THE OLD CITY

We still had time to kill until ferry time, so we decided to wander around in the Old City, more specifically the Seraglio Point area.  This is the promontory that marks the meeting of the Golden Horn, Bosphorus and Sea of Marmara.  In Byzantine times, monasteries and public buildings stood on this site.  Today it is dominated by the Topkapi Palace complex.  The map roughly shows the main tourist attractions of Istanbul.  

Fountain of Sultan Ahmet III, built in 1728,  during the "Tulip Era", is just outside the Imperial Gate to Topkapi Palace.  It is inscribed with poetry likening it to "fountains of paradise".  It is one of the few monuments of this era that has survived.  Ottoman fountains do not spout water, but are more like taps (cesme) as is evidenced by the cesmes on each wall.  At the four corners there is a counter (sebil) backed by 3 windows from which refreshments would have been served....most probably sherberts and flavored water in silver goblets.  There are four courts to the Palace, the first is the only one open without charge.

 

The Imperial Gate to the 1st Court, the Court of Janissaries (Ottoman Sultan's household troops and body guards).  The 1st Court contained palace outbuildings, the imperial mint, hospital, college, bakery and barracks of the Janissaries.

 

 

The Aya Irine (Church of the Divine Peace), was commisioned in the 540's by Justinian to replace an earlier church.  Almost as old as the Aya Sofia, the two churches used to share a common sanctuary until they were cut off by the enclosure of the Aya Irine into the First Court of Topkapi Palace.  It was never used as a mosque, but instead used as an arsenal.  The church is closed to the public, but is occasionally opened for concerts during the International Istanbul Music Festival.

 Imperial Mint

 

 View from inside the 1st Court across the Bosphorus

 

 Views of interest around the 1st Court

 

Views of the Hagia Sophia from inside and outside Topkapi Palace

 

 Gate of Salutations, the entrance to the 2nd Court and the remainder of the Topkapi Palace, which we will reserve for another trip when we have ample time to spend there.

OUT ON THE STREET

Free Enterprise at it's best....your choice of watermelon slices, roasted chestnuts or fresh squeezed pomegranate juice.

 Sogukcesme Sokai (So ook chesh may So kah uh) or Street of the Cold Fountain, is a narrow cobbled lane lined with wooden Ottoman style houses between the Topkapi Palace and the Aya Sofia.  These used to be homes to high officials of State in the 18th century, and now are home to boutique hotels and restaurants.

 Interesting Hotel at the junction of two streets

Circa 1482 Mosque

 Street full of boutique hotels, restaurants and souvenir shops

 Hookah Pipes (Arabic), Nargile (coconut) Pipe (Turkey), Shisha (glass) Pipe, are all names referring to a waterpipe.  They are either single or multi-stemed (often glass based) instruments for smoking, in which the smoke is cooled by the water.  Hookah smoking can be dated back hundreds of years and is one of the oldest traditions of Turkey. They were originally made from coconut shells, thus the  name Nargile.  While several countries claim to be the founders, it is generally claimed that a Persian doctor in the Emperor's Court in India invented the idea.  In all probability, the Hookah's appeared in different forms in many countries independently and through the ancient trade routes, evolved into a standard form.  Hookah's first made an appearance in the Western world in "Alice in Wonderland" along side the smoking caterpillar.

More Hookah's, restaurants, hotels

There were Aussies everywhere, enroute to Gallipoli for ANZAC Day which was the following day (4/25), and a sunrise service.  The streets were flooded with tours of  mostly young people, wearing these bright yellow sweatshirts.  

 We can highly recommend the Albura Kathisma Cafe & Restaurant (white sofa in Greek) if you find yourself in the Old City of Istanbul.  The service was superb and the food outstanding.  It was cold this day, so we chose to eat inside rather than on the outside patio, but we still had a nice view of the passing crowds.

The interior of the restaurant..we found these gourd lights intriguing...and there was the evil eye again.

We noticed an opening in the stone wall (where the lights are) anticipating it was a wine cellar, but the server told us it was an entrance to an excavation site for the Magnaura Palace and we were invited to have a look.  The Magnaura Palace (327 AD) was part of the Great Palace of Constantine, the main royal residence of Eastern Roman and Byzantine Emperors from 330-1081, and the center of the imperial administration.  The Palace of Magnaura housed the Senate.  It was subsequently used as a throne room, reception hall and school.  Excavations have only uncovered one fourth of the total area of the Palace and more extensive excavation is not feasible as it lies under other protected buildings.