Istanbul
Days One & Two - Turkey / Türkiye - 2023
A two-day adventure to Istanbul’s key sites, including Hagia Sophia, the Blue Mosque, Topkapi Palace, and the Basilica Cistern.
Editor’s Comment: Throughout this travelogue, I have made an effort to use the Turkish spelling of place names and locations when the terms are obvious cognates; however, whenever a term is more commonly well-known in the English language (Turkey vs. Türkiye, Basilica Cistern vs. Yerebatan Sarnıcı, etc.) I have provided the English term first, followed by the Turkish spelling afterwards.
1. Basilica Cistern #1
Basilica Cistern (Yerebatan Sarnıcı) is the largest ancient rainwater storage receptacle ever built in Istanbul.
My Turkey adventure began after an early morning flight from Amman after spending five lovely days in Jordan. After a very on-brand chaotic arrival at Istanbul’s new international airport, I was whisked by the staff of Fez Travel to my day’s accommodation in the Galataport neighborhood of the city. Thankfully, my hotel room was already available, and -after a brief time freshening up- I set out to explore.
Unfortunately, it was a very rainy November day in Istanbul which limited my ability to do any urban photography along my lovely walking route across the Golden Horn and into the heart of the city; thankfully, my primary destination for the day -the Basilica Cistern- was located underground. This was not intentional, as I had made a reservation online about a month prior, but rather a happy coincidence. I highly recommend you reserve in advance as you are allowed to skip the ticket line, which in my case was about two or three hundred people long.
Realizing my opportunities for additional sightseeing were very limited on account of the weather, I probably spent 90 minutes in the cistern; that said, you can probably move through in about 30 once you get past the ticket desk and security checkpoint and not feel rushed.
Ten more photographs of Basilica Cistern follow.
Photographer’s Comment: The lighting in Basilica Cistern is extremely dim and the bulbs used to illuminate the site change colors frequently. The walkways are also very narrow and just wide enough to accommodate the volume of visitors, which means a monopod is probably the best support you can aspire to use. I highly recommend a very fast lens (f/2.0 or faster) and a lot of patience if you are going to spend some time trying to get good shots.
2. Basilica Cistern #2
The Basilica Cistern was built in the 6th century during the time of Justinian I; it possibly enlarged a smaller cistern built during the time of Constantine.
3. Basilica Cistern #3
The cistern’s enlargement was in response to the Nika Revolt, after which Justinian I instituted a series of reforms and improvements to the city.
4. Basilica Cistern #4
When full, Basilica Cistern can hold 80,000 cubic meters / 2.8 million square feet of water.
5. Basilica Cistern #5
After the fall of Constantinople to the Ottomans in 1453, the cistern was largely forgotten and disused.
6. Basilica Cistern #6
Basilica Cistern has undergone many renovations over the centuries - most recently in 1985, during which time sightseeing boats were replaced with walkways, and 2017, during which significant structural upgrades were made over a period of five years.
7. Basilica Cistern #7
There are over 350 columns in the Basilica Cistern, each approximately 9 meters / 30 feet tall.
8. Basilica Cistern #8
One column features a “hen’s eye” pattern …
9. Basilica Cistern #9
… and each features either an Ionic, Corinthian, or -occasionally- Doric column capital.
10. Basilica Cistern #10
There are also two Medusa head column bases in Basilica Cistern - it is believed they are not original to the cistern site, but their true origins remain a total mystery.
11. Basilica Cistern #11
Basilica Cistern has been featured in media prominently over the years, to include the novel “Inferno” and its film adaptation, as well as the James Bond movie, “From Russia with Love.”
12. Sultanahmet Square #1
While Sultanahmet Square (Sultanahmet Meydanı) is often better known as the Hippodrome of Constantinople, it predates Constantine the Great by about 100 years, having been first built around 200 AD.
The following morning, my organized tour of Turkey properly began. Our first stop was Sultanahmet Square, where we received a short lecture on the history of Constantinople and the significance of the Hippodrome in Turkish history.
There’s a lot of historical ground to cover here, so my apologies if this gets wordy. First things first, a hippodrome is an open-air venue which, in Roman times, served as a sporting venue, market, and town square. Istanbul was known in the Roman period as Byzantion, and -naturally- they built their meeting space atop the area’s most prominent geographic feature, Sarayburnu (the heights of the peninsula separating the Golden Horn and the Bosphorus). Fast forward about 100 years, Roman emperor Constantine the Great converts to Christianity, defeats Licinius, and establishes New Rome (later, Constantinople.) Up until this point, Byzantion was a mid-tier Roman outpost, but -recognizing its strategic location- was transformed into the capital of the new empire.
It was at this point Constantine expanded this location in line with his vision for the city and the Great Palace of Constantinople was adjacent to it.
13. Sultanahmet Square #2
Three monuments are located in Sultanahmet Square: the Roman-built Walled Obelisk, the Serpent Column from Greece, and the Thutmose III Obelisk from Egypt.
To lend legitimacy and grandeur to the newly-expanded hippodrome, the line at the center part of the track in its center (called a spina) was adorned by Constantine and his successors with multiple monuments, mostly relocated from other regions of the Mediterranean. Today, three of these remain: the remains of a column which once held up a sacrificial tripod in Delphi, Greece; an obelisk relocated from Karnak’s Temple in Luxor, Egypt; and an obelisk built much later (9th century) by the Romans themselves.
The hippodrome also featured a massive seating capacity of near 100,000 people, as well as multiple ornate gates. Ever heard of the Horses of Saint Mark in Venice? Guess where they were taken from during the Fourth Crusade….
14. Sultanahmet Square #3
The Blue Mosque presently sits where the Emperor’s box overlooking the Hippodrome once stood.
One of the most important moments in Constantinople’s history was the so-called Nika Revolt against Justinian I in 532 AD. But to fill you in on why that happened or what the aftermath was, I need to talk about … chariot racing. Yeah, if you think sports fans are mental nowadays, chariot racing nearly toppled the Byzantine Empire.
I’ll cover this as quickly as I can: there used to be chariot racing in the Hippodrome, and the racers in these events were broken up into different teams. The two main teams -the Blues and the Greens- were sponsored by organizations which were also associated with political alignments in Parliament. To make matters more complicated, Justinian I -who could view any chariot race from his private box attached to the Grand Palace- was a supporter of the Blues. Also at this time, Justinian was facing two internal crises: first, dissatisfaction with an increase in taxes throughout the Empire, and, second, the conclusion of an inconclusive and fairly pointless war with the Sassanid Empire to the east. I think we can all admit, this is a pretty toxic mix.
After a highly-polarized chariot race resulted in hooliganism leading to some murders by both Blues and Greens faction members, two rioters -one from each side- were scheduled to be executed. Justinian decreed instead that the executions would be commuted to imprisonment and a chariot race would be held to appease the masses. This … did not end well, as tensions boiled during the race and the joined Blues and Greens spent five days rampaging Constantinople, destroying the Second Hagia Sophia, and besieging the Grand Palace. They also named Hypatius the next Emperor.
Eventually, Justinian was able to remind the Blues of his past support and point out that their chosen replacement, Hypatius, was sympathetic to the Greens. When many Blues ceased mobbing, Justinian sent the military to confront and execute the remaining rioters, whom by this point were mostly from the Greens faction.
What did this mean for the Byzantine Empire? Well, first much of Constantinople -to include the Hagia Sophia- had to be rebuilt. Secondly, the Code of Justinian, a reform of Roman law, was introduced. Lastly, Justinian parlayed the confidence gained from this incident to conquer much of Italy and North Africa, bringing the Empire to its greatest land extent.
15. Blue Mosque Central Entrance #1
The origins of muqarnas -the term used to describe the ornamental vaulting seen in the archway here- are unknown, and its rapid, almost simultaneous, ubiquity in architecture in the Muslim world in the 11th century vexes historians today.
As mentioned, right off the Hippodrome on the site of the former Great Palace is the Blue Mosque. Visitors may enter the courtyard of the mosque through the Central Entrance -shown here and below- but must exit the courtyard again and proceed through a checkpoint before finally entering the mosque. Thankfully, the signs are well marked and I don’t think you’ll have any problems figuring out where you’re supposed to go.
16. Blue Mosque Central Entrance #2
17. Blue Mosque Exterior #1
The Blue Mosque (Sultan Ahmet Mosque, or Sultan Ahmet Camii) was built in the early 17th century by Ahmed I.
I’m not going to mince words: the Blue Mosque is one of the most astonishing buildings I have ever seen. Its scale is massive, its symmetry perfection, and its location supreme. And this is just the exterior - the interior is also amazing … but more on that in a second.
Two more exterior shots follow.
18. Blue Mosque Exterior #2
19. Blue Mosque Exterior #3
Likely due to a miscommunication, the Blue Mosque was the first since the Great Mosque of Mecca to have six minarets; after they were built, a seventh was ordered built on the latter site to retain its superior standing.
20. Blue Mosque Interior #1
The Blue Mosque’s central dome is 43 meters / 141 feet tall.
There are a lot of times I take a modern perspective for granted. I am fortunate to have visited hundreds of historically and architecturally significant religious buildings in my lifetime, something that would have been unheard of a couple centuries ago. The Blue Mosque is over 400 years old, and if it is astonishing enough to make me pause in my tracks and utter a simple, “Wow”, I can’t really fathom how mind-blowing seeing something like this would have been shortly after it was completed.
21. Blue Mosque Interior #2
(Click here to view a full-size version of this panorama.)
There are over 250 windows in the Blue Mosque.
Coming here is basically sensory overload - there are so many nooks across this massive ceiling there is no way you brain can take it all in at once. Take your time and look around at as many details as you can to get the most of your visit.
22. Blue Mosque Interior #3
There are over 21,000 colored tiles on the walls of the Blue Mosque, a good number of which form blue floral patterns and give the building its name.
23. Blue Mosque Interior #4
The Blue Mosque underwent extensive restorations between 2018 and 2023, so now is a great time to visit!
Photographer’s Comment: To photograph the Blue Mosque properly, you’ll need your narrowest and widest lenses and everything in between. Light is decent on account of all the windows, but the floorspace is claustrophobic - despite it being such a large building, much of it is blocked off. The chandeliers are an awesome sight, but can make angles tricky.
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24. Sultanahmet Park #1
Sultan Ahmet Park separates Hagia Sophia and the Blue Mosque.
After leaving the Blue Mosque, we made our way the short distance over to Hagia Sophia through Sultan Ahmet Park. This is a lively space filled with snack and coffee vendors.
25. Sultanahmet Park #2
26. Hagia Sophia
This is the third Hagia Sophia (Ayasofya) built on this site; the first was consecrated in 360 AD and destroyed by fire in 404; the second was consecrated in 415 and destroyed by riot in 532; this one was consecrated in 537.
There are so many interesting layers to the history of the third Hagia Sophia it is difficult for me to pick one thread to talk about. But let’s start simple: for the first 800 years or so of its existence, it served as the most important church in the Eastern Orthodox faith. It was the largest interior space ever constructed at that point in history, and it would hold the title of world’s largest church for nearly a millennium. For a brief period following the Fourth Crusade, it became a Catholic church; interestingly, one of the key leaders of the crusade, Enrico Dandolo, is still buried here. Reverting back to an Eastern Orthodox church in 1261 after the crusaders were expelled, it stayed associated with that faith until the Ottoman conquest of Constantinople in 1453.
The leader of the conquest, Mehmed II, converted the church into a mosque and made it the city’s principal mosque. At this time, minarets were added and many Christian images and religious features were removed. It was also at this time that the architectural style of Hagia Sophia -designed as a church by Byzantine Greek mathematicians almost a thousand years prior- became a dominant architectural style for large mosques in the Ottoman Empire. In the 19th century, the building had extensive structural damage and was at risk of being condemned or outright demolished; renovations were carried out, by -of all people- two Swiss brothers.
Hagia Sophia remained a mosque until the establishment of the secular Republic of Turkey, at which point it was converted into a museum with no religious affiliation. In 2020, based on a ruling by the Turkish Council of State, it was reconverted into a mosque.
27. Hagia Sophia Interior #1
Due to a variety of factors ranging from earthquakes to fires to humidity and water damage, Hagia Sophia has undergone multiple renovations since its opening in the 6th century; these improvements, coupled with its ever-changing religious status and iconography, has resulted in Hagia Sophia having a very unique and complicated appearance.
The decision to revert Hagia Sophia back into a mosque has been a controversial one. I won’t elaborate too much on my opinion, but suffice it to say I think maintaining its status as a museum would have honored the building’s diverse past as an Eastern Orthodox, Catholic, and Muslim religious site, as well as Mustafa Kemal Atatürk’s dedication to establishing a secular Turkish Republic. That the Hagia Sophia will soon begin to charge an admission fee to tourists despite it being a reconsecrated religious site really tells you everything you need to know about the real motivations at play.
I am hopeful that the powers that be do not go down a path which results in the removal of the last of the remaining Christian iconography in the building. Much like the destruction of the Buddhas of Bamiyan by the Taliban, I would consider this destruction a crime against the property of mankind.
Another image depicting Christian iconography from Hagia Sophia’s narthex follows.
28. Hagia Sophia Interior #2
29. Hagia Sophia Interior #3
Much of Hagia Sophia’s appearance today is the result of two renovations: the 1840s edition by the Swiss Fossati Brothers, and the 1997 to 2006 World Monument Fund-led edition.
Stepping foot into Hagia Sophia, its many contradictions become perceptible. It feels both old and new, cold and warm, Western and Eastern, Christian and Muslim, light and dark. It is a lovely place, but in the same way you may find a pair of worn slippers or a workhorse car that inexplicably leaks oil endearing.
I don’t have much more to add about Hagia Sophia, so I’ll let the next eight photographs do the talking for me.
30. Hagia Sophia Interior #4
31. Hagia Sophia Interior #5
32. Hagia Sophia Interior #6
33. Hagia Sophia Interior #7
34. Hagia Sophia Interior #8
35. Hagia Sophia Interior #9
36. Hagia Sophia Interior #10
37. Hagia Sophia Interior #11
38. Topkapi Palace #1
Topkapi Palace (Topkapı Sarayı) was the second palace built after the conquest of Constantinople by Mehmed the Conqueror, serving in this capacity from 1465 to 1856.
After departing Hagia Sophia, we made the short walk across to Topkapi Palace. We had a short orientation walk and then were cut loose to explore on our own.
There’s almost too much to see at Topkapi: hundreds of rooms in dozens of buildings, four courtyards, a harem, a treasury, an armory, priceless religious artifacts, strange trees, manuscripts, lots of gates, a Byzantine church, and countless views of the city. If you want to take everything in, come in with a plan, and spend a whole day if you can.
You’ll see the majority of the photographs below are taken outside - the vast majority of Topkapi’s interior spaces are marked with “No Photography” signs. Are these rules even remotely enforced? Absolutely not, even within obvious view of the security guards. Could I have taken photographs of the best known artifacts here, such as the Topkapi Manuscript, the Spoonmaker’s Diamond, and the Topkapi Dagger? Certainly, but I take my obligation to not compound the problem of photographic ignorance very seriously. If you’re really curious about these artifacts, I’m sure you can find dozens of photos on the internet, or better yet go see them in-person (always my recommended option.)
39. Topkapi Palace #2
The Baghdad Kiosk was built in 1638 to celebrate Ottoman victory in that city.
40. Topkapi Palace #3
Topkapi offers views of both the European and Asian sides of Istanbul.
41. Topkapi Palace #4
The Yerevan Kiosk was built in 1635.
42. Topkapi Palace #5
The Genoese-built Galata Tower was built in 1348 and towers over the neighborhood of the same name.
43. Topkapi Palace #6
The Golden Horn is the waterway which divides European Istanbul, and the neighborhoods which surround it constitute the area referred to as “Old Istanbul”.
44. Topkapi Palace #7
Many of Topkapi’s trees suffered from a fungus which hollowed our their cores; despite this, many continue to flourish.
45. Bosphorus Cruise #1
Countless operators (seriously, I tried to count but couldn’t) offer Bosphorus boat tours, which generally travel north from Eminönü or Karaköy to the Fatih Sultan Mehmet Bridge and back; this route takes 90 to 120 minutes.
After concluding our visit to Topkapi Palace, I took an optional Bosphorus boat cruise. I discuss in great detail my opinion of these boat tours in my tour review, but the pertinent part for your awareness is that I had an incredibly difficult time finding a vantage point with which to take some happy snaps until about halfway through the cruise. So, with that in mind, twelve of my favorite photos from the cruise follow.
Photographer’s Comment: You could probably piece this together already based on the above, but I’ll say it all the same: if you want to have a good position to photograph from the tour boat, arrive early! The boat hugs one shore of the Bosphorus before crossing over to the other halfway through (at least mine did). This means that the side of the boat you pick will give you either a close-up or wide-angle view for the whole trip. You won’t know which side the boat will travel on first (my boat hugged the European side first), and the time of day / sun should factor into which side you pick. Lots to think about, but my best advice would be to commit to one side once you have staked your claim. The boat I was on was very steady, which allowed me to get borderline telephoto shots (135mm) without having to crank up the ISO too much to account for movement.
46. Bosphorus Cruise #2
The current Galata Bridge (Galata Köprüsü) was built in 1994 and is the fifth one on this site. It is two levels tall, and restaurants and shops can be found on the lower level.
47. Bosphorus Cruise #3
The Fatih Sultan Mehmet Bridge (Fatih Sultan Mehmet Köprüsü) opened in 1988 and was the second road bridge across the Bosphorus.
48. Bosphorus Cruise #4
The Rumelian Fortress (Rumelihisarı) was built by Mehmed II during the Conquest of Constantinople …
49. Bosphorus Cruise #5
… at the narrowest point of the Bosphorus …
50. Bosphorus Cruise #6
… only 650 meters / 2,000 feet wide.
51. Bosphorus Cruise #7
52. Bosphorus Cruise #8
53. Bosphorus Cruise #9
The Bosphorus Bridge (15 July Martyrs Bridge or 15 Temmuz Şehitler Bridge) is the oldest road bridge across the Bosphorus, having opened in 1973 as the longest suspension bridge in both Europe and Asia.
54. Bosphorus Cruise #10
55. Bosphorus Cruise #11
56. Bosphorus Cruise #12
Dolmabahçe Palace served as the Ottoman sultan palace after Topkapi Palace, from 1856 to 1922; it was also a summer retreat for Mustafa Kemal Atatürk, who died here in 1938.
57. Bosphorus Cruise #13
After the Bosphorus cruise, we returned back to the hotel for a refresh before dinner in Galataport. Well-deserved rest followed, necessary fuel for the trip’s first road trip in the morning to Gallipoli.
