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Istanbul,
Monuments
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The ancient
Hippodrome, the scene of chariot races and the center of
Byzantine civic
life, stood in the open space in front of the
Blue Mosque, an area now
called
Sultanahmet. Of the monuments which once decorated it only three
remain: the Obelisk of Theodosius, the bronze Serpentine Column and the
Column of Constantine. Remains from the curved end section of the
Hippodrome's wall can be seen on the south side of these three monuments.
Today the square forms the center of
Istanbul's historical, cultural and
touristic activities. You should take particular note of the surrounding
wooden houses, particularly the 18th century ones on Sogukcesme Street.
Delighttully restored, they have new life as small hotels; one houses a
fascinating library of books on
Istanbul.
The Ahmet Ill Fountain, built in 1729, stands at the entrance to
Topkapi
Palace. Deep overhanging eaves shade the water spouts where the parched
could stop for a cup of refresning water. This highly ornate, free-standing
fountain is a superb example of the late
Ottoman style.
Mahmut II built the Beyazit Tower (85 meters high) in 1828 as a fire tower.
Today it stands within the grounds of Istanbul University. |
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Bozdogan-Valens Aqueduct, built in 368 A.D., supplied the
Byzantine and
later the
Ottoman palaces with water. Today part of the remaining 900
meters of double-tiered arches straddle the major highway that runs
through the old part of town.
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The
Istanbul land walls, once an
impenetrable fortification, stretch seven kilometers from the Sea of
Marmara to the Golden Horn Restored recently, and many times
previously, these walls date from the fifth century and the reign of
Emperor Theodosius II. UNESCO has declared the land walls, and the
area which they enclose, one of the cultural heritages of the world.
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Galata Tower, a Genoese construction of 1348, rises 62 meters high
over the Golden Horn. From the top you see a marvelous panorama of the
Golden Horn and the Bosphorus. In the evening tourists enjoy its
popular restaurant, night club and bar. |
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Rumeli Hisari,
or the European Fortress, was built by Mehmet the Conqueror in 1452
prior to his capture of
Istanbul. Completed in only four months, it is
one of the most beautiful works of military architecture in the world.
(Open every day except Mondays.)
Known as Leander's Tower, Kiz Kulesi is one of the romantic symbols of
Istanbul. First constructed in the 12th century on a tiny island at
the entrance to
Istanbul's harbor, the present building dates from the
18th century. |
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