Istanbul Turkey

Day 1
8 June 2014 - Sunday
1. Blue Mosque
2. Hagia Sophia
3. Sultan Selim Turbesi
4. Basilica Cistern
5. Hippodrome

Blue Mosque / Sultan Ahmed Mosque
The Sultanahmet Mosque took its name from the ruler at the time of its construction,
Sultan Ahmet I (1590 -1617), the 14th emperor of the Ottoman Empire. Constructed
between 1609 and 1616, it is also known as the Blue Mosque for its mass of 20,000 blue
and green toned tiles adorning its ceiling.
It stands opposite the Orthodox basilica-turned-mosque-turned-museum of Hagia Sophia,
and it's said that the Sultan built the Blue Mosque in an attempt to rival the beauty of the
former.
Architect Sedefkar Mehmet Aga was the brains behind the design. The design centres on
a series of successively smaller domes set on huge 'elephant feet' columns and six
minarets. The initial complex included a theological college, hospital, market, kitchen for
the poor, and the tomb of the Sultan and his wife and family. Although most of these
buildings were torn down in the 19th century, it's still possible to visit the tomb, which lies
to the north of the Mosque.
The Mosque's six minarets were the source of much controversy
for its time. Legend has it that when the Sultan was briefing
Mehmet Aga on the design, his architect misunderstood
his request to have golden
(in Turkish: altin) minarets made, and instead thought
he wanted six (alti) minarets. When it was completed,
the only other mosque in the world with as many minarets
was the Haram Mosque of Mecca. So outraged were the
religious leaders of the time that the Sultan sent his own
architect to Mecca to build a seventh minaret for this most
holy mosque.
Inside, visitors are free to marvel at the mass of hand painted
Iznik tiles which bear traditional Ottoman patterns of lilies,
carnations and tulips, and to watch the light filter through the
Mosque's 260 stained glass windows. If not for the scores
of tourists during the summer months, it also offers some
necessary solace from the hustle and bustle of Sultanahmet .

Hagia Sophia
Opening Hours: Tuesday - Sunday, 9am-4:30pm. Closed Mondays.
Tickets: 20 TL.

The Byzantine emperor Justinian I had Hagia Sophia built, in all its glory, in under five
and a half years. Completed in 537AD, this patriarchal basilica remained the
largest cathedral in the world until 1453, when
Constantinople was conquered by Ottoman armies and Sultan Mehmet the Conqueror
converted Hagia Sophia into a mosque.
Prior to its conversion, the interior walls were covered
with marble and porphyry, as well as beautiful mosaics
which included 30 million gold tiles depicting various religious
scenes. Its massive columns are made from granite.
Hagia Sophia is rectangular in structure, measuring 70
metres by 75 metres with a massive central dome. Its
dome made it the focus of intense architectural interest
and wonder; with a height of 55.5 metres and a diameter
measuring 31.24 metres, it appears to float on its arches.
This was achieved by the construction of triangular piers
at the corners of the base and by a sequence of arched
windows under it, allowing vast amounts of sunlight
into the building.
The Crusaders ransacked Hagia Sophia in 1204.
In the wake of their destruction and desecration they also
robbed the cathedral of many of its relics, shipping them to
Venice, and replaced its Patriarch with a Latin bishop.
This event ultimately
served to divide the Greek Orthodox and Roman Catholic
Churches.
Mustafa Kemal Ataturk, the founder of the secular Turkish Republic, had Hagia Sophia converted into a museum in 1935 following extensive
restoration led by Thomas Whitmore of the Byzantine Institute of America. In the process, a compromise had to be made as many of the
covered Christian mosaics and icons were exposed, resulting in the destruction of the Islamic art which had replaced it. In this regard, the
restoration project has attempted to strike a balance between the two religious styles. The Museum's restoration is ongoing, visible by the
scaffolding inside.

Sultan Selim Trbesi / Sultan Selim ii Tomb

Sultan Mehmet II. Selim shrine, located in Gulhane Istanbul Hagia Sophia complex in the graveyard
was built in 1577 by Mimar Sinan. The tomb was completed three years after the death of the
sultan. Hagia Sophia, the tomb is one of three in the graveyard. outer facade is covered in marble
square, double-domed structure. And with the help of a two-part high arches, domes was based on
eight columns inside. these shrines as internal arrangement similar to the tomb of Sultan
Suleyman the Magnificent and Sinan the Architect is an example of an interesting structure. Tomb
broadly beveled corners body was covered with a dome rising above the pulley. Internal walls of
the tomb which is square in shape applied an octagonal plan and connecting them to each other
with pointed arches, domes are exposed to pandantifle. Thus, Suleiman the Magnificent in the
tomb, as well as the superstructure as of an octagonal central space was obtained and on the
inside of a chest of circumnavigation in a gallery was
obtained. broad fringed, three-arched portico, then at the entrance two large tile panels attract
attention. The turquoise blue tiles XVI. century's most beautiful examples reflect. XIX. s.doringy
engaged in Istanbul at the end of the century, a French dentistry, referring to the Ministry of
Awqaf shrine of time to complete the missing tiles stated that he wanted and he was allowed
to. s.doringy these tiles instead of the real relations as in the New Mosque Sultan's Summer
Palace by removing one of the panels, and instead took an imitation made with oil paint.
Today it is exhibited in the Museum Louver tile panels. 4.50 m
from the floor of the sepulcher. at an altitude of up to is covered
with tiles. Between the surfaces of windows and cabinets, to the
edge of the lower window on a white background, blue, green, red,
navy blue in color, is decorated with flowers and leaves. Turquoise
ground with white clouds processed China border surrounds the
windows and cabinet doors. Window on the dark blue background
with white cel-written verses thuluth a wide inscription band has
been touring all around. Pendants in the mid-i Celal name and
opt yar-i Gzin forming names were placed round medallions.
Tomb is located within 41 cist. These Sultan. Selim, as well as large
and high sarcophagus, III. Nurbanu Sultan Murat's mother, Sultan
Mehmet II. Gevherh Sultan Selim's daughter, smihan Sultan and
Sultan Ahmed III. Murat on the voyage (during the throne) strangled
Sultan II. Prince Solomon of the prince Selim Osman, Cihangir, Mustafa Abdullah Sultan III. The 21
men drowned with his brother Sultan Mehmet III. Murat belongs to the sons and daughter.
Basilica Cistern
Opening hours: Open every day from 9am - 6.30pm. / Tickets: Foreign visitors 10 TL
Taking visitors to the tranquil depths of Istanbul, the Basilica Cistern is the city's largest
covered reservoir. Built in 532 AD on the site of a great basilica, the Basilica Cistern
once supplied water to nearby palaces such as the Great Palace of Constantinople
and Topkapi Palace.
Also known as the Sunken Palace, the underground site takes up 9,800m2 and has
the capacity to store up to 100, 000 tons of water. The water which fed the Cistern
came through a viaduct, which connected the source of supply atBelgrade Forest to
the Basilica Cistern, a distance of about 19km. Five meter thick walls surround the
Cistern and are specially coated to ensure waterproofing.
Its domed ceilings are held up by intricately designed marble and granite columns
which vary in style between Corinthian, Doric and Ionic. There are 336 columns in all,
arranged in 12 rows of 28 columns.
There are two columns of particular interest at the Basilica Cistern;
those bearing the head of Medusa. Medusa is a female monster from
Greek mythology with hair made of snakes, which is said to have
turned those who looked at her into stone. She was beheaded by the
hero Perseus who then gave her head to Athena to use as a weapon
on the top of her shield as a way of averting evil.
Medusa's upside down head is found on the base of one column.
There are various theories surrounding why her head was placed
upside down, but many believe that it was done to ward off evil spirits.
Next to the upside down head is another head depicting Medusa
which has been placed sideways. Why the two heads were placed in
different directions has only served to deepen the mystery, but some
think that placing the heads in the same direction would give rise to
evil forces.
Massive restoration was required to make the Basilica Cistern as visitor-friendly as it is
today. In 1985, 50,000 tons of mud was removed from the site and walking platforms
were constructed; in 1994, another revamp was carried out.


Hippodrome of Constantinople

The Hippodrome of Constantinople (Turkish: Sultanahmet Meydan, At Meydan, Turkish
pronunciation: [sultanahmet]) was a circus that was the sporting and social centre
ofConstantinople, capital of the Byzantine Empire. Today it is a square named Sultanahmet
Meydan (Sultan Ahmet Square) in the Turkish city of Istanbul, with a few fragments of the
original structure surviving. It is sometimes also called Atmeydan (Horse Square) in
Turkish.
The word hippodrome comes from the Greek hippos ('), horse, and dromos (),
path or way. Horse racing and chariot racing were popular pastimes in the ancient world
and hippodromes were common features of Greek cities in the Hellenistic, Roman and
Byzantine eras.


Istanbul Turkey
Day 2
9 June 2014 - Monday

6. Miniaturk
7. Eyub Mosque
8. Mihrimah Sultan Mosque
9. Fatih Mosque
Miniaturk
Opening hours: Open every day from 9am 6pm. / Tickets: Foreign visitors 10 TL
Getting there ferry Stlce / from Eminonu, take bus 47, 47C or 47E or from Topkapi, take bus 41 ST

Opened in 2002 on the Golden Horn, the worlds largest miniature park
contains 105 miniature models in 1/25th scale of well known Turkish
historical sites in an open air expanse. Covering an area of 60,000m2,
Miniaturk offers dwarfed versions of famous sights including Hagia
Sophia , Topkapi Palace, Blue Mosque, Nemrut Dag, Artemis Temple
and even a walkable Bosphorus Bridge.
There is a coin-operated cable boat which travels across a pond and a
miniature train. Almost half of the structures are from Istanbul, but it also
features monuments that were built by the Ottoman Empire that now lie
outside Turkish borders.
Each exhibit has automated audio commentary about the structure in
English; you will need to have your ticket with you as this activates the
commentary.
The complex also houses a gift shop, restaurant with indoor and
outdoor seating, cafe, shopping centre, cinema, exhibition hall, library,
playground, labyrinth and an open air theatre. There is also a parking lot
with capacity for 500 vehicles.
Miniaturk gets mixed reviews from visitors; however, it is nonetheless a
good option to spend a sunny day in Istanbul with children while soaking
up a bit of Turkish history.


Eyub Mosque
Getting there: bus

Terdapat lebih 20 ubur para
sahabat.
Kubur sahabat Abu Ayub Al-
Ansari.
Ahmad Ammar satu2 rakyat
Malaysia yg juga dikebumikan
ditempat sama dan tempat sukar
bg rakyat Turki disemadikan.

Mihrimah Sultan Mosque
Getting there bus
According to legend, Sinan was in love with Mihrimah but he was
fifty and already married. When they married her off to Rustem
Pasha he buried his love in his bosom and continued to prove his
devotion by the
architectural
masterpieces he built
for her. And he planned
the location of the two
mosques so perfectly
that when the sun sets
over Mihrimah's mosque
in Edirnekapi, the moon
rises over her mosque
in Uskudar simultaneously...
recalling her name Sun
and moon.

Fatih Mosque
Getting there bus 31E, 32, 336E, 36KE & 38E from Eminn



It is named after Fatih Sultan Mehmed, the Ottoman
sultan who conquered Constantinople in 1453.
Sahn- Seman Medrese, a main center for the study of
various traditional Islamic sciences such as theology, law,
medicine, astronomy, physics and mathematics, were part
of the Fatih Mosque and were founded by the Turk
astronomer Ali Qushji who was invited by Fatih Sultan
Mehmed to his court in Istanbul.
Istanbul Turkey
Day 6
13 June 2014 - Friday

10. Topkapi Palace
11. Panorama 1453
12. Galata Bridge
13. Galata tower
14. Karakoy Gulluoglu
15 New Mosque
16. Spice Market / Misir Carsisi
Topkapi Palace
Getting there tram / walking
Topkapi Palace is closed on Tuesdays.
Tickets: Palace: 20 TL
Harem: By guided tour only. Extra tickets for the Harem must be purchased inside the palace by the Harem
entrance for 15 TL per person.
Guides: Available at an extra fee approximately 10TL per person for a large group.
Audio Guides: 5TL. Available in English, German, French, Italian and Spanish.




Panorama 1453
Getting there : walking
Ticket : 10TL


If you are around
Sultanahmet, Eminonu,
Sirkeci, Beyazt or around the
line just take the tram and
leave at Topkapi Station. Take
the steps upside and you will
see the building on the side. It
is very easy to reach.
Gulhane Park




Galata Bridge
Getting there : Tram Sirke to Karakoy



Galata Tower
Getting there : from Tram Karakoy walk to Galata Tower
Price ticket : 15 TL



Karaky Gllolu
Getting there : from Galata Tower walk by 10 min
Beli Baklava Coklate (recommed by many people even Turki
President buying from here



New Mosque
Getting there by Tram or Walk 8 min from
Karakoy Tram


Spice Market / Misir Carsisi
Getting there by walk from New Mosque



Istanbul Turkey
Day 7
14 June 2014 - Saturday

17. Atik Ali Pasa Mosque
18. Grand Bazaar
19. Beyazit Mosque
20. Beyazit Square
21. Sehzade Mosque
22. Suleymaniye Mosque
23. Rustem Pasha Mosque

Atik Ali Pasa Mosque
Getting there : from Glhane tram to emberlita Tram
or walk by 18 min


Atik Ali Pasha Mosque may refer to one of two mosques built
in the Fatih district of Istanbul, Turkey by the late 15th- and
early 16th-century Ottoman statesman Hadm Atik Ali Pasha
Grand Bazaar
Getting there : walk by 5 min


The construction of the future
Grand Bazaar's core started
during the winter of 1455/56,
shortly after the
Ottoman conquest of
Constantinople. Sultan Mehmet
II had an edifice erected
devoted to the trading of textiles.
The Grand
Bazaar (Turkish: Kapalar,
meaning Covered Bazaar;
also Byk ar, meaning Grand
Bazaar
[1]
) in Istanbul is one of the
largest and oldest covered
markets in the world, with 61 covered
streets and over 3,000
shops
[2][3]
which attract between
250,000 and 400,000 visitors daily
Beyazit Mosque
Getting there : walk 4 min from Grand Bazaar


The Beyazidiye Camii was commissioned
by Ottoman Sultan Bayezid II, and was the second large
imperial mosque complex to be erected in Istanbul after
the Conquest. As the earliest complex, the Fatih Mosque was
subsequently destroyed byearthquakes and completely rebuilt
in a different style, the Beyazidiye complex is thus of
considerable historical and architectural significance.
[1]
Little is
known about the architect other than that he also built
a caravansary in Bursa; however, the polished style of the
mosque itself indicates experience with earlier Ottoman and
western architectural techniques.
[2]
The
surrounding klliye complex (madrasah, primary
school, imaret (public kitchen) and hammam), date from 1501
to 1506.
The dome was partially rebuilt after an earthquake in 1509,
and Mimar Sinan conducted further repairs in 157374.
Theminarets burned separately in 1683 and 1764. An
inscription above the courtyard entrance suggests that repairs
were also conducted in 1767.

The Bayezid II Mosque (Turkish: Beyazt Camii, Bayezid Camii) is
an Ottoman imperial mosque located in the Beyazt Square area
of Istanbul, Turkey, near the ruins of the Forum of
Theodosius of ancient Constantinople.
Beyazit Square
Getting there : walk 4 min


Beyazt Square (Turkish: Beyazt Meydan), situated in
the European part of Istanbul, Turkey, is a square in the district
of Fatih. It is officially named Freedom Square (Turkish: Hrriyet
Meydan), but is known as Beyazt Square after the Bayezid II
Mosque on one side of it. The Square is the former site of
the Forum of Theodosius built by Constantine the Great. On
one side of the square is the main entrance of Istanbul
University; the Beyazt Tower is on the university's campus and
can be seen from the square. The current
form of the square was designed by
Turgut Cansever.
The square has been the site of political
protests, including some in 1969 known
as Bloody Sunday, and a terrorist attack
in 1978 (Beyazt Massacre). In 1915
twenty Armenian activists were hanged
in the square (The 20 Hunchakian gallows).
Sehzade Mosque
Getting there : walk 20 min from Beyazit Square


The ehzade Mosque (Turkish: 'ehzade Camii') is an Ottoman
imperial mosque located in the district of Fatih, on the third hill
of Istanbul, Turkey. It is sometimes referred to as the Prince's
Mosque in English
The Sehzade Complex was commissioned by Ottoman Sultan
Sleyman, also known as Sleyman the Magnificent and
Qanuni, the Lawgiver, (reg. 1520-1566 CE / AH 924-976) to
commemorate his favorite son Sehzade Mehmed (1520-1543
CE / AH 924-950) upon his early passing in 1543. Twenty-two
years old at the time of his death, Sehzade Mehmed was killed
while returning to Istanbul after a victorious military campaign
in Hungary. Mehmed was the eldest son of Sleyman's only
legal wife Hrrem - although not his eldest so - and before his
untimely death he was primed to accept the sultanate following
Sleyman's reign. Sleyman is said to have personally mourned
the death of Mehmed for forty days at his temporary tomb in
Istanbul, the site upon which famed imperial architect Sinan
(1490-1588 CE / AH 895-996) would quickly construct a lavish
mausoleum to Mehmed as one part of a larger funerary klliye,
or mosque complex, dedicated to the princely heir. The mosque
complex was Sinan's first imperial commission and ultimately
one of his most ambitious architectural works, even though it
was designed early in his long career
Suleymaniye Mosque
Getting there : walk 11 min


The Sleymaniye Mosque is an Ottoman imperial mosque
located on the Third Hill of Istanbul, Turkey. It is the largest
mosque in the city, and one of the best-known sights of
Istanbul. Wikipedia
Opened: 1558
Architectural style: Ottoman architecture
Burials: Suleiman the
Magnificent, Roxelana,
Mihrimah Sultan,
Saliha Dilaub Sultan,
Hatice Muazzez
Architect: Mimar Sinan
Rustem Pasha Mosque
Getting there : walk 8 min


The Rstem Pasha Mosque was designed by Ottoman imperial
architect Mimar Sinan for the grand vizier Rstem
Pasha (thehusband of one of the daughters of Suleiman the
Magnificent, Princess Mihrimah). Rstem Pasha died in July
1561 and the mosque was built after his death from around
1561 until 1563. The mosque complex hosts now a religious
school.