where the three continents of the old world (Asia, Africa and Europe) are closest to each other and where Asia and Europe meet. Because of its location, Anatolia has always been important throughout history and is the birthplace of many great civilizations.

The surface area of Turkey including the lakes is 814 578 km 2 . Out of the total land, 97 % is in Asia and this part is called Anatolia or Asia Minor, 3 % is in Europe which is called Thrace.

The population of Turkey is more than 64 million. Turkey has been called iathe cradle of civilizationsl_. The world's first town, a neolithic city at Çatalhöyük, dates back to 6 500 B.C. from the days of Çatalhöyük up to the present, Turkey boasts a rich culture that through the centuries has made a lasting impression on modern civilization. The heir to many centuries of cultures makes Turkey a paradise of information and cultural wealth. Hattis, Hittites, Phrygians, Urartians, Lycians, Lydians, Ionians, Persians, Macedonians, Romans, Byzantines, Seljuks, and Ottomans have all made important contributions Turkish history, and ancient sites and ruins scattered throughout the country give proof of each civilization's unique distinction.

Further information on Turkey and Istanbul can be obtained through the following web sites:

• http://www.turizm.gov.tr/engindex.html
• http://www.kultur.gov.tr/english/main-e.html
• http://www.turizm.net/
• http://www.turkishodyssey.com/
• http://www.tuttinsieme.it/tutti/tut/eur2/turkey/agencies.htm