And again Merhaba Istanbul!
After the first trip to Istanbul, there was a feeling of loss and a desire to return. All my friends, having heard about this incredible city, and succumbing to my onslaught, agreed to go with me. The trip fell on the month of May, we decided to catch the remnants of the tulip festival and enjoy the view of your favorite flowers.
We bought tickets Kyiv-Istanbul-Kyiv. Through the Internet, we found a hotel in Sultanahmet, in the Sirkeci area for a penny, it came out at 90 euros per person for a week without breakfast. We have gathered a large company - international. Therefore, on the first day of arrival, we met all our friends at the airport, and, having decided not to burden ourselves with excursions on the day of arrival, we simply went straight from the airport (with a stop at the hotel) to Gulhane Park. During the Ottoman era, Gü lhane Park was part of the Royal Gardens of Topkapı Palace. It is located where the waters of the Bosphorus and the Sea of Marmara meet. The park is very beautiful, there are many tea houses where you can drink tea on small wooden tables, listen to the cries of seagulls and just relax. There are also several museums and monuments in the park. It is located BEHIND the Palace, admission is free.
In the evening we enjoyed Turkish cuisine in one of the favorite and cheap eateries in Sultanahmet. I hand over the coordinates: if you get off the tram at the Sultanahmet stop next to Eminonu (for example) in the direction of Kapala Charshi (Grand Bazaar), then turn right and go down Divan Yolu Street to the alley, and on the corner it will be wonderful establishment. There are tables both outside and inside (you need to climb the stairs). Fresh meat, delicious Ayran, cold raki! What else do you need in this life?? ? From the small windows you can see the illuminated Blue Mosque (Sultan Ahmet Camii) and the Firuz Aga Mosque (Firuz Ağ a Camii).
The next morning I met the May coolness and cheerful sun. After having breakfast in the same place, we began to get acquainted with the history. First of all, we went to the Hippodrome square. Here we walked, took pictures, ate Turkish bagels (Simid), circled around each column, and stomped to the Blue Mosque. Because this year Istanbul is the "Capital of European Culture 2010", so there were VERY many tourists. Plus, the season is in full swing! It was impossible to get into the mosque, but by taking off our shoes and pulling shawls over our blond heads, we managed to squeeze into the mosque itself. Inside, the Blue Mosque - especially in contrast to Sofia - seems smaller than it really is. The room is divided into two parts by a low fence: most of it is for praying men, the other part is provided for tourists. Women pray in separate rooms near the walls. The beauty of the ornament on the vaults and walls of the mosque fascinates. . . The light passes through the colored stained-glass windows and falls on the carpet as bright spots. The camera captures the mysterious glare from the lamps suspended very low... a fabulous place!
Leaving the mosque, we went to the fountain in front of Hagia Sophia, and from there, turning onto Yerebatan Street, we went to the Basilica Cistern (Yerebatan Sarnı cı ). It looks like an inconspicuous small room, but inside the staircase goes steeply down, turn, and before your eyes is incredible - huge columns under a stone arch! The cistern is one of the largest and well-preserved ancient underground reservoirs in Constantinople. The dimensions of the underground structure are 145 by 65 meters, the capacity is 80.000 cubic meters of water. The vaulted ceiling of the cistern is supported by 336 columns (12 rows of 28 columns) 8 meters high. (c) Two heads of Medusa Gorgon also stand among the columns. All columns were brought from different ancient places, so they are all different. (entry 20 lira)
Leaving the Cistern, passing by Hagia Sophia and turning left, walking past the tourist shops, we came to the Topkapi Palace. At the entrance at the outer gate stands the most beautiful painted fountain of Sultan Ahmed III (Sultan Ahmed III. Ç eş mesi). Behind the gate opens the first courtyard of Alai Meidana. Here are the ticket offices of the museum and the souvenir shop, alleys with tulips, on the left is the Church of St. Irene, there is a descent to the Archaeological Museum. I want to note that the souvenir shop surprised us, the prices in it are quite modest, and we bought notebooks there for 12 liras, and friends bought the same ones for 20 in the center. Perhaps they were cheaper, but we looked around the entire book market and various shopping centers - we did not find it. Having bought tickets to the Palace (20 lira per person), we passed the gates of Orta Kapa (Orta Kapı - Middle Gate) and entered the Meydana Divan (second courtyard of the palace). To the left is the entrance to the Harem (entrance +20 lira), we didn’t get there, because. We went there already on the way back, pretty tired and hungry. After followed Enderun Avlus (Third courtyard of the palace) with the private chambers of the sultans and Sofa-i Humayun (Fourth courtyard of the palace). It is not enough to describe the entire Palace. There are many pavilions and chambers, fountains, balconies, treasuries, museums, a library and much more. Since I am a representative of the female part of the population, I was naturally captivated by the treasury - I have never seen such a quantity of precious and semi-precious stones!!!
After long walks, we had dinner, went to the embankment (which we liked on our first visit), took a photo with the figures of lions and bears on the square in front of Sofia (whoever has been and seen will understand why we could not pass by) and decided to taste Turkish ice cream. In Istanbul, you can see brightly colored ice cream stalls hung with ribbons and a bell, with lots of waffle cups and a vendor screaming "DONDURMA" (i. e. ice cream). CAREFULLY! ! This attraction is not for the nervous, but for cheerful, positive and able to keep calm people who will not poke ice cream in the face of the seller. Because he will do it for you! You see, this is a kind of attraction when you innocently approach, choose ice cream, and then it begins....first, in a split second, they twist your ice cream in front of your nose, then they change it to another, then they change cups, then they take out a block of ice cream, a kilo of 5 , then your ice cream can come in your nose jokingly, well, everything in the same spirit for 10-15 minutes. Really fun =)
The next day we had a "walking" plan. Having bought a map and taken a guidebook, we wanted to find the Museum of Calligraphy and visit the burial place of our countrywoman Roksolana and the Suleymaniye mosque of the same name, and visit everything we like along the way. The path was marked in the direction of Kapala Charshi (grand bazaar) along Divan Yolu street. Not reaching the Bazaar, there is the Mausoleum of Mahmud II - the last family tomb of the Ottoman sultans. Near it is a cemetery with the graves of famous Ottoman politicians and writers. The place is very interesting, it cannot be compared with our cemeteries. And despite the fact that it is located right next to a noisy road, high walls and many trees keep peace and tranquility there. Further, following the tram lines, we reached Beyazit Square (Beyazı t Meydanı ), where the Mosque of the same name is located, the main entrance of Istanbul University (where only students are allowed), and the gate of the Grand Bazaar. The Museum of Calligraphy is located right there in the building of the former Lyceum, but to our disappointment it turned out to be under restoration. On the territory of the University itself there is a Tower 85 meters high. The territory outside the gate is very beautiful, a lot of trees, it's a pity they didn't let us in. Facing the gates of the University, we turned left, then turned right into Besim Omer Pasa Cad. , which follows the territory of the University, and came to the Sü leymaniye Camii Mosque, the largest mosque in Istanbul. Here we suffered another disappointment - the mosque itself was closed for restoration. Judging by the layouts on the fence, the restoration is simply grandiose, and it is worth coming back to get to Suleymaniye again!! ! On the eastern side of the mosque, next to the cemetery, among the cypresses, there are two mausoleums - one of Sultan Suleiman I, and the other of his beloved wife Haseki Alexandra Anastasia Lisowska (Roksolana). The tomb of the architect Sinan (Mimar Sinan Tü rbesi), who built this mosque and designed his own tomb, built shortly before his death, is located just outside the northern wall of Suleymaniye. Being in the tomb of Alexandra Anastasia Lisowska was strange, some mixed feelings. On the one hand, this is a woman who showed who Slavic girls are, she made the Sultan fall in love with herself and became his only beloved wife, she patronized art and helped the poor, contributed in every possible way to stop the export of Slavic women for slavery, on the other hand she was tough and went to her targets "over the corpses". History buried the truth. Opposite the Mosque there is a small market, there are also many restaurants with an inexpensive menu.
Then we used the map, and after walking through the labyrinths of streets, we went to Ş ehzadebaş ı street, where we entered a small mosque (Ş ehzadebaş ı Camii), its territory is very beautiful, green. There is a park next to the Mosque, and up the street, going to the crossing, you can see the Valens Aqueduct (Bozdoğ an Kemeri) to which Ataturk Boulevard leads. Previously, the aqueduct was part of the water supply system of Constantinople, in our time the surviving part has a length of 971 meters and a maximum height of 20 meters. Following straight down the street, we walked past the usual residential areas and shops, there are no tourists there. You can safely make some small purchases. So we went to the Mosque standing on the top of the fourth city hill, on which the church of St. Apostles (IV-XI centuries) - Fatih (Fatih Camii) or the mosque of the "Conqueror" (Fatih - the conqueror), the first large Sultan's mosque. And again we fail! It was prayer time, and there were a lot of Muslims on the territory of the mosque, and here we are with uncovered heads, and the company is multinational, everyone fixed their eyes on us. Naturally, we did not dare to enter the mosque itself.
We walked around the territory (it is huge) and again using the map, we began to wander around the residential areas of Istanbul. We went straight to Eminonu to the Spice Bazaar. Behind the Bazaar itself, we found a secluded street with a snack bar. Once, having read the simple rule of tasty and inexpensive food in Istanbul, I always followed it. And it is this: “The farther from the tourist places you go, the cheaper and larger the size of the durun will be! ” And it is true! After dinner, we went to the New Mosque (Yeni Camii). The construction of this mosque was started by another woman who managed to win the heart of the Sultan (Murad III), an Albanian by origin, Sofia. The full official name of the mosque is Yeni Valide Sultan Camii. The Egyptian Bazaar (Spice Bazaar) is part of the New Mosque complex. Next to me, the animal bazaar again involved me in its fetters! Well, I can not pass by the animal! The number of leeches is especially impressive =))
After taking a breath, we collected our thoughts in our hands, and our legs in our head, or vice versa, and decided to make the final throw for this day - Hagia Sophia. I will not describe Sophia again, I will only note that just as she left an indelible mark on my heart, she also conquered my friends.
The next morning, having had breakfast and gaining strength, we decided to go to the Bridge across the Bosphorus! So, on the well-trodden path on our first visit, we headed to Ortakoy. Since the last visit, the bus stop has disappeared somewhere =) but instead of it there was a fence, and on it hung huge posters with photographs of some tall buildings in Europe, we also found the Kiev bell tower from Larva A surprise awaited us on the square near the mosque - shooting a Turkish series . This surprise pretty much spoiled our mood, because. the actors were old, and those that were young were unsympathetic, and besides, with their “flying” cameras they spoiled the entire famous frame for the photo “Mecidiye Camii Mosque, and in the background the bridge across the Bosphorus”.
Then we walked along the main road to the Dolmabahce Palace (Dolmabahç e Sarayı ), which is located between the piers of Kabatas and Besiktas. Entrance 20 lire. The entrance to the Palace is guarded by brave guards in green. By the way, all attempts to photograph the palace and servicemen from the outside of the road were accompanied by whistles and clicks of machine guns! But near the entrance you can safely take pictures, but do not touch! Behind the gates are beautiful lawns, a small park, very beautiful, peacocks are walking. Entrance to the Palace itself is free, but if you are without a group, then you yourself will not be allowed. There are two ways out - join a group with an English-speaking guide, or a group with a Turkish guide. We chose the first option. It was fun In a building that occupies an area of .45 thousand square meters. m. , there are 285 rooms, 46 halls, 6 Turkish baths and 68 toilet rooms. The most beautiful paintings on the ceilings and walls, tapestries, huge crystal hanging chandeliers, security guards are everywhere. The entrance to the palace harem is without a guide, it is less pompous, but interesting.
Note: The first President of the Republic of Turkey Mustafa Kemal Atatü rk stayed and received foreign guests at Dolmabahce Palace during his visits to Istanbul. Today, all the clocks in the complex, of which there are more than one and a half hundred, show the same time - 09.05 - at this very moment on November 10.1938, the heart of the founder of the Turkish state stopped beating within the walls of Dolmabahce. And every year on November 10 at exactly 9.05 a siren sounds throughout the city. All transport stops. All people get out of the cars. Everyone honors his memory!
Leaving the palace, we admired the Besiktas football field (we decided to come here for football), and went to the Galata Bridge. We got off at the Karakoy tram station and climbed a steep street straight to the Galata Tower (Galata Kulesi), built by the Genoese in 1348 (you can also reach it from Taksim along Istiklal Street). The observation deck at the top of the Galata Tower (137 m above sea level) is an ideal place to view the panorama of the entire old city (Surichi), Galata, Pera, the Golden Horn coast, the Asian coast of the Bosphorus and the expanses of the Sea of Marmara with the distant Princes' Islands. On the top two floors of the tower, there is a restaurant and a cafeteria. You can visit the Galata Tower any day from 09.00 to 20.00. The entrance ticket costs 10 TL. Great view and strong wind! Be careful there! Next, we had a walk along the Galata Bridge, a photo shoot with the participation of local fishermen, who lived up to all expectations and posed no worse than Victoria's Secret models, and also took a couple of night photos of Sultanahmet.
Although May was cold, we wanted the sea, sun and relaxation! Wanted - get it!! ! In the morning, getting up late and a little delayed, we rushed headlong to Kabatash. There we boarded the İ DO (www. ido. com. tr) ferry next to the Princes' Islands (Adalar), and headed for the last and largest among the nine islands - Buyukada (bü yü k ada). The crossing on this ferry takes 1.5-2 hours, with a stop at the Asian part of Istanbul (Kadikoy district) and with stops on several islands. The fare on the ferry is 3 TL (token) and 2.5 TL (akbil), on the "sea bus" - 7 TL (token) and 5.5 TL (akbil). Quite a few ruins of churches and monasteries have been preserved on Buyukada. So, at the top of Yudzhetepe there is a church of St. George and a monastery dating back to the 6th century. Not far from the clock tower on İ skele Meydanı (Iskele Square) there is a parking of phaetons. In addition to the horse-drawn carriage, you can also rent a bicycle here (approximately 10TL). For a sightseeing tour on a phaeton, you can order a "big" or "small" tour. At the same time, the route around the island on a transport with a capacity of two horsepower takes about an hour. The cost of a small tour is 30TL per team, and a large one is 40TL. The capacity of the team is 4 people, because there were five of us, then we paid another +10TL for a big tour. The island is very beautiful, there are many beautiful houses on it, horses graze without a leash, the movement of cars is prohibited there, clean air! There are beaches where you can swim. There are many restaurants on the waterfront.
On this, our entire cultural program was completed. The next day was shopping. First we went to Merter (Zeytinburnu), then to the other end of the city to the Canyon shopping center (Levant4 metro station), then Taksim, then the Grand Bazaar. My program is a little different. In the largest Technical University of Turkey there was a festival on the occasion of the end of the academic year. It lasted about a week, many famous foreign and Turkish stars were invited, there were feasts, entertainment, attractions. I was invited to attend this action and see how the Turkish youth have a rest. It turned out to be very European. Many young guys are sitting or lying right on the grass among the trees, drinking beer, smoking a hookah, singing songs, playing various games. Everything is very interesting. I liked the University itself. A huge territory with an artificial lake, tennis courts, a football field, swimming pools, a park, student dormitories right there (small two-three-storey cottages), a lot of things. We had to move around the territory by car, because. a lot of hulls.
On this visit to Istanbul was over, and again we did not have time to visit many places, we will fly there again...
