Everything Else (Istanbul part 7 of 7)

Ok, so I'm getting impatient and want to get on to other things. So here's a quick wrap up of Everything Else that I did in Istanbul and is worth a mention. Prepare for picture spammage.

I stayed in the Kumkapi area of Fatih. While Fatih itself is mostly known as a fairly traditional/conservative area, Kumkapi is mostly nice (read: expensive) restaurants, serving up fresh seafood to all the tourists who come in for the evening. In the background you can make out a little fish fountain as well as the site of the one attempt at purse snatching I had in Istanbul. But the guy was so completely obvious and bad about it that I hesitate to even credit it as an attempt. Although, I do have lightning fast reflexes when I sense something coming at my side after years of people attempting to poke my side and elicit squeaks, so maybe I should give the guy more credit. And really, even if he'd gotten my bag, all he'dve wound up with was a sweater, bottle of water, and a notebook. My momma didn't raise no fool ;)

Sirkeci Station, once the eastern-most end point for the Orient Express and now serves as both a train station and a stop on the little Metro-esque light rail that connects the 'burbs with the Old City. The main entrance to the station used to be through those doors, and now a little Orient Express Museum (free!) and a snack shop can be found here. The Museum is kind of neat, with photos from the hay day of the Orient Express, as well as parts from the trains, schematics, plans, etc etc. Not very big, but worth a look through if you're passing through the station.

Not much is left of the glamorous old-time Orient Express; the route shortened to just Paris to Vienna in the 1970s and then Strasbourg to Vienna in 2007 before finally ceasing altogether in 2009. But this guy still sits outside the station as a reminder of a bygone era.

Dondurma! That's ice cream for us English speakers. Sold seriously EVERYWHERE and delicious but unlike any ice cream I've ever had before. I can't even really explain it. It's sort of... stickier. Biting off a bit is much more effective than licking; licking just kind of moves it around rather than getting any into your mouth if that makes any sense. The guys selling it put on a little show and everything, tossing cones and scopes.

In between the Aya Sofia and the Blue Mosque, there's a big open plaza (with ATM if you need one in the area, and they can be tricky to find) and a little park area with loads of food stalls (hence the dondurma) and some grass and shade to enjoy. I liked the fountain. :)

Istiklal Caddesi in Beyoglu, across the Golden Horn on the northern side of European Istanbul is a main shopping thoroughfare. Shops are open late, and there are tons of shops, restaurants and bars in the area. I love that they still have Christmas decorations up. In May.

Hey look! I'm on the set of a Turkish soap opera! No really! They were filming Omre Bedel, a soap opera on Fox at one of the aforementioned Kumkapi area restaurants and the friend I was staying with was buddies with the restaurant owner, who insisted we come in and observe while he plied us with tea and some sort of pumpkin/cake/honey deliciousness.

I was attempting to be stealthy with my paparazzi photo taking, and not to worry, these weren't taken of the actual scenes, these are just the actors hanging out. But see the guy on the left? You can also see him at the 10 second mark in this promo for the show- proof that I'm not making this all up! Omre Bedel promo over at YouTube

That's my water and dessert, but totally prop wine and salad. Probably the most surreal experience of my life to date.

And you really can't go to Istanbul and not see the Grand Bazaar, right? Well, I probably could have lived without the experience, but I can say I've been. I'm told you aren't going to get much of a great deal there (and I'd believe it), and if you aren't terrible confrontational and occasionally have trouble saying no, this is probably not the best place for you to shop. Especially since prices are jacked up with the expectation that you'll try to haggle them down. But there is all kinds of stuff you probably don't need, all for sale under one roof. One very large, confusing, maze-like roof. Ok, the roof isn't maze-like, but you get the idea. I of course got completely turned around, thought I went out a door that I clearly did not go out of and then proceeded to get sort-of majorly lost in the narrow, shop-lined streets surrounding the bazaar. Luckily the dome of Istanbul University makes for a handy landmark and I was able to get myself turned the right way around.

Near the Blue Mosque just outside of the Arasta Bazaar area is the Mosaic Museum. It isn't very big, and isn't very well known perhaps, but it is well marked, so it's easy enough to find. I highly recommend a visit. They have all of the excavated mosaics from a peristyle courtyard of Constantine's Great Palace found under the Arasta Bazaar.

These are pretty much one of a kind mosaics- there aren't any other high status surviving Byzantine mosaic works of this kind [EDIT: Ok, so there are plenty of Byzantine mosaics from the Hagia Sophia, but those date to the 11th-12th centuries mostly, while these are more like 6th century. So I guess I should say these are the earliest of their kind that we know of], so scholars have no other examples to compare them to in order to do any kind of stylistic comparison. While the museum is little more than a large warehouse with bare bones curatorial work, it does include really interesting signs discussing the discovery, recovery, and preservation of the mosaics. If you're so inclined, you can find more pictures of the mosaics over on my flickr page in the Istanbul set.

Taking a stroll along the bank of the Golden Horn, I stopped and grabbed a grilled fish sandwich, of course I can't think of what they're called now, but it was delicious. And then grabbed a twister ice cream and sighed, thinking the same thing costs me about double in the UK. And then sighed again thinking that it is a shame that the US doesn't have Twister pops at all, because they are marvelous.

And because one bazaar isn't enough, head on over to the Egyptian Bazaar (or Spice Bazaar as it is also known) to get your fill of teas, spices, herbs, more tourist trinkets, etc. According to my Rough Guide, you aren't getting a bargain at most of these stalls, but there are apparently one or two that do charge realistic prices. But the smell alone is almost worth stopping by for, especially around the tea stalls. Yum.

And thus, I bid you adieu Istanbul. You were fantastic. And so was I. Cookies if you get the reference. But seriously, it was an amazing trip and I'm glad I got the chance to go. I'd like to be able to go back and see some of the rest of Turkey. But Istanbul is a fantastic city, where you really do literally see East meet West in an explosion of colours, tastes, textures, smells, and tiny, unmarked streets, usually running uphill. Go if you get the chance, and if you go, eat the manti!

Topkapi Palace Proper (Istanbul part 6 of 7)

Last time, Topkapi Palace Harem got the spotlight. Now for the rest of the palace, or at least what was open when I was there. I don't know if they're renovating large parts of it or what, but big chunks were closed to the public that day, including the outer Imperial Treasury (there's another one in an inner courtyard that was open), which is supposed to have a neat collection of arms and armor. If you haven't read the previous entry, read it first because I put some general intro info on the palace proper there. Now, (because I've been watching too much Doctor Who) as the Doctor would say, Allons-y!

After passing through the first court and purchasing your tickets to enter, you emerge in the second court.

It is around this court yard that the chambers associated with the Divan, the Council of State, were located. The court itself is full of flowers and ancient cypress trees, and when Topkapi itself was still in use as a palace, would have been home to (according to my guidebook), peacocks, gazelles, and fountains supplied with running water from Yerebatan Sarnici, that cistern I wrote about awhile back. The Divan chambers themselves are located off the court, along with the entrance to the Harem and the kitchens that supplied food for the Divan.

The Divan building was where the council met to decide matters of state, as well as to listen to petitioners, who would congregate on the court while waiting their turn to speak. You can also take one of 2 daily tours up the Divan Tower, which is supposed to have awesome views of the Bosphorus. It was closed when I was there- check at the ticket gate for times & availability.

The Babussaade, or the Gate of Felicity serves as the entrance to the third court, where the buildings of the palace school were located. After passing through the gate, you immediately come upon the throne room, which is actually more like the throne building.

The throne room or Audience Chamber as it is sometimes referred to, sits immediately behind the gate in order to block views into the third courtyard, which was strictly guarded so that only the chosen few could enter. This is where the sultan would wait to receive decisions made by the Divan and either approve or disapprove of them, and where he would meet with foreign dignitaries, etc. The doorway on the opposite side of the building looks out over the gardens and fountains of the rest of the courtyard.

Not a bad place to relax and stop to smell the flowers.

Beyond the Throne Room in the center of the court is the Ahmet III Library, where students at the palace school could study and read the extensive collection of theological and legal texts.

And like every other building in Istanbul from this time period, the interior is adorned with those blue and white Iznik tiles. In case you're wondering, the bookshelves are empty because the manuscripts are now housed in a separate building.

Along the sides of the third courtyard are buildings containing the (inner) Imperial Treasury rooms, with all kinds of really cool stuff to see, ranging from jewelry, to swords, to medals, thrones, relics, Muhammad's beard (three pieces if I recall correctly), turban ornaments, etc etc etc. This is the area where crowds can become problematic and queues can form during the afternoon. But well worth seeing, but alas no photography inside. But! About halfway through the treasury rooms, you emerge in an open courtyard with really nice views of the Bosphorus.

Not that really nice views of the Bosphorus are hard to come by at Topkapi. Hello, Asia! Ok, moving on. After checking out all the pretties, you can proceed to the fourth courtyard, which was limited to the royal family and their attendants. The fourth courtyard is lots of pavilions and gardens and gorgeous views out over the water.

See? This little viewing platform is adjacent to the Mecidiye Kosku, which now operates as the Konyali Cafe, serving food both indoors and at outside tables- but views like this come with a price. Take the street value and multiply it by 3-4 and that's about what they charge. Short on Turkish Liras? They'll be happy to take the equivalent value in Euros or USD.

Here's the Mecidiye Kosku itself, the last building erected at Topkapi. Keep going straight and down a flight of stairs for the garden terrace.

The fourth courtyard is home to a number of fountains, a tulip garden, and all kinds of pavilions, many of which are under going renovation work so they're all spiffy for Istanbul's tenure as European Capital of Culture 2010. What, we're already halfway through 2010? Whoops. But I'm sure they'll be lovely once they are reopened.

I still kind of wonder if there is some kind of giant conspiracy that everywhere I go, big tourist attractions are undergoing conservation/renovation work. Either that, or EVERYTHING in the world started falling apart around 2005 and work has continued since then. But I digress.

The exterior of the Circumcision Pavilion is covered with Iznik tiles of various designs, and are supposed to include some of the very best of these 16th-17th century tiles. Beyond the Circumcision Pavilion is a terrace looks out over the Golden Horn to the other side of European Istanbul. Incidentally, this terrace is also where Ibrahim I, one of those sultans that emerged from the Cage quite insane, held all kinds of... interesting parties. We'll leave it at that.

And at the end of the terrace is the Baghdad Pavilion.

And a girl who walked right into my picture. But oh well. The pavilion was built to celebrate the conquest of Baghdad in 1638.

The interior is all kind of fancy, with inlaid precious stones and tortoise shell. Whew.

THE END!

The Harem at Topkapi Palace (Istanbul part 5 of 7)

Welcome to Topkapi Sarayi, or in English, Topkapi Palace. This photo is taken from the first courtyard, which is free to check out, but to pass beyond the gate above (the Ortakapi or "Middle Gate"), you will have to pay admission. I've been avoiding writing about Topkapi Sarayi for a very practical reason:

Do you see how massive this place is?! Now imagine trying to pick out like 5 pictures and write like 4 paragraphs about it. Daunting. So I'm going to split it up and just focus on the Harem complex today. Topkapi certainly isn't cheap; I dropped 20 TL admission, plus another 15 TL for entrance into the Harem, 10 TL for the audio guide for the palace (it's more if you want audio for the palace and the Harem, and frankly I don't think it is really worth it), and then about 20 TL for lunch (speaking of, this is where I discovered that they have iced tea in Istanbul and I got really excited because the Brits look at you like you're crazy if you mention iced tea). That right there is about a quarter of what I spent in Istanbul the entire time I was there. With the exchange rate, that's about 30 pounds or $40. For one tourist attraction. But it would be a shame to visit Istanbul and skip Topkapi. If history isn't really your thing, I almost think the admission is worth it just for the photo opportunities overlooking the Bosphorus/Golden Horn. And once you get over the price shock at the palace's little outdoor cafe, it is a really nice place to sit and have a drink enjoying the view over the water.

So here we go. Construction on the palace began in 1459 and lasted until 1465, and originally served as the seat of the Ottoman goverment following the Ottoman takeover of Constantinople in 1453. The so-called "Old Palace" located where Istanbul University now stands (btw, a really handy landmark if you get turned around coming out of the Grand Bazaar but I digress) originally served as the sultan's residence, and even after Mehmet the Conqueror moved to live at Topkapi, his harem remained at the Old Palace initially. The palace buildings are arranged around a series of four courtyards, with the buildings serving particular functions clustered together. For example, the buildings around the 2nd court served the needs of the Divan, the Council of State. But more on all that later. The palace officially became a museum in 1923 following the collapse of the Ottoman Empire, and is a major tourist attraction today. I recommend getting there kind of early to beat out some of the crowds and to avoid some of the blazing sun if you visit during the summer.

Here I want to focus on the 400+ rooms that served as the Harem, the rooms where the sultan lived with his mother the Valide Sultan and his various wives, concubines, female slaves, children, and, after Ahmet I, where the sultan's brothers lived in captivity in the Cage I mentioned in a previous entry. The harem complex was built in the late 16th century to allow the king's entourage to move to Topkapi from the Old Palace.

The interior of the harem is adorned with those same Iznik tiles from the Blue Mosque (but a bit easier to photograph in daylight rather than fake candlelight!). And you can hang out with one of the black eunuchs, charged with running the Harem and guarding the entrances. 

While some of the quarters are quite lavish and extravagant, large parts of the harem are surprisingly bare.

This hallway was the Passage of the Concubines, leading to Court of the Concubines and the quarters of the Sultan's chief consorts. The counter on the left is where food brought from the kitchens by the eunuchs would be placed for the women to pick up.

The aforementioned Court of the Concubines, with individual chambers branching off from it. But again, not all that fancy-schmancy. But when you consider that the only people who should be seeing this area of the palace are the members of the harem, the support staff, and the sultan, I suppose there is less need to show off with one's decor. And by the end of the sultanate, other palaces were used as the chief residences of the sultans & their harems; it's entirely possible those are more impressive, I just don't have a basis for comparison.

The individual chambers are by and large much more like what one would expect for a palatial residence. Above is the chamber of Sultan Abdulhamid I, with couch, and (below), the other side of the room contains a seating area.

And above the chamber...

one of the ubiquitous domes.

 

This is from the chamber of the Valide Sultan, the sultan's mother, and shows the attention paid to both the walls and the sides of yet another dome.  

And of course you can't have a harem without a marble & gold bathroom. But I think I'll stick with modern plumbing, thanks!

They may have been sequestered in the harem, but at least they had a nice view and a courtyard.

There's the Galata Tower peaking out from across the Golden Horn.

And how's that for impressive? This is one of the chambers of the Crown Prince. Below is a nicer shot of some of those stained glass windows.

So there's the Harem. I wouldn't want to live there, but it is a really cool place to check out and learn about a very different culture. There are signs about, but the English translations are often iffy at best; there was one sign I spent a good 5 minutes staring at, trying to decipher what they were trying to say and never did figure it out. Like I mentioned, you can get an audio guide for the Harem, but if it's along the same lines as the audio guide for the rest of Topkapi, you might be better served by picking up one of the guide books to Topkapi Palace at one of the museum shops for about the same price as the audio guide. Also, keep in mind that the Harem closes earlier than the rest of the palace, so plan your visit accordingly.

Surprise!

Blogger unveiled their new template designer, and of course I had to play around with it. So I thought I'd go all British on you, at least for a few days. I'll probably switch back to my calming blue layout in a few days, but it's good to mix it up every once in a while, no? If you're looking for my pictures, I've added a flickr gadget to the right, so you can click on one of the recent photos it pulls to get to my flickr page, or click the link on the bottom to go to my photo stream.

I've been working on writing up Topkapi Palace/Harem, and I'll hopefully get at least the Harem up by tomorrow. I'm dreadfully dreadfully behind (entries due: more Istanbul, NYMR aka the Harry Potter Train, Whitby, the Lake District, and castles/churches from a recent field trip. Eep!). Tomorrow is the USA vs England game for the World Cup. Is it sad that I didn't even realize the US participated in that? We've all been getting a chuckle out of the England slogan for the World Cup on all the adverts and such for the games. "Maybe, just maybe." Doesn't that inspire loads of confidence? In other news, I'm flying home in, oh geez, 4 days, and have much to do in preparation, not to mention working on my dissertation! I'm looking forward to delicious delicious food not available in England; the first 4 things on my list are all Mexican, followed by Chinese and Five Guys Little Bacon Cheeseburger. Mmmm.