Istanbul: the charm of a city
A mixed-race metropolis, the former capital of three empires and the crossroads between two seas and two continents, Istambul is full of wonders that herald many more…
The sun has been fighting all morning with a sticky mist that seems determined not to dissipate. Just as the melodic call to the öğle, the midday prayer, begins to be heard from the minarets, the sun finally breaks through and the first rays, still timid, illuminate the domes of the mosques. Istanbul has been in its usual frenzy for hours, stirring everything, but with the appearance of the warm early spring sun it seems to be getting even livelier. The simit (sesame bread doughnut) sellers advertise their wares more enthusiastically; a cat –of the thousands that swarm the streets of the Turkish metropolis– wakes up and runs through Sultanahmet Park; tourists and devotees pick up the pace and head for the nearby Ayasofya (Hagia Sophia): some to honour Allah with their prayers, others to marvel –when the prayer is over– at the wonder of a temple that has stood for almost 1,500 years and has had many lives: a temple that has been standing for almost 1,500 years and has had many lives: church, mosque, museum and mosque again.
We are in the so-called historical peninsula, the part of the city once occupied by the thousand-year-old Byzantium and centuries later by Constantinople; before the Ottomans finally took over the city in the 15th century, here, in what is now known as Sultanahmet, stood the famous Hippodrome, where the chariot races were held, pitting the green and blue teams against each other, sometimes with bloodshed among their followers. Of that gigantic arena with a capacity for more than 60,000 spectators, only three singular pieces remain standing today: the obelisk of Thutmosis III - brought here by Theodosius -, the Serpentine Column, which came from the Greek city of Delphi, and the obelisk of Constantine.
A little further on is the Hagia Sophia, the true heart of the city and a perfect summary of its history, a temple capable of astonishing even the least impressionable spirits. And no wonder: its gigantic dome, which seems magically suspended in the air, is an engineering marvel that Ottoman architects would try to imitate for centuries.
So much so that there is no mosque in Istanbul - and there are more than 3,000 of them - that does not have something of Hagia Sophia in its DNA, transformed into a place of devotion for Muslims after the Ottoman conquest. This undeniable influence can be seen in the Süleymaniye or Suleymaniye Mosque, the largest in the city, and also in the Sultan Ahmet Mosque, better known as the Blue Mosque because of the beautiful Iznik tiles that adorn its interior.
Also near Sultanahmet is another of Istanbul's wonders: the Topkapi Palace, built on a hill on the Seraglio Point, just where the waters of the Golden Horn, the Bosphorus Strait and the Sea of Marmara meet. This majestic palace, made up of a complex of pavilions and gardens around four courtyards, was home for centuries to the sultans who ruled the empire. Today it is a marvellous museum that allows you to discover the history of the country by visiting the old kitchens, the private dwellings of the sultan and his family, and the no less lavish harem, among other unique spaces.
“There is no mosque in Istanbul –and there are more than 3,000 of them– that does not have in its DNA something of Hagia Sophia, transformed into a place of devotion for muslims after the Otoman conquest.”
Before crossing the Golden Horn, the body of water that separates the historic peninsula from the Beyoğlu district, where Genoese, Sephardic Jews and Europeans of different nations settled over the centuries, it is worth visiting the Istanbul Archaeological Museum, where a fabulous collection is on display, including remarkable examples of classical statuary and jewellery such as the so-called Alexander Sarcophagus, as well as an educational exhibition on the history of the city, among many other wonders.
Istanbul is also an eminently commercial city, as evidenced by its famous Grand Bazaar, one of the largest and oldest in the world. If visitors feel overwhelmed by its more than 3,000 stalls and shops, spread over 61 streets, they can opt to go to the so-called Spice Bazaar, opposite the Eminönü docks, the last stop of the caravans that travelled the Spice Route in centuries gone by. Today it has 97 shops where you can buy aromatic herbs, coffee, sweets and, as the name suggests, an almost infinite variety of spices.
We now cross the Golden Horn, crossing the Galata Bridge, where a multitude of fishermen toil with their rods day and night, while under their feet, on the ground floor of the bridge, we are surprised by an endless succession of restaurants and bars where you can have tea or smoke a hookah.
Once across the Golden Horn –considered by many to be the largest natural harbour on the planet –we reach Beyoğlu, once home to Europeans living in the metropolis. Today it is home to shopping streets such as historic Istiklal –dotted with international shops and beautiful nineteenth-century buildings– as well as areas with trendy cafés, nightclubs and antique shops.
Its most unmistakable icon, however, dates back to medieval times: the Galata Tower, built by the Genoese as part of a fortified citadel. At 60m high, it was once the tallest building in the city, and today affords breathtaking panoramic views of the whole of Istanbul.
Orhan Pamuk, the Turkish Nobel laureate in literature, says that "Life can't be so bad when, at least, you can always take a stroll along the Bosphorus". And indeed, there are few more relaxing ways to discover the domain of what was once the capital of three empires. The numerous ferries from the ports of Eminönü or Kabataş, like those of Şehir Hatları, allow you to enjoy a relaxing cruise along the Bosphorus while taking in the wonders of both the European and Asian shores: Domalbahçe Palace - the home of the sultans at the end of the empire -, the fortress of Europa or the Yeniköy district, with its beautiful yalis, picturesque little houses overlooking the waters of the Strait. On the way back, at sunset, the setting sun illuminates the golden domes of the mosques, whose minarets once again summon the faithful to prayer.
“Life can’t be so bad when, at least, you can always take a stroll along the Bosphorus”, Orhan Pamuk