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You
have many reasons to visit Turkey. The cradle of ancient
civilization. Here you can find some background information
about major Attractions/Landmarks all around Turkey. I will expand the
list over the period of months or years gradually. Please
Enjoy the pictures and the information provided.
1.
BLUE MOSQUE year built between 1609-1616 / Istanbul, TURKEY
The Sultan Ahmed Mosque (Turkish:
Sultanahmet Camii)
is the national mosque of Turkey, and is a historical mosque in
Istanbul, the largest city in Turkey and the capital of the
Ottoman Empire (from 1453 to 1923). The mosque is one of several
mosques known as the Blue Mosque for the blue tiles adorning the
walls of its interior. It was built between 1609 and 1616,
during the rule of Ahmed I. Like many other mosques, it also
comprises a tomb of the founder, a
madrasah and a hospice. The Sultan
Ahmed Mosque has become one of the greatest tourist attractions
of Istanbul.
2. Hagia Sophia
Church/Meseum - istanbul, Turkey
Hagia Sophia
(Greek: Ἁγία
Σοφία; "Holy Wisdom", Turkish:
Ayasofya)
is a former patriarchal basilica, later a
mosque, now a museum, in Istanbul, Turkey.
Famous in particular for its massive dome,
it is considered the epitome of Byzantine
architecture. It was the largest cathedral
in the world for nearly a thousand years,
until the completion of the Medieval Seville
Cathedral in 1520.
The current
building was originally constructed as a
church between 532 and 537 on the orders of
the Byzantine Emperor Justinian I, and was
in fact the third Church of the Holy
Wisdom to occupy the site (the previous
two had both been destroyed by riots). It
was designed by two architects, Isidore of
Miletus and Anthemius of Tralles. The Church
contained a large collection of holy relics
and featured, among other things, a 50-foot
(15 m) silver iconostasis. It was the
patriarchal church of the Patriarch of
Constantinople and the religious focus point
of the Orthodox Byzantine Empire for nearly
1000 years.
In 1453,
Constantinople was conquered by the Ottoman
Turks and Sultan Mehmed II ordered the
building to be converted into a mosque. The
bells, altar, iconostasis, and sacrificial
vessels were removed, and many of the
mosaics were eventually plastered over. The
Islamic features - such as the mihrab, the
minbar, and the four minarets outside - were
added over the course of its history under
the Ottomans. It remained as a mosque until
1935, when it was converted into a museum by
the secular Republic of Turkey.
For almost
500 years the principal mosque of Istanbul,
Hagia Sophia served as a model for many of
the Ottoman mosques such as the Sultan Ahmed
Mosque (Blue Mosque of Istanbul), the
Şehzade Mosque, the Süleymaniye Mosque, and
the Rüstem Pasha Mosque.
3. Çatalhöyük - Southwestern Anatolia,
Turkey
Çatalhöyük
/ʧɑtɑl højyk/
(also Çatal Höyük and Çatal Hüyük,
or any of the three without diacritics;
çatal is Turkish for "fork", höyük
for "mound") was a very large Neolithic and
Chalcolithic settlement in southern
Anatolia, dating from around 7500 BC for the
lowest layers. It is the largest and best
preserved Neolithic site found to date.
Çatalhöyük is located overlooking
wheatfields in the Konya Plain, southeast of
the present-day city of Konya (ancient
Iconium) in Turkey, approximately 140
kilometers (87 mi) from the twin-coned
volcano of Hasan Dağ. The eastern settlement
forms a mound which would have risen about
20 metres (66 ft) above the plain at the
time of the latest Neolithic occupation.
There is also a smaller settlement mound to
the west and a Byzantine settlement a few
hundred meters to the east. The prehistoric
mound settlements were abandoned before the
Bronze Age. A channel of the Çarsamba river
once flowed between the two mounds, and the
settlement was built on alluvial clay which
may have been favourable for early
agriculture.
First discovered in
1958, the Çatalhöyük site was brought to
worldwide attention by James Mellaart's
excavations between 1961 and 1965,which
revealed this section of Anatolia as a
centre of advanced culture in the Neolithic
period. Mellaart was banned from Turkey for
his involvement in the Dorak affair in which
he published drawings of supposedly
important Bronze Age artifacts that later
went missing (see Pearson and Connor,
below). After this scandal, the site lay
idle until September 12, 1993, when
investigations began under the leadership of
Ian Hodder from the University of Cambridge.
These investigations are among the most
ambitious excavation projects currently in
progress according to, among others, Colin
Renfrew. In addition to extensive use of
archaeological science, psychological and
artistic interpretations of the symbolism of
the wall paintings have also been employed.
The complex settlement was
described by Mellaart as the
earliest city in the world.
However, it is more properly
described as a large village
rather than a true town,
city or civilization. The
community seems to have
consisted entirely of
domestic housing with open
areas for dumping rubbish.
There are no obvious public
buildings or signs of
division of labour, although
some dwellings are larger
than the rest and bear more
elaborate wall paintings.
The purpose of larger rooms
remains unclear, though some
sort of ritual purpose is
suspected.
The
population of the eastern
mound has been estimated at
up to 10,000 people, but
population totals likely
varied over the community’s
history. An average
population of between 5,000
to 8,000 is a reasonable
estimate. The inhabitants
lived in mud-brick houses
which were crammed together
in an agglutinative manner.
No footpaths or streets were
used between the dwellings,
which were clustered in a
honeycomb-like maze. Most
were accessed by holes in
the ceiling, which were
reached by interior and
exterior ladders. Thus,
their rooftops were their
streets. The ceiling
openings also served as the
only source of ventilation,
letting in fresh air and
allowing smoke from open
hearths and ovens to escape.
Houses had plaster interiors
characterized by squared off
timber ladders or steep
stairs, usually placed on
the south wall of the room,
as were cooking hearths and
ovens. Each main room served
as an area for cooking and
daily activities. Raised
platforms built along the
walls of main rooms were
used for sitting, working
and sleeping. These
platforms, and all interior
walls, were carefully
plastered to a smooth
finish.[1]
Ancillary rooms were used as
storage, and were accessed
through low entry openings
from main rooms. All rooms
were kept scrupulously
clean. Archaeologists
identified very little trash
or rubbish within the
buildings, but found that
trash heaps outside the
ruins contain sewage and
food waste as well as
significant amounts of wood
ash. In good weather, many
daily activities may also
have taken place on the
rooftops, which conceivably
formed an open air plaza. In
later periods, large
communal ovens appear to
have been built on these
rooftops. Over time, houses
were renewed by partial
demolition and rebuilding on
a foundation of rubble—
which was how the mound
became built up. Up to
eighteen levels of
settlement have been
uncovered.
The people of Çatalhöyük
buried their dead within the
village. Human remains have
been found in pits beneath
the floors, and especially
beneath hearths, the
platforms within the main
rooms and under the beds.
The bodies were tightly
flexed before burial, and
were often placed in baskets
or wrapped in reed mats.
Disarticulated bones in some
graves suggest that bodies
may have been exposed in the
open air for a time before
the bones were gathered and
buried. In some cases,
graves were disturbed and
the individual’s head
removed from the skeleton.
These heads may have been
used in ritual, as some were
found in other areas of the
community. Some skulls were
plastered and painted with
ochre to recreate human-like
faces, a custom more
characteristic of Neolithic
sites in Syria and at
Neolithic Jericho than at
sites closer by.
Vivid
murals and figurines are
found throughout the
settlement, on interior and
exterior walls. Predominant
images include men with
erect phalluses, groups of
men in hunting scenes, and
red images of the now
extinct aurochs and stags,
and vultures swooping down
on headless figures.Heads
of animals were mounted on
walls. A painting of the
village with the twin peaks
of Hasan Dağ in the
background is currently
credited as the world's
oldest map and/or the first
landscape painting.[1]
In addition, distinctive
clay figurines of women have
been found in the upper
levels of the site. Although
no identifiable temples have
been found, the graves,
murals and figurines suggest
that the people of
Çatalhöyük had a religion
that was rich in symbol.
Rooms with concentrations of
these items may have been
shrines or public meeting
areas. The people appear to
have lived relatively
egalitarian lives with no
apparent social classes, as
no houses with distinctive
features (belonging to kings
or priests, for example)
have been found so far. The
most recent investigations
also reveal little social
distinction based on gender,
with both men and women
receiving equivalent
nutrition and apparently
having relatively equal
social status.
In upper levels of the site,
it becomes apparent that the
people of Çatalhöyük were
gaining skills in
agriculture and the
domestication of animals.
Female figurines have been
found within bins used for
storage of cereals such as
wheat and barley. Peas were
also grown, and almonds,
pistachios, and fruit were
harvested from trees in the
surrounding hills. Sheep
were domesticated and
evidence suggests the
beginning of cattle
domestication as well.
However, hunting continued
to be a major source of meat
for the community. The
making of pottery and the
construction of obsidian
tools were major industries.
Obsidian tools were probably
both used and traded for
items such as Mediterranean
sea shells and flint from
Syria.
4. Church of St.Nicholas 'Santa
Claus' - Antalya, Turkey
 
Demre, lying on the shore of the Mediterranean is a very
important center of Christianity. There is a church here
called the Church of St.Nicholas. Two conflicting
suppositions are made of this St.Nicholas. The first of
these is that this St.Nicholas was the actual founder of the
Russian Empire. The second supposition and one believed by
many westerners is that this St. Nicholas is the saint known
as Santa Claus. According to excavations this structure
dates to the sixth century and consists of a basilica shaped
building with naves divided by pillars and with the middle
nave divided into three large square areas. Side naves are
again divided into even small areas. In the eighth century
the church known today was built over the remains of the
earlier structure while benefiting from some of the
materials and parts of the first. In 1862 the Russians hired
a German architect to restore this building. In place of the
traditional Byzantine dome, he roofed the structure with an
altogether untypical ribbed arch. Recently, a new segment of
the original structure was found under a layer of mud at the
entry of the building; in niches of this room archaeologists
discovered various decorated crypts. It is believed that one
of these is the tomb of St.Nicholas, or Santa Claus. Some
element of frescoes and round floor mosaic were also
discovered on the walls of the church during the course of
excavation. Another center of Byzantine culture in this
region was Ksantos near present-day Fethiye. Among the ruins
of this then highly-populated area are ruins of a church.
There is also the ruin of a large monastery at the site of
the town's ancient Roman acropolis. The sacred site of
Letoon lies on the further banks of the Ksantos River and a
few miles inland from the sea.
5. Museum of Anatolian Civilizations,
Ankara, Turkey
The Museum of Anatolian Civilizations
(Turkish: Anadolu Medeniyetleri Müzesi)
is located on the south side of Ankara
Castle in the Atpazarı area in Ankara,
Turkey. It consists of the old Ottoman
Mahmut Paşa bazaar storage building, and the
Kurşunlu Han. Because of Atatürk's desire to
establish a Hittite museum, the buildings
were bought upon the suggestion of Hamit
Zübeyir Koşay, who was then Culture
Minister, to the National Education
Minister, Saffet Arıkan. After the
remodelling and repairs were completed (1938
-1968), the building was opened to the
public as the Ankara Archaeological Museum.
It is one of the richest museums in the
world.
Today, Kurşunlu Han, used as an
administrative building, houses the work
rooms, library, conference hall, laboratory
and workshop. The old bazaar building houses
the exhibits. Within this Ottoman building,
the museum has a number of exhibits of
Anatolian archeology. They start with the
Paleolithic era, and continue
chronologically through the Neolithic, Early
Bronze, Assyrian trading colonies, Hittite,
Phrygian, Urartian, Greek, Hellenistic,
Roman, Byzantine, Seljuk and Ottoman
periods. There is also an extensive
collection of artifacts from the excavations
at Karain, Çatalhöyük, Hacılar, Canhasan,
Beyce Sultan, Alacahöyük, Kültepe,
Acemhöyük, Boğazköy (Gordion), Pazarlı,
Altıntepe, Adilcevaz and Patnos as well as
examples of several periods.
The exhibits of gold, silver, glass, marble
and bronze works date back as far as the
second half of the first millennium BC. The
coin collections, with examples ranging from
the first minted money to modern times,
represent the museum's rare cultural
treasures.
Museum of Anatolian
Civilizations reaching the present time with
its historical buildings and its deeply
rooted history was elected as the first
"European
Museum of the Year"
in Switzerland on April 19, 1997.
Exhibited artifacts
-
Palaeolithic Age
(....8000):
The age is represented
by the remains
discovered in the
Antalya Karain Cave. The
people of Palaeolithic
Age were hunting and
collecting communities
living in caves. The
stone and bone tools of
the people of that Age
are exhibited.
-
Neolithic Age
(8000-5500) :
During this age food
production began and
first settlements were
established by the
communities of this age,
the artefacts of the age
were discovered in two
important centers of the
age, namely Çatalhöyük
and Hacılar and are
exhibited in the museum.
The remains include the
mother goddess
sculptures, stamps,
earthenware containers,
agricultural tools made
of bone.
-
Chalcolithic Age
(Copper-Stone) (B.C.
5500-3000):
In addition to stone
tools, copper was
processed and used in
daily life during this
age, and rich remains
dating from this Age
were discovered in
Hacılar, Canhasan,
Tilkitepe, Alacahöyük
and Alişar and are
exhibited in the museum.
-
Early Bronze Age (B.C.
3000-1950):
The people living in
Anatolia in the
beginning of third
millennium B.C. added
tin to copper and alloy
to copper and invented
bronze. They also worked
all metals of the age
with casting and
hammering techniques.
Valuable metals,
magnificent death
presents discovered from
royal tombs of
Alacahöyük, ruins from
Hasanoğlan, Mahmatlar,
Eskiyapar, Horoztepe,
Karaoğlan, Merzifon,
Etiyokuşu, Ahlatlıbel,
Karayavşan, Bolu,
Beycesultan Semahöyük,
Karaz-Tilki tepe
constitute the rich Old
Bronze Age and are
exhibited in the museum.
-
Hittite Period (B.C.
1750-1200):
The first political
union in Anatolia in
second millennium was
established by the
Hittites in the
Kızılırmak basin. The
capital city was
Boğazköy (Hattusa) and
other important centers
were İnandık, Eskiyapar,
Alacahöyük, Alişar,
Ferzant. Embossed bull
figure containers,
earthenware artifacts,
tablets of government
archives, seals in the
name of the king can be
seen.
-
Phrygian Period (B.C.
1200-700) :
The Phrygians immigrated
from the Balkans in the
1200s and acquired
control over Anatolia,
their center was
Gordion. The works of
art discovered in
Gordion and its ruins
are the best examples of
the Phrygians and are
exhibited in the museum.
-
Late Hittite Period
(B.C. 1200-700) :
Upon end of the Hittite
Empire, some Hittite
communities established
province states in south
and south-east Anatolia,
and the Late Hittite
Principalities period
ensued.
Malatya-Arslantepe,
Karkamış (Carchemish)
and Sakçagözü are some
important Late Hittite
settlements.
-
Urartian Period (B.C.
1200-600) :
The Urartian
civilization reached an
advanced architecture
and mining technology in
centers like Altıntepe,
Adilcevaz, Kayalıdere,
Patnos, Van, Çavuştepe
and lived during the
same times as the
Phrygians.
-
Lydian Period (B.C.
1200-546) :
The origin of Lydian art
comes from the Bronze
Age in which there were
relations, friendly or
hostile, between their
ancestors and the
Hittites. Lydians made
spectacular progress in
Iron Age especially from
Gyges period to Croesus
(685 BC to 547 BC). The
exhibited artifacts
mostly date from the 6th
century BC.
-
Collections including
Greek,
Hellenistic,
Roman
and
Byzantine
period artifacts from
the first millennium,
made of gold, silver,
glass, marble and
bronze.
-
Coins represent
exceptional cultural
assets.
6.
House of the Virgin Mary - Ephesus, Turkey
The House of the Virgin
Mary (Turkish:
Meryemana or
Meryem Ana (Mother
Mary's) Evi
(House)) is a Christian and
Muslim shrine located on Mt.
Koressos (Turkish:
Bülbüldağı (Mountain of
Nightingale)) in the
vicinity of Ephesus, Turkey
(7 km from Selçuk).
It is
believed by many Christians
and Muslims that Mary, the
mother of Jesus, was taken
to this stone house by Saint
John, after what Christians
believe to be the
crucifixion of Jesus and
Muslims believe the rise of
Jesus to heaven, and lived
there until her Assumption
into Heaven according to
Catholics and Dormition
according to the Orthodox.
On October
18th, 1881,
a French
priest, the
Abbé Julien
Gouyet of
Paris,
discovered a
small stone
building on
a mountain
overlooking
the Aegean
Sea and the
ruins of
ancient
Ephesus in
Turkey. He
believed it
was the
house where
the Virgin
Mary had
lived in the
final years
of her life
on earth as
described in
the visions
of the
German nun
Anne
Catherine
Emmerich
(1774-1824),
who had
never been
to Ephesus
during her
lifetime,
published in
detail in a
book by
Clemens
Brentano.His
discovery
was not
taken
seriously at
the time but
ten years
later, in
1891, two
Lazarist
missionaries
from İzmir
rediscovered
the
building,
using the
same source
for a guide.
It was then
learned that
the
four-walled,
roofless
ruin had
been
venerated
from time
immemorial
by the
members of a
distant
mountain
village
(then called
Kirkince
but now
Şirince)
who were
descended
from the
Christians
of Ephesus.
They called
it Panaya
Kapulu
(Chapel of
the Most
Holy),
believed it
was there
that she had
died and had
every year
made a
pilgrimage
to it on
August 15th,
the date on
which the
rest of the
Christian
world
celebrated
Mary's
Assumption
from
Jerusalem
The
discovery in
fact revives
and
strengthens
a constant
and ancient
Christian
tradition,
'the
tradition of
Ephesus',
which has
always
competed
with the
generally
accepted
'Jerusalem
tradition'
concerning
in
particular,
the place of
the Blessed
Virgin's
passing from
this world.
7. Basilica
Cistern -
istanbul,
Turkey
The Basilica Cistern, also called the Yerebatan Sarayı or Yerebatan Sarnıcı, is the largest of several hundred ancient cisterns that still lie beneath the city of Istanbul, former Constantinople, Turkey.
The cistern, located in the historical peninsula of Istanbul next to the Hagia Sophia, was built during the reign of emperor Justinian I in the 6th century, the age of glory of Eastern Rome, also called the Byzantine Empire.
This cathedral-sized cistern is an underground chamber of 143 by 65 metres, capable of holding 80,000 cubic metres of water. The large space is broken up by a forest of 336 marble columns each 9 metres high. The columns are arranged in 12 rows each consisting of 28 columns. The capitals of the columns are mainly Ionic and Corinthian styles, with the exception of a few Doric style with no engravings. According to ancient historians, emperor Constantine had already built a basilica and cistern on the same spot. As the demand for water grew, emperor Justinian enlarged the cisterns and incorporated the basilica.
The cistern is surrounded by a firebrick wall with a thickness of 4 meters and coated with a special mortar for waterproofing. The cistern's water was provided from the Belgrade Woods—which lie 19km north of the city—via aqueducts built by the emperor Justinian.
The cracks and the columns were repaired in 1968. Having been restored in 1985 by the Istanbul Metropolitan Museum, the cistern was once again opened to the public on September 9, 1987.
The bases of
two of the
columns
reuse
earlier
blocks
carved with
the head of
a Medusa.
They are
located in
the
northwest
corner of
the cistern.
It is not
known
exactly
where the
origin of
the two
heads is. It
is rumoured
that the
heads were
brought to
the cistern
after being
removed from
an antique
building of
the late
Roman
period.
Another
mystery is
about why
one of the
heads is
upside down,
while the
other one is
tilted to
one side.
But it is
commonly
accepted by
scientists
that they
were placed
that way
deliberately.
The cistern
was used as
a location
for the
James Bond
film From
Russia with
Love. It
is a popular
tourist
attraction.
In the film,
it is
referred to
as being
constructed
by the
Emperor
Constatine,
with no
reference to
Justinian.
Its location
is a
considerable
distance
from the
Soviet (now
Russian)
embassy,
which is
located in
the newer
"European"
section of
Istanbul, on
the other
side of the
Golden Horn.
8.
Ancient
Ephesus -
Ephesus,
Turkey
The surrounding area of Ephesus was already inhabited during the Neolithic Age (about 6000 BC) as was revealed by the excavations at the hoyuk (mounds) at Arvalya and Cukurici Mounds.
Excavations in recent years have unearthed settlements from the early Bronze Age at the Ayasuluk Hill. In 1954 a burial ground from the Mycenaean era (1500-1400 BC) with ceramic pots was discovered close the ruins of the basilica of St. John. This was the period of the Mycenaean Expansion when the Achaioi (as they were called by Homer) settled in Ahhiyawa during the 14th and the 13th centuries BC. Scholars believe that Ephesus was founded on the settlement of Apasa (or Abasa), a Bronze Age-city noted in 14th century BC Hittite sources as in the land of Ahhiyawa.
9. Mount Nemrut - Adıyaman, Turkey
 
Nemrut or Nemrud (Turkish: Nemrut Dağ or Nemrut Dağı, Kurdish: Çiyayê Nemrûd, Armenian: Նեմրութ Սար) is a 2,134 meters (7000 ft.) high mountain in eastern Turkey, 40km north of Kahta, near Adıyaman. At the top of Mt. Nemrut, King Antiochus I Theos of Commagene built his tomb-sanctuary along with huge statues (8-9 meters high) of himself, two lions and two eagles, and various Greek and Persian gods such as Hercules, Zeus-Oromasdes (associated with the Persian god Ahura Mazda), Tyche, and Apollo-Mithras in 62 BC. These statues were once seated, with names of each god inscribed on them. The heads of the statues are scattered throughout the site; the pattern of damage to the heads (notably to noses) suggests iconoclasm. There are stone slabs, with bas-relief figures on them, that are thought to have formed a large frieze. These stones display the ancestors of Antiochus, who were Macedonians and Persians both. This tomb contains stone carvings of gods, such as the head of an eagle.
The same statues and ancestors found throughout the site can also be found on the tumulus at the site, which is 49 meters tall and 152 meters in diameter. The statues have the likeness of Greek facial features, in conjunction with Persian clothing and hairstyling. The western terrace contains a large slab with a lion, showing the arrangement of stars and the planets Jupiter, Mercury and Mars on July 7 62 BC, the possible time when construction began on this monument. The eastern portion is well preserved, being composed of several layers of rock, and there is evidence of a walled passageway linking the eastern and western terraces, from a path below at the foot of Mount Nemrut. Possible uses for this site might have included religious ceremonies, due to the astronomical and religious nature of the monument.
The arrangement of such statues is known by the term hierothesion. Similar arrangements have been found at Arsameia on Nymphaios at the hierothesion of the father of Antiochus, Mithridates I Callinicus.
This tomb was excavated in 1881 by Karl Sester, an engineer from Germany. Subsequent excavations have failed to reveal the tomb of Antiochus. However, this is still believed to be the site of his burial. In 1987, Mt. Nemrut was made a World heritage site by UNESCO. Tourists typically visit Nemrut during June through August. The nearby town of Adıyaman is a popular place for car and bus trips to the site, and one can also travel by helicopter. The statues have not been restored to their original position, although this would not be difficult to do.
10. Noah's Ark - Mountain of Ararat in Turkey
 
This article is about the vessel described in the Hebrew scriptures.
According to Abrahamic religions, Noah's Ark was a vessel built at God's command to save Noah, his family, and a core stock of the world's animals from the Great Flood. The story is mentioned in the book of Genesis, the Qur'an, and a number of other sources.
The story told in Genesis has been subject to extensive elaborations in the various Abrahamic traditions, mingling theoretical solutions to practical problems (e.g. how Noah might have disposed of animal waste) with allegorical interpretations (e.g. the Ark as a precursor of the Church, offering salvation to mankind).
By the 19th century, the growth of geology and biogeography as sciences meant that few natural historians felt able to justify a literal interpretation of the Ark story, and biblical critics were turning their attention to its secular origins and purposes. Nevertheless, Biblical literalists today continue to take the Ark as test-case for their understanding of the Bible, and to explore the region of the mountains of Ararat in modern-day Turkey where Genesis says Noah's Ark came to rest.
Archaeology finding shows that similar stories exist in ancient Mesopotamian mythologies though it is of polytheism rather than monotheism origin.
11. Bosphorus Bridge. Connects Europe to Asian Continent.
The Bosphorus Bridge, also called the First Bosphorus Bridge (Turkish: Boğaziçi Köprüsü or 1. Boğaziçi Köprüsü) is a bridge in Istanbul, Turkey spanning the Bosphorus strait (Turkish: Boğaziçi). The bridge is located between Ortaköy (European side) and Beylerbeyi (Asian side). It is a gravity anchored suspension bridge with steel pylons and inclined hangers. The aerodynamic deck is hanging on zigzag steel cables. It is 1,510 m long with a deck width of 39 m. The distance between the towers (main span) is 1,074 m (World rank: 13th) and their height over road level is 105 m. The clearance of the bridge from sea level is 64 m. It was the 4th longest suspension bridge in the world when completed in 1973, and the longest outside the United States of America.
The Bosporus or Bosphorus, also known as the Istanbul Strait, (Turkish: İstanbul Boğazı) (Greek: Βόσπορος) is a strait that forms the boundary between the European part (Rumelia) of Turkey and its Asian part (Anatolia). The world's narrowest strait used for international navigation, it connects the Black Sea with the Sea of Marmara (which is connected by the Dardanelles to the Aegean Sea, and thereby to the Mediterranean Sea). It is approximately 30 km long, with a maximum width of 3,700 metres at the northern entrance, and a minimum width of 700 metres between Kandilli and Aşiyan; and 750 metres between Anadoluhisarı and Rumelihisarı. The depth varies from 36 to 124 metres in midstream.
The shores of the strait are heavily populated as the city of Istanbul (with a metropolitan area in excess of 11 million inhabitants) straddles it.
Two bridges cross the Bosporus. The first, the Bosphorus Bridge, is 1074 metres long and was completed in 1973. The second, Fatih Sultan Mehmet (Bosphorus II) bridge, is 1090 metres long, and was completed in 1988 about five kilometres north of the first bridge. A third road bridge is also being planned for one of seven locations designated by the Turkish Government. The location is being kept secret to avoid an early explosion in land prices.
Another crossing, Marmaray, is a 13.7 kilometre-long rail tunnel currently under construction and expected to be completed in 2008. Approximately 1,400 metres of the tunnel will run under the strait, at a depth of about 55 metres.
12. Mevlana and Whirling Dervishes - Konya, Turkey
 
The Mevlevi Order or the Mevleviye are a Sufi order founded by the followers of Jalal ad-Din Muhammad Rumi in 1273 in Konya (in present-day Turkey). They are also known as the Whirling Dervishes due to their famous practice of whirling as a form of dhikr (remembrance of Allah). Dervish is a common term for an initiate of the Sufi Path.
The Mevleviye, one of the most well known of the Sufi orders, was founded in 1273 by Rumi's followers after his death, particularly by his successor Hüsamettin Çelebi who decided to build a mausoleum for Mevlâna, and then Mevlâna's son, Sultan Veled Celebi (or Çelebi, Chelebi) (the word "Çelebi" means " fully initiated"). He was an accomplished Sufi mystic with great organizing talents. His personal efforts were continued by his successor Ulu Arif Çelebi.
The Mevlevi, or "The Whirling Dervishes", believe in performing their dhikr in the form of a "dance" and music ceremony called the sema.
The Sema represents a mystical journey of man's spiritual ascent through mind and love to "Perfect." Turning towards the truth, the follower grows through love, deserts his ego, finds the truth and arrives at the "Perfect." He then returns from this spiritual journey as a man who has reached maturity and a greater perfection, so as to love and to be of service to the whole of creation.
The sema was practiced in the semahane (ritual hall) according to a precisely prescribed symbolic ritual with the dervished whirling in a circle around their sheikh, who is the only one circling around his axis. The dervishes wear a white gown (symbol of death), a wide black cloak (hirka) (symbol of the grave) and a high brown cap (kûlah), symbol of the tombstone.
13. Aspendos - Antalya Province, Turkey
 
Aspendus was an ancient city in Pamphylia, Asia Minor, located about 25 miles (40 km) east of the modern city of Antalya, Turkey. It was situated on the Eurymedon River (now the Kopru River) about 10 miles (16 km) inland from the Mediterranean Sea. The Greek spelling of the name is Aspendos. According to tradition, the city was founded around 1000 B.C. by Greeks who may have come from Argos. The wide range of its coinage throughout the ancient world indicates that, in the 5th century B.C., Aspendus had become the most important city in Pamphylia. At that time the Eurymedon River was navigable as far as Aspendus, and the city derived great wealth from a trade in salt, oil, and wool.
In 333 B.C. Aspendus paid Alexander the Great a levy to avoid being garrisoned, but it ignored its agreements with him and later was occupied. In 190 B.C. the city surrendered to the Romans, who later pillaged it of its artistic treasures. Toward the end of the Roman period the city began a decline that continued throughout Byzantine times.
Aspendos is known for having the best-preserved theater of antiquity. With diameter of 96 meters (315 ft), the theater provided seating for 7,000
The theater was built in 155 by the Greek architect Zenon, a native of the city, during the rule of Marcus Aurelius. It was periodically repaired by the Seljuks who used it as a caravanserai.
In order to keep with Hellenistic traditions, a small part of the theater was built so that it leaned against the hill where the Citadel (Acropolis) stood, while the remainder was built on vaulted arches. The high stage served to seemingly isolate the audience from the rest of the world. The scaenae frons or backdrop, has remained intact. The 8.1 meter (27 ft) sloping reflective wooden ceiling over the stage has been lost over time. Post holes for 58 masts are found in the upper level of the theater. These masts supported a velarium or awning that could be pulled over the audience to provide shade
Still used today for concerts, festivals and events, the theater's galleries, stage decorations and acoustics all testify to the architect's success.
Nearby stand the remains of a basilica, agora, nymphaeum and 15 kilometers (9.3 mi) of Roman aqueduct. 14. City of Troy & Trojan Horse, Located in Turkey 
Troy (Greek: Τροία, Troia, also Ίλιον, Ilion; Latin: Troia, Ilium, Turkish: Truva) is a legendary city and center of the Trojan War, as described in the Epic Cycle, and especially in the Iliad, one of the two epic poems attributed to Homer. Trojan refers to the inhabitants and culture of Troy.
Today it is the name of an archaeological site, the traditional location of Homeric Troy, Turkish Truva, in Hisarlık in Anatolia, close to the seacoast in what is now Çanakkale province in northwest Turkey, southwest of the Dardanelles under Mount Ida.
A new city of Ilium was founded on the site in the reign of the Roman Emperor Augustus. It flourished until the establishment of Constantinople and declined gradually during Byzantine times.
In the 1870s the German archaeologist Heinrich Schliemann excavated the area. Later excavations revealed several cities built in succession to each other. One of the earlier cities (Troy VII) is often identified with Homeric Troy. While such an identity is disputed, the site has been successfully identified with the city called Wilusa in Hittite texts; Ilion (which goes back to earlier Wilion with a digamma) is thought to be the Greek rendition of that name.
The archaeological site of Troy was added to the UNESCO World Heritage list in 1998.
15. Pamukkale - meaning "cotton castle" in Turkish.
 
Pamukkale, meaning "cotton castle" in Turkish, is a natural site and attraction in south-western Turkey in the Denizli Province. Pamukkale is located in Turkey's Inner Aegean region, in the River Menderes valley, which enjoys a temperate climate over the greater part of the year.
The ancient city of Hierapolis was built on top of the white "castle" which is in total about 2700 meters long and 160m high. It can be seen from a great distance, eg. when driving down the hills on the opposite side of the valley to the town of Denizli, which is 20 km away.
The tectonic movements that took place in the fault depression of the Menderes river basin did not only cause frequent earthquakes, but also gave rise to the emergence of a number of very hot springs. It is the water from one of these springs, with its large mineral content — chalk in particular — that created Pamukkale.
Apart from some radioactive material, the water contains large amounts of hydrogen carbonate and calcium, which leads to the precipitation of calcium bi-carbonate. Every second 250 l hot water rises from this spring, precipitating for every liter of water 2.20 g chalk or for every second 0.55 kg of chalk. In the course of time some sources dried up because of earthquakes, while new ones arose in the neighbourhood.
The effect of this natural phenomenon leaves thick white layers of limestone and travertine cascading down the mountain slope resembling a frozen waterfall. One form of these formations consists of crescent-shaped travertine terraces with a shallow layer of water, lying in a step-like arrangement down the upper one-third of the slope, with the steps ranging from 1m to 6 m in height. The other form consists of stalactites, propping up and connecting these terraces.
The oldest of these rocks are crystalline marbles, quartzites and schists. The oldest date back to the Pliocene period, while the top layer is Quaternary in age. Fresh deposits of calcium carbonate give the site a dazzling white look.
These sources were well-known in the Antiquity. They were described by the Roman architect Vitruvius. The Phrygian Greeks built Hierapolis on top of the hill. They ascribed medical properties to the spring water, bestowed by the gods, especially Asklepios (demigod of medicine) and his daughter Hygieia (goddess of health, cleanliness and sanitation), under the protection of Apollo (god of medicine and healing). 16. Fairy Chimneys of Cappadocia, Turkey
A Fairy Chimney is a conical rock formation, typically found in the Cappadocia region of Turkey. It consists of a cap of hard rock resting on a cone-shaped pinnacle of softer rock. In Cappadocia, houses have been carved from these formations, and they make it a popular tourist destination.
The geology of areas where Fairy Chimneys form typically comprises a thick layer of tuff (consolidated volcanic ash), covered by a thin layer of basalt or other volcanic rocks that are more resistant to erosion than the underlying tuff. Over time, cracks in the basalt allow the much softer tuff to be eroded and washed away. Fairy Chimneys are formed where a small cap or boulder of the original basalt remains, and protects a cone of tuff beneath it from erosion. Eventually, the tuff will be undercut to the extent that the cap falls off, and the remaining cone is then quickly eroded.
In ancient geography, Cappadocia or Capadocia, Turkish Kapadokya (from Persian: Katpatuka meaning "the land of beautiful horses", Greek: Καππαδοκία / Kappadokía) was the name of the extensive inland district of Asia Minor (modern Turkey). The name continued to be used in western sources and in the Christian tradition throughout history and is still widely used as an international tourism concept to define a region of exceptional natural wonders characterized by fairy chimneys and a unique historical and cultural heritage. The term, as used in tourism, roughly corresponds to present-day Nevşehir Province of Turkey.
It is impossible to define Cappadocia's limits with any real accuracy. In the time of Herodotus, the Cappadocians are supposed to have occupied the whole region from Mount Taurus to the vicinity of the Euxine (Black Sea). Cappadocia, in this sense, was bounded in the south by the chain of Mount Taurus, to the east by the Euphrates, to the north by Pontus, and to the west vaguely by the great salt lake, Lake Tuz, in Central Anatolia. But Strabo, the only ancient author who gives any circumstantial account of the country, greatly exaggerated its dimensions. It is now believed that 250 miles in length by less than 150 in breadth is a more realistic appraisal of Cappadocia's extension. 17. Maiden's Tower, istanbul, Turkey 
Maiden's Tower (Turkish: Kız Kulesi), also known in the ancient Greek and medieval Byzantine periods as Leander's Tower (Tower of Leandros), sits on a small islet located in the Bosphorus strait off the coast of Üsküdar in Istanbul, Turkey.
Maiden's Tower was first built by the ancient Athenian general Alcibiades in 408 BC to control the movements of the Persian ships in the Bosphorus strait[1]. Back then the tower was located between the ancient cities of Byzantion and Chalcedon. The tower was later enlarged and rebuilt as a fortress by the Byzantine emperor Alexius Comnenus in 1110 AD, and was rebuilt and restored several times by the Ottoman Turks, most significantly in 1509 and 1763[2]. The most recent facelift was made in 1998. Steel supports were added around the ancient tower as a precaution after the 17 August 1999 earthquake.
Used as a lighthouse for centuries, the interior of the tower has been transformed into a popular café and restaurant, with an excellent view of the former Roman, Byzantine and Ottoman capital. Private boats make trips to the tower several times a day.
There are many legends about the construction of the tower and its location. According to the most popular Turkish legend, a sultan had a much beloved daughter. One day, an oracle prophecised that she would be stung to death by a venomous snake bite on her 18th birthday. The sultan, in an effort to thwart his daughter's early demise by placing her away from land so as to keep her away from any snakes, had the tower built in the middle of the Bosphorus to protect his daughter until after her 18th birthday. The daughter was placed in the tower, where she was frequently visited only by her father.
On the daughter's 18th birthday, the sultan had her brought a basket of exotic sumptouous fruit as a birthday gift, delighted that he was able to prevent the prophecy. Upon reaching into the basket, however, an asp that had been hiding amongst the fruit bites the young woman and she dies in her father's arms, just as the oracle had predicted. Hence the name Maiden's Tower.
The older name Leander's Tower comes from another story about a maiden: the ancient Greek myth of Hero and Leander. Hero was a priestess of Aphrodite who lived in a tower at Sestos, at the edge of the Hellespont (Dardanelles). Leander (Leandros), a young man from Abydos on the other side of the strait, fell in love with her and would swim every night across the Hellespont to be with her. Hero would light a lamp every night at the top of her tower to guide his way.
Succumbing to Leander's soft words, and to his argument that Aphrodite, as goddess of love, would scorn the worship of a virgin, Hero allowed him to make love to her. This routine lasted through the warm summer. But one stormy winter night, the waves tossed Leander in the sea and the breezes blew out Hero's light, and Leander lost his way, and was drowned. Hero threw herself from the tower in grief and died as well. The name Maiden's Tower might also have its origins in this ancient story.
Due to the vicinity and similarity between the Dardanelles and the Bosphorus, Leander's story was attributed to the tower by the ancient Greeks and later the Byzantines.
Today, there is a restaurant in the first floor and a café at the top of the tower. It is a popular tourist destination.
The tower was featured in the James Bond film The World Is Not Enough. The tower was a point on the CBS reality game show The Amazing Race 7. 18. Assos in Town of Bahramkale, Turkey 
Assos (Greek: Άσσος), is a small historically rich town in Bahramkale, Turkey. Aristotle lived here and opened an Academy. The city was also visited by St. Paul. Today Assos is a Aegean-coast seaside retreat amid ancient ruins.
Though officially named Behramkale (pronounced IPA /behrɑmkɑle/), most people still call the town by its ancient name of Assos. It was founded in the 8th century BC by colonists from Lesbos, who built the Temple to Athena in Assos in 530 BC. Hermias of Atarneus, a student of Plato, ruled Assos, the Troad and Lesbos for a period of time, under which the city experienced its greatest prosperity. Under his rule, he encouraged philosophers to move to the city. As part of this, in 348 BC Aristotle came here and married King Hermeias's niece, Pythia, before leaving to Lesbos three years later in 345 BC. This 'golden period' of Assos ended several years later when the Persians arrived, and subsequently tortured Hermias to death.
The Persians were driven out by Alexander the Great in 334 BCE. Between 241 and 133 BC, the city was ruled by the Kings of Pergamon.
St. Paul also visited the city during his third missionary journey through Asia Minor, which was between 53-57 AD, on his way to Lesbos. From this period onwards, Assos shrunk to a small village, as it has remained ever since. Ruins around Assos continue to be excavated.
Atop a hill surrounded by olive groves are the ruins of the Doric-style Temple of Athena, surrounded by crumbling city walls and an ancient necropolis (cemetery). Nearby is the 14th-century Ottoman Murad Hüdavendigar Mosque. The hill offers spectacular views of the Aegean Sea and the nearby Greek island of Lesvos.
Down the steep seaward side of the hill at the water's edge is the charming hamlet called Iskele (meaning Dock or Wharf), with old stone houses now serving as inns, pensions and restaurants. The small pebbly beach is less of an attraction than the boat tours and the hamlet itself. Although the one lane road to the hamlet is steep with shear drops, the sea front is has a constant stream of cars and minibuses arriving from dawn to dusk. At dusk the bars compete to see which can play the loudest music until 1:20 to 2:00 AM. Missing from the harbor are pillars from the ancient port. These pillars, probably sold, laid undisturbed in the harbor for over a millennia.
The nearest Lesvos ferry service is from Ayvalık, to the south. The way to get to Assos is by bus from Çanakkale or Ayvalık. You'll probably have to get off the bus at Ayvacık (not Ayvalık) and switch to a minibus or taxi to make the final 19-km (12-mile) run into Assos.
The nearest airport is at Çanakkale, and the nearest major one being Adnan Menderes Airport south of İzmir. The Bandırma-İzmir train stops at Balıkesir, 161 km (100 miles) to the east, however is slower than the bus. 19. Blue Voyage from Turkey 
Blue Cruise a.k.a. Blue Voyage ("Mavi Yolculuk" in Turkish) is a term used for recreational boating tours along Turkey's spectacular southwestern coasts, with connotations in tourism and literature.
The term was first introduced into the Turkish literature by a handful of Turkish writers of fame. These writers were Cevat Şakir Kabaağaçlı -alias The Fisherman of Halicarnassus, Sabahattin Eyüboğlu as well as his large and prominent circle of family and friends, especially artists, Azra Erhat, the translator into Turkish of Homer's Iliad and Odyssey, and others united around the literary revue "Yeni Ufuklar" (New Horizons) in the 1950s and especially as of the 1960s.
"Blue Cruise" became a byword within Turkey's tourism industry and the tours defined within the term are among the most popular leisure and tourism concepts in Turkey. The term itself is derived from the title of a celebrated 1957 book (re-edited after further tours, for the first time in 1962 and then in 1979) by Azra Erhat.
A full Blue Cruise is generally admitted to start in Didim, or even Kuşadası, although the tours are often launched with departure from Bodrum, and they usually come to an end with Antalya as the final port of destination. In general parlance, the term may also be used to refer to shorter tours as well, as long as they take place along southwestern Turkey's shores.
20. Side ancient ruins, 75km from Antalya, Turkey
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Side ([siːdǝ]) is one of the best-known classical sites in Turkey, and was an ancient harbour whose name meant pomegranate. Side is a resort town on the southern coast of Turkey, near the villages of Manavgat and Selimiye, 75 km from Antalya) in the province of Antalya in Turkey.[1] It is located on the eastern part of the Pamphylian coast, which lies about 20 km east of the mouth of the Eurymedon River.
Settlers from Cyme (Cumæans) in Aeolia, an ancient district of Asia Minor, founded the city in the seventh century BC. Possessing a good harbor for small-craft boats, Side's natural geography made it the most important place in Pamphylia – the region in the south of Asia Minor between Lycia and Cilicia, from the Mediterranean to Mount Taurus. This location made Side one of the most important trade centers in its time. Today, as in yesteryear, the ancient city of Side is situated on a small north-south peninsula about 1 km long and 400 m across.
Side was an ancient maritime city of Pamphylia, located 16 km from Seleucia. During the sixth century BC, Side fell under the rule of Lydia, a kingdom in Asia Minor. It gained partial autonomy under Persian rule after 547 BC. Side minted its own coins starting in the fifth century BC even while under Persian rule.
Alexander the Great occupied Side without a struggle in 333 BC. Alexander left only a single garrison behind to occupy the city. This occupation, in turn, introduced the people of Side to Hellenistic culture of the Greek Civilization, which flourished from the fourth century to the first century BC. After Alexander's death, Side fell under the control of one of Alexander's generals, Ptolemy I Soter, who declared himself king of Egypt in 305 BC. The Ptolemaic dynasty controlled Side until it was captured by the Seleucid Empire in the second century BC. Yet, despite these occupations, in the following years of the second century BC, Side managed to preserve some autonomy, grew prosperous, and became an important cultural center.
In 190 BC a fleet from the Greek island city-state of Rhodes, supported by Rome and Pergamum, defeated the Seleucid King Antiochus the Great's fleet, which was under the command of the fugitive Carthaginian general, Hannibal. The defeat of Hannibal and Antiochus the Great meant that Side freed itself from the overlordship of the Seleucid Empire. The embarrassing Treaty of Apamea (188 BC) forced Antiochus the Great to abandon all European territories and to cede all of Asia Minor north of the Taurus Mountains to Pergamum. However, the dominion of Pergamum only reached de facto as far as Perga, leaving Eastern Pamphylia semi-free. This led Attalus II Philadelphus to construct a new harbour in the city Attalia (the present Antalya), even though Side already had an important harbour. Between 188 and 36 BC Side minted their own money, tetradrachms showing Nike and a laurel wreath (the sign of victory).
In the first century BC, Side reached a peak when the Cilician pirates established their chief naval base and a slave-trade center.
The consul Servilius Vatia defeated these brigands in 78 BC and later the Roman general Pompey in 67 BC, bringing Side under the control of the Roman Empire. Side's second peak period started around 2C BC when it established and maintained a good working relationship with the Roman Empire.
Emperor Augustus reformed the state administration and placed Pamphylia and Side in the Roman province of Galatia in 25 BC, after the short reign by the king Amyntas of Galatia between 36 and 25 BC. Side began another prosperous period as a commercial center in Asia Minor through its trade in olive oil. Its population grew to 60,000 inhabitants. This period would last well into the third century AD. Side established itself as a slave-trading center in the Mediterranean. Its large commercial fleet engaged in acts of piracy. Wealthy merchants paid for such tributes as public works, monuments, and competitions as well as the games and gladiator fights. The significance of this period for Side is evident in its ruins today. Most of the present-day ruins found in Side date from this period of prosperity.
The great ruins are among the most notable in Asia Minor. They cover a large promontory where a wall and a moat separate it from the mainland. During medieval times, the wall and moat were repaired and the promontory houses a wealth of structures.
There are colossal ruins of a theater complex, the largest of Pamphylia, built much like a Roman amphitheater that relies on arches to support the sheer verticals. The Roman style was adopted because Side lacked a convenient hillside that could be hollowed out as in the usual Greek fashion more typical of Asia Minor. The theater is less well preserved than the Aspendos theater, but it is almost as large, seating 15,000 - 20,000 people. With time and the shifting of the earth, the scena wall has collapsed over the stage and the proscenium is in a cataract of loose blocks. It was converted into an open-air sanctury with two chapels during Byzantine times (5-6th c.)
The well preserved city walls provide an entrance to the site through the Hellenistic main gate (Megale Pyle) of the ancient city, although this gate from the second century BC is badly damaged. Next comes the colonnaded street although the marble columns once there do not exist anymore. All that remains is a few broken stubs near the old Roman baths. The street leads to the a public bath, restored as a museum displaying Roman period statues and sarcophagi. Next is the square agora with in the middle the remains of the round Tyche and Fortuna temple (2nd c. BC), a periptery with twelve columns. In later times it was used as a trading center where pirates sold slaves. The current remains of the theatre, which was used for gladiator fights and later as a church, and the monumental gate date back to the 2nd century. The early Roman Temple of Dionysus is near the theater. The fountain gracing the entrance is restored. At the left side are the remains of a Byzantine Basilica. A pubic bath has been restored.
The remaining ruins of Side include three temples, an aqueduct, and a nymphaeum. Side's nymphaeum – a grotto with a natural water supply dedicated to the nymphs – was an artificial grotto or fountain building of elaborate design.
Turkish archaeologists have been excavating Side since 1947 and intermittently continue to do so. 21. Sümela Monastery, Trabzon Province, Turkey 
The Sümela Monastery (Greek: Παναγία Σουμελά, Turkish: Sümela Manastırı) stands at the foot of a steep cliff facing the Altındere valley in the region of Maçka in Trabzon Province, Turkey. It is a major tourist attraction located in the Altındere National Park. It lies at an altitude of about 1200 metres overlooking much of the alpine scenery below.
The monastery was founded in the year 386 (during the reign of the Emperor Theodosius I, AD 375 - 395) by two Athenian priests - Barnabas and Sophronius according to the Turkish Ministry of Culture. Legend states that they found an icon of the Virgin Mary in a cave on the mountain and decided to remain in order to establish the monastery.
During its long history, the monastery has fallen into ruin several times and been restored by successive Emperors; During the 6th Century AD, it was restored and enlarged by General Belisarius at the behest of Justinian.
It reached its present form in the 13th century after gaining prominence during the reign of Alexios III (1349 - 1390) of the Komnenian Empire of Trebizond (established in 1204). At that time, it was granted an income from imperial funds. During the time of Manuel III , son of Alexius III, and the reigns of later princes, Sümela gained further wealth from new imperial grants.
Following the conquest by the Ottoman Sultan Mehmed II in 1461, it was granted protection by order of the Sultan and given rights and privileges which were renewed by following Sultans. Monks and travellers continued to journey there throughout the years and the monastery was extremely popular up until the 19th century.
The Monastery was seized for a time by the Russians during the occupation of Trabzon between 1916 - 1918.
It was finally abandoned in 1923, following the population exchanges between Greece and Turkey after the Treaty of Lausanne.
Today its main purpose is as a tourist attraction. Its place overlooking the forests and streams below make it extremely popular for its aesthetic attraction as well as for its cultural and religious interests. The Turkish government is currently undertaking necessary restoration works to the site.
The principal elements of the Monastery complex are the Rock Church, several chapels, kitchens, student rooms, a guesthouse, library and sacred spring revered by Orthodox Greeks. These were built over a very large area.
The large aqueduct at the entrance, which clearly supplied water to the Monastery, is constructed against the side of the cliff. The aqueduct has many arches which have mostly been restored to date.
The entrance to the Monastery leads up by a long and narrow stairway. There is guard-room next to the entrance. The stairs lead from there to the inner courtyard. On the left, in front of cave, there are several monastery buildings. The cave, which was converted into a church, constitutes the centre of the Monastery. The library is to the right.
The large building with a balcony on the front part of the cliff was used for the monks' cells and as guesthouse. It dates to 1860.
The influence of Turkish art can be observed in the design of the cupboards, niches and fire-place in the rooms of the buildings surrounding the courtyard.
The inner and outer walls of the Rock Church and the walls of the adjacent chapel are decorated with frescoes. The frescoes of the time of Alexios III can be seen on the inner wall of the Rock Church facing the courtyard. The frescoes of the chapel which were painted on three levels in three different periods are dated to the beginning of the 18th century. The frescoes of the bottom band are of superior quality.
The frescoes of the Sümela Monastery are seriously damaged, having largely been moved from their original settings. The main subject of the frescoes are biblical scenes telling the story of Christ and the Virgin Mary. 22. Grand Bazaar, istanbul, Turkey 
The Grand Bazaar (or Covered Bazaar, Turkish: Kapalıçarşı ("Covered Bazaar")) in Istanbul is one of the largest covered markets in the world with more than 58 streets and 4,000 shops, and has between 250,000 and 400,000 visitors daily. It is well known for its jewelry, pottery, spice, and carpet shops. Many of the stalls in the bazaar are grouped by type of goods, with special areas for leather coats, gold jewelry and the like. The bazaar contains two bedestens (domed masonry structures built for storage and safe keeping), the first of which was constructed between 1455 and 1461 by the order of Sultan Mehmed the Conqueror. The bazaar was vastly enlarged in the 16th century, during the reign of Sultan Suleiman the Magnificent, and in 1894 underwent a major restoration following an earthquake.
Inner Bedesten : It was the first building to rise in Kapalıçarşı, actually it is the Old Bedestan which forms the backbone of the bazaar. The names of the gates are: Bouquinistes, Hat Shops, Jewelry Shops and Costume Shops.
Sandal Bedesten : It has the most number of domes in Kapalıçarşı. At present it can be accessed through two gates, one is through the main gate and the other is through the Nuruosmaniye district.
Other sections of the Grand Bazaar: The architectural design of the roads making up other sections apart from the two bedestens is not symmetrical and geometrical; it has a scattered nature due to its formation which took many centuries with new parts being added. In this way, it stays away from the closed bazaar style of the West and has a character of an Oriental bazaar. This laid back settlement and scattered nature prevents the bazaar from being dull, and at the same time gives it a romantic flavour. Such a complicated structure and settlement not only maintains the monumental state of the bazaar, but also makes it a palace for shopping.
The Grand Bazaar has four main gates situated at the ends of its two major streets which intersect near the southwestern corner of the bazaar. One street combines the Bayezid II Mosque and Bayezid Square with Nuruosmaniye Mosque.
23.
Galata Tower, istanbul, Turkey
The Galata Tower (Turkish:
Galata Kulesi), also called Christea Turris (Tower
of Christ) by the Genoese and Megalos Pyrgos (The
Great Tower) by the Byzantines, is located in Istanbul,
Turkey, to the north of the Golden Horn. One of the city's most
striking landmarks, it is a huge, cone-capped cylinder that
dominates the skyline on the Galata side of the Golden Horn.
The
tower was built as Christea Turris in 1348 during an
expansion of the Genoese colony in Constantinople. It was the
apex of the fortifications surrounding the Genoese citadel of
Galata. The current tower should not be confused with the old
Tower of Galata, an original Byzantine tower, named Megalos
Pyrgos, which controlled the northern end of the massive sea
chain that closed the entrance of the Golden Horn. This tower
was on a different site and was largely destroyed during the
Fourth Crusade in 1204.
The
66.90 m tower (62.59 m without the ornament on top) was the
city's tallest structure when built.
The
upper section of the tower with the conical cap was slightly
modified in several restorations during the Ottoman period when
it was used as an observation tower for spotting fires.
In
1638, Hezarfen Ahmet Çelebi flew as an early aviator using
artificial wings from this tower over the Bosphorus to the
slopes of Üsküdar on the Anatolian side.
In
the 1960s the original wooden interior of the tower was replaced
by a concrete structure and it was opened to the public. There
is a restaurant and café on its upper floors which commands a
magnificent view of Istanbul and the Bosphorus. Also located on
the upper floors is a nightclub which hosts a Turkish show.
There are two operating elevators that carry visitors from the
lower level to the upper levels. Entrance to the tower costs 10
New Turkish Lira. A notable restaurant in the tower is "Galata
Evi Restaurant" which serves Georgian cuisine where customers
can enjoy good food and above all, following their habits, can
drink to satiety.
24. Golden Horn, istanbul,
Turkey
The Golden Horn
(Turkish: Haliç, Greek: Χρυσόν Κέρας – Chrysón
Kéras) is an inlet of the Bosphorus dividing the city of
Istanbul and forming a natural harbor.
According to Greek legend, the Golden Horn
derives its name from Keroessa, the mother of
Byzas the Megarian, who named it after her. It
forms a deep natural harbor for the pensinsula
it encloses together with the Sea of Marmara.
The Byzantine Empire had its naval headquarters
there, and walls were built along the shoreline
to protect the city of Constantinople from naval
attacks. At the entrance to the Horn, there was
a large chain pulled across from Constantinople
to the old Tower of Galata (which was known as
the Megalos Pyrgos (Great Tower) among
the Byzantines) on the northern side, preventing
unwanted ships from entering. This tower was
largely destroyed by the Latin Crusaders during
the Fourth Crusade (1204), but the Geneose built
a new tower nearby, the famous Galata Tower
(1348) which they called Christea Turris
(Tower of Christ).
There were three notable times when the chain
across the Horn was either broken or
circumvented. In the 10th century the Vikings
(Varangians) dragged their longships out of the
Bosporus, around Galata, and relaunched them in
the Horn; the Byzantines defeated them with
Greek fire. In 1204, during the Fourth Crusade,
Venetian ships were able to break the chain with
a ram. In 1453, Ottoman Sultan Mehmed II, having
failed in his attempt to copy the Venetians and
break the chain with brute force (indeed,
heavily damaging his own ships in the process),
instead copied the tactics of the Rus', towing
his ships across Galata into the estuary over
greased logs.
After the Fall of Constantinople to Fatih Sultan
Mehmet, Greek citizens, the Greek Orthodox
Church, Jews, Italian merchants, and other
non-Muslims began to live along the Horn in the
Phanar (Fener) and Balat districts. Today the
Golden Horn is settled on both sides, and there
are parks along each shore. The Istanbul Chamber
of Commerce is also located along the shore, as
are Muslim, Jewish and Christian cemeteries. The
Galata Bridge connects the districts of Galata
and Eminönü. Two other bridges, the Atatürk
Bridge and the Haliç Bridge, are located further
up the Horn. Until the 1980s the Horn was
inquinated with industrial waste, but has since
been cleaned up and is a popular tourist
attraction in Istanbul because of its history
and beauty.
In 1502 Leonardo da Vinci
produced a drawing of a single
span 720-foot (240 m) bridge
over the Horn as part of a civil
engineering project for Sultan
Bayezid II. The vision was
resurrected in 2001 when a small
footbridge of Leonardo's design
was constructed near Aas in
Norway.
The Golden Horn features in many
works of literature dealing with
classical themes. For example,
G. K. Chesterton's poem
Lepanto contains the
memorable couplet "From evening
isles fantastical rings faint
the Spanish gun, And the Lord
upon the Golden Horn is laughing
in the sun".
25. Sultan Ahmed Mosque;
Blue Mosque, istanbul, Turkey
The Sultan Ahmed Mosque
(Turkish: Sultanahmet Camii)
is a mosque in Istanbul, the
largest city in Turkey and the
capital of the Ottoman Empire
(from 1453 to 1923). The mosque
is one of several mosques known
as the Blue Mosque for
the blue tiles adorning the
walls of its interior. It was
built between 1609 and 1616,
during the rule of Ahmed I. Like
many other mosques, it also
comprises a tomb of the founder,
a madrasah and a hospice. The
Sultan Ahmed Mosque has become
one of the greatest tourist
attractions of Istanbul.
After the
humiliating
Peace of
Zsitvatorok and
the unfavourable
result of the
wars with
Persia, Sultan
Ahmed I decided
to build a large
mosque in
Istanbul to
placate Allah.
This would be
the first
imperial mosque
in more than
forty years.
Whereas his
predecessors had
paid for their
mosques with
their war booty,
Sultan Ahmed I
had to withdraw
the funds from
the treasury,
because he
hadn't won any
notable
victories. This
provoked the
anger of the
ulema, the
Muslim legal
scholars.
The mosque was
to be built on
the site of the
palace of the
Byzantine
emperors, facing
the Hagia Sophia
(at that time
the most
venerated mosque
in Istanbul) and
the hippodrome,
a site of great
symbolic
significance.
Large parts of
the southern
side of the
mosque rest on
the foundations,
the vaults and
the undercrofts
of the Great
Palace. Several
palaces, already
built on the
same spot, had
to be bought (at
considerable
price) and
pulled down,
especially the
palace of
Sokollu Mehmet
Paşa, and large
parts of the
Sphendone
(curved tribune
with U-shaped
structure of the
hippodrome).
Construction of
the mosque
started in
August 1609 when
the sultan
himself came to
break the first
sod. It was his
intention that
this would
become the first
mosque of his
empire. He
appointed his
royal architect
Sedefhar Mehmet
Ağa, a pupil and
senior assitant
of the famous
architect Sinan
as the architect
in charge of the
construction.
The organization
of the work was
described in
meticulous
detail in eight
volumes, now in
the library of
the Topkapı
Palace. The
opening
ceremonies were
held in 1617
(although the
gate of the
mosque records
1616) and the
sultan was able
to pray in the
royal box (hünkâr
mahfil). But
the building
wasn't finished
yet in this last
year of his
reign, as the
last accounts
were signed by
his successor
Mustafa I.
The design of the Sultan Ahmed Mosque is the culmination of two centuries of Ottoman mosque development. It is the last great mosque of the classical period. The architect has ably synthesized the ideas of his master Sinan, aiming for overwhelming size, majesty and splendour, but the interior lacks his creative thinking.
, which is 23.5 meters in diameter and 43 meters high at its central point. The domes are supported by four massive piers that recall those of the Selimiye Mosque in Edirne, another masterpiece of Sinan. It is obvious that Mehmet Paşa was overcautious by taking this inflated margin of safety, damaging the elegant proportions of the dome by their oppressive size. These "elephant feet" consist of multiple convex marble grooves at their base, while the upper half is painted, separated from the base by an inscriptive band with gilded words. Seen from the court, the profig the prayer hall. The southern wall (with the mihrab) lacks recesses, because the buttresses are completely situated at the exterior. On each of the three other walls, the two buttresses jut out into the interior, forming three recesses. Each middle recess consists of three exedrae under a semi-dome.
The façade of the spacious forecourt was built in the same manner as the façade of the Süleymaniye Mosque, except for the addition of the turrets on the corner domes. The court is about as large as the mosque itself and is surrounded by a continuous, rather monotonous, vaulted arcade (revak). It has ablution facilities on both sides. The central hexagonal fountain is rather small in contrast with the dimensions of the courtyard. The monumental but narrow gateway to the courtyard stands out architecturally from the arcade. Its semi-dome has a fine stalactite structure, crowned by a rather small ribbed dome on a tall drum.
At its lower levels and at every pier, the interior of the mosque is lined with more than 20,000 handmade ceramic tiles, made at Iznik (the ancient Nicaea) in more than fifty different designs. The tiles at lower levels are traditional in design, while at gallery level their design becomes flamboyant with representations of flowers, fruit and cypresses. More than 20,000 tiles were made under the supervision of the Iznik master potter Kaşıcı Hasan. However, the price the builders were able to pay for tiles was fixed by the sultan's decree, while tile prices increased over time. As a result, the tiles used later in building were of lesser quality. Their colours have faded and changed (red turning into brown and green into blue, mottled whites) and the glazes have dulled. The tiles on the back balcony wall are recycled tiles from the harem in the Topkapı Palace, when it was damaged by fire in 1574.
The upper levels of the interior are dominated by blue paint, but is of poor quality. More than 200 stained glass windows with intricate designs admit natural light, today assisted by chandeliers. On the chandeliers, ostrich eggsthey become worn out. The many spacious windows confer a spacious impression. The casements at floor level are decorated with opus sectile. Each exedra has five windows, some of which are blind. Each semi-dome has 14 windows and the central dome 28 (four of which are blind). The coloured glass for the windows was a gift of the Signoria of Venice to the sultan. Most of these coloured windows have by now been replaced by modern versions with little or no artistic merit.
The most important element in the interior of the mosque is the mihrab, which is made of finely carved and sculptured marble, with a stalactite niche and a double inscriptive panel above it. The adjacent walls are sheathed in ceramic tiles. But the many windows around it make it look less spectacular. To the right of the mihrab is the richly decorated minber, or pulpit, where the Imam stands when he is delivering his sermon at the time of noon prayer on Fridays or on holy days. The mosque has been designed so that even when it is at its most crowded, everyone in the mosque can see and hear the Imam.
The royal kiosk is situated at the south-east corner. It comprises a platform, a loggia and two small retiring rooms. It gives access to the royal loge in the south-east upper gallery of the mosque. These retiring rooms became the headquarters of the Grand Vizier during the suppression of the rebellious Janissary Corps in 1826. The royal loge (hünkâr mahfil) is supported by ten marble columns. It has its own mihrab, that used to be decorated with a jade rose and gilt and one hundred Qurans on inlaid and gilded lecterns. [2]
The many lamps that light the interior was once covered with gold and gems.. Among the glass bowls one could find ostrich eggs and crystal balls. All these decorations have been removed or pillaged for museums.
The great tablets on the walls are inscribed with the names of the caliphs and verses from the Quran, originally by the great 17th-century calligrapher Ametli Kasım Gubarım, but they have frequently been restored.
The Sultan Ahmed Mosque is one of the two mosques in Turkey that has six minarets, the other is in Adana. When the number of minarets was revealed, the Sultan was criticized for presumption, since this was, at the time, the same number as at the mosque of the Ka'aba in Mecca. He overcame this problem by paying for a seventh minaret at the Mecca mosque.
Four minarets stand at the corners of the mosque. Each of these fluted, pencil-shaped minarets has three balconies (ṣerefe) with stalactite corbels, while the two others at the end of the forecourt only have two balconies.
Until recently the muezzin or prayer-caller had to climb a narrow spiral staircase five times a day to announce the call to prayer. Today a public address system is used, and the call can be heard across the old part of the city, echoed by other mosques in the vicinity. Large crowds of both Turks and tourists gather at sunset in the park facing the mosque to hear the call to evening prayers, as the sun sets and the mosque is brilliantly illuminated by coloured floodlights.
26. Topkapı Palace/Meseum,
istanbul, Turkey
The Topkapı Palace (Topkapı Sarayı in Turkish) was the official and primary Istanbul residence of the Ottoman Sultans from 1465 to 1853. The palace was a setting for state occasion and royal entertainment, and is a major tourist attraction. The name translated from Turkish literally means the "Cannongate Palace", named after a nearby gate. Initial construction started in 1459, ordered by Sultan Mehmed II, the conqueror of Byzantine Constantinople. The palace is a complex of a conglomeration of four main courtyards and many smaller buildings. At the height of its existence up to 4,000 people resided in the palace.
After the end of the Ottoman Empire in 1921, Topkapı Palace was transformed into a museum of the imperial era by government decree on April 3, 1924. The Topkapı Palace Museum is under the administration of the Ministy Of Culture and Tourism. The palace complex has over hundreds of rooms and chambers, only the most important ones are accessible to the public today. The complex is guarded by officials of the ministry as well as armed soldiers of the military of Turkey.
The palace is full of examples of Ottoman style architecture and also owns large collections of porcelain, robes, weapons, shields, armors, Ottoman miniatures, Islamic calligraphic manuscripts and mural decorations, as well as a display of accumulated Ottoman treasures and jewelry.
27. Dolmabahçe Palace,
istanbul, Turkey
Dolmabahçe
Palace was the
first
European-style
palace in
Istanbul and was
built by Sultan
Abdülmecid
between 1842 and
1853, at a cost
of five million
Ottoman gold
pounds, the
equivalent of 35
tons of gold. 14
tons of gold was
used only to
adorn the
interior ceiling
of the palace.
The world's
largest Bohemian
crystal
chandelier, a
gift from Queen
Victoria, is at
the center hall.
The chandelier
has 750 lamps
and weighs 4.5
tons. Dolmabahçe
has the largest
collection of
Bohemian and
Baccarat crystal
chandeliers in
the world, and
one of the great
staircases has
bannisters of
Baccarat
crystal.
Dolmabahçe was
originally a bay
in the Bosphorus
which was filled
gradually during
the 18th century
to become an
imperial garden,
much appreciated
by the Ottoman
sultans (and
from here comes
the name,
dolma
meaning 'filled'
and bahçe
'garden').
Various summer
palaces were
built here
during the 18th
and 19th
centuries. The
palace that
stands here
today was built
between 1842 and
1853 during the
reign of Sultan
Abdülmecid, on
the site of the
old coastal
palace of
Beşiktaş, by the
Armenian-Turkish
architects
Garabet Amira
Balyan and his
son Nigoğayos
Balyan. The
Sultans moved
here since the
old Topkapı
Palace lacked
the modern
luxuries that
the Dolmabahçe
could provide.
The palace is
composed of
three parts; the
Mabeyn-i Hümâyûn
(or Selamlık;
the quarters
reserved for the
men), Muayede
Salonu (the
ceremonial
halls) and the
Harem-i Hümâyûn
(the Harem; i.e.
the apartments
of the family of
the Sultan). The
palace has an
area of 45,000
m² (11.2 acres),
and contains 285
rooms, 46 halls,
6 baths (hamam)
and 68 toilets.
The famous
Crystal
Staircase has
the shape of a
double horseshoe
and is built of
Baccarat
crystal, brass
and mahogany.
The palace
includes a large
number of Hereke
palace carpets
made by Hereke
Imperial
Factory. Also
featured are
150-year-old
bearskin rugs
originally
presented to the
Sultan as a gift
by the Tsar of
Russia.
The palace is
managed by
Milli Saraylar
Daire Başkanlığı
(Directorate of
National
Palaces) bound
to the Grand
National
Assembly of
Turkey.
Dolmabahçe
Palace Museum is
open to public
on weekdays from
9:00 to 15:00,
except Mondays
and Thursdays.
Mustafa Kemal
Atatürk, the
founder and
first president
of Turkey, spent
his last years
in the palace as
his health
deteriorated.
Atatürk died at
9:05 a.m. on
November 10,
1938, in a room
that is now part
of the museum.
28. The Obelisk of Tuthmosis
III, istanbul, Turkey
Obelisk of Thutmosis III, at the
base showing Theodosius the
Great (Roman Emperor, 379-395).
The obelisk is located in the
Hippodrome of Constantinople. In
390, Theodosius had the obelisk
cut into three pieces and
brought to Constantinople. Only
the top section survives, and it
stands today where he placed it,
on a marble pedestal.
29. Yalı (Residence) Along
the istanbul Bosphorus, Turkey
A yalı (Turkish:
yalı, from
Greek yiáli
γιαλή
(mod. γιαλός),
literally
"seashore,
beach") is a
house or mansion
constructed at
immediate
waterside
(almost
exclusively
seaside) in
Istanbul and
usually built
with an
architectural
concept that
takes into
account the
characteristics
of the coastal
location. Thus,
a family who
owned a
waterside
residence would
spend some time
in this usually
secondary
residence
located at the
sea shore, as
opposed to the
"konak" (mansion,
aside from the
term's use to
refer to
buildings with
administrative
functions) or
the "köşk" (pavillion,
often serving a
determined
practical
purpose, such as
hunting, or
implying a
temporary
nature). Thus,
going to the
"yalı" acquired
the sense of
both going to
the seaside and
to the house
situated there.
In its
contemporary
sense, the term
"yalı" is used
primarily to
denote the total
amount of 620
waterside
residences,
mostly dating
from the 19th
century (some of
them date from
the 18th
century, and
some from the
early 20th
century),
sprinkled along
the Bosphorus in
Istanbul. As
such, they
constitute one
of the city's
landmarks.
Finely worked
wood was, by
excellence, the
construction
material chosen
for yalıs, as it
was the case for
the large
majority of
traditional
Turkish houses.
Successive
restorations
often caused the
wooden parts of
the overall
structure to be
gradually
reduced, but
wood
nevertheless
remains the
prominent and
identifying
material of
historic yalıs.
It is not
uncommon for the
most recently
restored
mansions to
employ wood
principally for
external
decoration
purposes.
The oldest yalı
which has
survived to our
date is the one
built by the
grand vizier
Amcazade Köprülü
Hüseyin Pasha
(of the highly
influent Köprülü
family) in 1699
at the Kanlıca
district, on the
Asiatic shores
of the
Bosphorus. From
this yalı, the
hall of audience
(divanhane)
and its
immediate
annexes have
survived. On the
opposite
European shores,
the oldest to
remain is the
"Şerifler
Yalısı" in
Emirgan which
was built in
1780 but bears
the name of a
later owner. The
most expensive
yalı is
"Erbilgin
Yalısı" located
in Yeniköy,
Istanbul. Forbes
magazine listed
"Erbilgin
Yalısı" as the
fifth most
expensive house
in the world
with a price tag
of $100 million.
30. Rumeli Fortress located
in istanbul, Turkey
Rumelihisarı
is a fortress
located in
Istanbul, Turkey
on a hill at the
European side of
the Bosporus
just north of
the Bebek
district; giving
the name of the
quarter around
it. It was built
by the Ottoman
Sultan Mehmed II
between 1451 and
1452, before he
conquered
Constantinople.
The three great
towers were
named after
three of Mehmed
II's vezirs,
Sadrazam
Candarlı Halil
Pasha, who built
the big tower
next to the
gate, Zağanos
Pasha, who built
the south tower,
and Sarıca
Pasha, who built
the north tower.
Rumelihisarı is situated at the narrowest point with 660 m of the Bosporus strait, just opposite of the Anadoluhisarı on the Anatolian side, another Ottoman fortress which was built between 1393 and 1394 by Sultan Bayezid I. The place was chosen to prevent aid from the Black Sea reaching Constantinople during the Turkish siege of the city in 1453, particularly from the Genoese colonies such as Caffa, Sinop and Amasra. Sultan Murad II (1404-1451), who wanted to ferry his army across the Bosporus, encountered difficulties due to the blockade of the Byzantine fleet. The necessity of a fortress opposite of Anadoluhisarı was well known to the Ottomans. At this place, there was a Roman fortification in the past, which was used as a prison by the Byzantine and Genoese. Later on, a monastery was built here.
In preparation for the conquest of Constantinople, Sultan Mehmed II (1432-1481), son of Murad II, started to realize the construction of the fortress immediately following his second ascent to the throne in 1451. He refused the plea for peace of the Byzantine Emperor Constantine XI (1404-1453), who understood the intention of the Sultan. The construction began on April 15, 1452. Each one of the three main towers were named after the Pashas who supervised their construction, which were later named after them. The sultan personally inspected the activities on the site. With the help of thousands of masons and workers, the fortress was completed in a record time of 4 months and 16 days on August 31, 1452.
A battalion of 400 Janissaries were stationed in the fortress, and big cannons were placed in the Halil Pasha Tower, the main tower at the waterfront. After a short while, a Venetian sail ship coming from the Black Sea, which ignored the stop order of the commander of the fortress, Firuz Ağa, was bombed and sank. The cannons were later used until the second half of the 19th century for the greeting of the sultan while he was passing by on the sea.
After the fall of Constantinople, the fortress served as a customs checkpoint. Rumelihisarı, which was designated for the control of the ship passage through the strait, eventually lost its strategic importance when a second pair of fortresses was built further up the Bosphorus, where the strait meets the Black Sea. In the 17th century, it was used as a prison. Rumelihisarı was partly destroyed by an earthquake in 1509, but was repaired soon after. In 1746, a fire destroyed all the wooden parts in two main towers. The fortress was repaired by Sultan Selim III (1761-1807). However, a new neighborhood was formed inside the fortress after it was abandoned in the 19th century.
Ordered by President Celal Bayar in 1953, the neighborhood was removed and an extensive restoration work began on May 16, 1955, which lasted until May 29, 1958. Rumelihisarı is since 1960 a museum and an open-air theater for various concerts at festivals during the summer months. The Fatih Sultan Mehmet Bridge which spans over the Bosporus is located close to the fortress, to the north.
Rumelihisarı as an open-air museum is open to public every day except Wednesdays from 9:00 to 16:30.
31. Beyazit Tower, istanbul,
Turkey
Beyazıt Tower is an 85 metre tall fire-watch tower located in the courtyard of Istanbul University's main campus on Beyazıt Square (known as the Forum Tauri in the Roman period) in Istanbul, Turkey, on top of one of the "seven hills" which Constantine the Great had built the city, following the model of Rome.
Beyazıt Tower was ordered by the Ottoman Sultan Mahmud II (1808-1839), and designed by Senekerim Balyan who built it of stone in 1828 on the place of the original wooden Beyazıt Tower which was destroyed in a fire and was constructed earlier by the architect's brother, Krikor Balyan.
The first fire-watch tower in Beyazıt was built of timber in 1749, but it was burnt down during the 1756 Great Fire of Cibali. It was replaced by another timber tower on the same location, which was destroyed following the riots stirred by Sultan Mahmud II's decision to dissolve the Janissary Corps in 1826. The same year, another wooden tower was erected on the plot, designed and built by the palace architect Krikor Balyan, which was again set on fire by adherents of the Janissaries. Finally, the current tower, made of stone, was built in 1828 by Senekerim Balyan in Ottoman Baroque style.
The stone tower originally had a single floor of around 50 m² at the top for fire watching, which was reached through a wooden staircase of 180 steps. This watch room has 13 round arched windows. Initially, the tower had a timber roof in the form of a cone. In 1849, three floors in octagonal plan with round windows were added on the top section: one for signaling, one for signal baskets and the last one for flags. The smaller diameter of the highest three floors makes space for a terrace at the second floor. In 1889, an iron pole of 13 meters was erected on the roof. The tower was partly damaged by the earthquake of 1889 and was subsequently restored. At present, the tower has a stone roof and a wooden staircase of 256 steps.
Fire was an important threat for Istanbul and caused numerous wide scale disasters, largely due to the fact that most houses in the Old City's historic quarters were made of timber. Beyazıt Tower, Galata Tower and İcadiye Fire Tower (on Vaniköy Hill) were used for spotting fire threats, as they commanded long distance views of the city from above. The entire Old City (Yedikule, Topkapı, Kocamustafapaşa, Fatih, Beyazıt), the cross-section of the Golden Horn districts (Fener, Balat, Eminönü) and those of the Bosphorus (Tophane, Beşiktaş, Ortaköy), the entrance of the Sea of Marmara (Üsküdar, Kadıköy) and even the Princes' Islands towards the southeast of the city were within the range of watch sight from Beyazıt Tower.
Fire was signaled at daytime by lowering baskets and at night by lighting colored lamps. The number of the baskets or the number and the color of the lamps indicated the location, i.e. in which district of Istanbul the fire outbroke. As a response, the Watch Tower of Icadiye on the Anatolian side of the Bosphorus then fired 7 volleys to inform the citizens of the fire. 20 fire fighters were stationed in the Beyazıt Tower until 1923. In 1997, the structure underwent a thorough restoration.
Beyazıt Tower is still in use today as a watch-tower as well as for signaling weather forecast and maritime navigation information to the ships on the Golden Horn at night. The tower lost its importance with the development of advanced communications technology. Recently, two firefighters in three shifts are stationed in the tower for guarding purposes only. Since 1972, special permission is required to enter the tower.
32. Ancient Sanctuary and seat of oracle of Apollo located south of Miletus in Turkey
Also called DIDYMI, OR BRANCHIDAE, ancient sanctuary and seat of an oracle of Apollo, located south of Miletus in modern Turkey. Before being plundered and burned by the Persians (c. 494 BC), the sanctuary was in the charge of the Branchids, a priestly caste named after Branchus, a favourite youth of Apollo. After Alexander the Great conquered Miletus (334), the oracle was resanctified; the city administered the cult, annually electing a prophet. About 300 BC the Milesians began to build a new temple, intended to be the largest in the Greek world. The annual festival held there, the Didymeia, became Panhellenic in the beginning of the 2nd century BC. Excavations made between 1905 and 1930 revealed all of the uncompleted new temple and some carved pieces of the earlier temple and statues. 33. Istanbul Archaeology Meseum, istanbul, Turkey
The Istanbul Archaeology Museum (Turkish: İstanbul Arkeoloji Müzesi) is an archeological museum, located in the Eminönü district of Istanbul, Turkey, near Gülhane Park and Topkapı Palace.
The Istanbul Archaeology Museum actually consists of three museums. Those are the main Archeology Museum, the Old Eastern Works Museum and the Enameled Kiosk Museum. It houses over one million objects that represent almost all of the eras and civilizations in world history.
The museum has a fantastic collection of Greek, Hellenistic and Roman artifacts, including the famed Alexander Sarcophagus. The most prominent artifacts exhibited in the museum include:
-
Alexander Sarcophagus, found in the the necropolis of Sidon.
-
Sarcophagus of the Crying Women, also found in Sidon.
-
Sarcophagi of Tabnit and the Satrap.
-
The Lycian tomb, a monumental tomb.
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Statues from ancient times until the end of the Roman era, from Aphrodisias, Ephesus and Miletus.
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Statue of an Ephebos.
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Parts of statues from the Temple of Zeus found at Bergama.
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Statue of a lion, the only piece saved from the hands of British archaeologists in the Mausoleum of Maussollos.
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Snake's head from the Serpentine Column erected in the Hippodrome.
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Mother-Goddess Cybele and votive stelai.
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Busts of Alexander the Great and Zeus.
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Fragments from the temple of Athena at Assos.
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The Troy exhibit.
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800.000 Ottoman coins, seals, decorations and medals.
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One of the three known tablets of the Treaty of Kadesh.
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The obelisk of the Assyrian king Adad-nirari III.
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Tablet archive containing some 75.000 documents with cuneiform inscriptions.
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Artifacts from the early civilizations of Anatolia, Mesopotamia, Arabia and Egypt.
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Siloam inscription, which made the headlines in July 2007.
to be continued....with many more attractions.
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