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SULTANAHMET AND HISTORICAL PENINSULA

Istanbul was founded on seven hills and one of the seven hills called Sultan Ahmet district has been the most important part of Istanbul for centuries both in ancinet  and present times as if the heart of the mega city where you can find all facilities, mosques, palaces, underground cisterns, bath houses, shopping moles, museums, fountains, city walls, millennium stone, hippodrome, shrines, Sultan's tombs, restaurants, etc. Anyone who come as tourist to this part is able to visit imperial part of Istanbul.

When the city was first founded, the acropolis was a typical Mediterranean trading center surrounded by city walls. This trading center was enlarged and rebuilt during Roman times and used for chariot races. Some important Roman buildings are the remains of the ancient Constantinopolis. Ottomans used this square as training their horses first and  important ceremonies , circimsions events. During 16th century, great viziers began building the palaces and kiosks, later a great palace as the residance of the Ottoman Sultans, a great mosque as the imperial mosque of the empire. The Janissaries which was the great army of the Ottomans used to have army barracks around the district with the bath houses,  small mesjids and stores for about three hundred  years till the janissaries were removed beginning of the 19th century. Today it is the heart of the historical Istanbul, center of culture and trade and an important touristic and religious centre of the city. Let’s see the main buildings and remains on this area ;

Many of Istanbul’s historical gems, mostly consisting of Byzantine and Ottoman-built monuments are in Old City. Most are located a short walk away from, if not immediately on the edges of, Sultan Ahmet Square. Some other sights are dispersed throughout the peninsula.
(1) TOPKAPI PALACE
The imperial palace of the Ottoman emperors for four centuries. Lavishly decorated, with four courts of increasing grandeur. 24 ottoman sultans have been crowned in this palace beginning with Beyazıd II. It also  has been the home of Ottoman administration and the colorful life of Harem.

(2)  HAGIA SOPHIA
Dating from the sixth century, it was originally a basilica constructed for the Eastern Roman Emperor Justinian I. A masterwork of Roman engineering, used as a church for 919 years, a mosque for 404 years, and a museum since 1935.

(3)  BLUE MOSQUE
With its six minarets and sweeping architecture the Sultanahmet or 'Blue' Mosque impresses from the outside. Unlike Haghia Sophia, this is still a working mosque, entry is through the courtyard on the south west side which is back side of mosque.

(4) HIPPODROME
This was the centre of Roman and Byzantine Constantinople, and is a great place to begin one's tour and to watch people. The building no longer stands, but the obelisks and sculptures that have been collected here since Theodosius' time in the fourth century remain, used as the big square to train horses and circumcision ceremonies during Ottoman era.

(5) THE GERMAN FOUNTAIN
It is located on Sultanahmet Square across from the Mausoleum of Sultan Ahmed I. It was constructed to commemorate the second anniversary of the German Emperor Wilhelm II's visit to Istanbul in 1898.

(6)  BASILICA CISTERN
This Byzantine structure was commissioned by Emperor Justinian and built in 532. Underground Basilica (Also called Underground Cistern) is the  largest well preserved  cistern in Istanbul, which is constructed using 336 columns.

(7) TURKISH AND ISLAMIC ARTS
Carpets, rugs, calligraphy, pottery are the main items which are displayed. You can visit also the Ethnographic Museum downstairs where you can learn about the lifestyle of the Turks and their ancestors. *UNDER RENOVATION*
(8) GREAT PALACE MOSAICS MUSEUM
Located in Arasta Bazaar, this museum hosts the pavement mosaics of the Byzantine - era Great Palace of Constantinople, which once occupied all the way from Sultan Ahmet Square.
(9) LITTLE HAGIA SOPHIA
The little Hagia Sophia Mosque at the first was a church but later turned into a mosque. At the beginning, in the Byzantine Era it was constructed by the order of Justinian I (the Emperor of Byzantine) and his wife in order to be used as a church for the sake of Monophysite Community in sometime between 527-536, just before Justinian built Hagia Sophia. Named after Sergius and Bacchus (the two main saints of Christians in the Roman army), it has been known as Little Hagia Sophia.

(10) GULHANE PARK
This park was royal hunting grounds in the past. Today it’s a public park with lots of seasonal flowers, including huge patches of tulips in early April, and huge plane trees which means lots of shade as well. The high walls on one side of the park seperates it from Topkapı Palace. At one end of the park are a group of nice outdoor cafés—all of which basically serve the same drinks and snacks—with a view of Bosphorus, a view that is as charming as the view from the Palace situated right above
(11) SOGUKCESME STREET
A  downhill cobbled street just behind Hagia Sophia, with renovated  traditional wooden houses two- or three-storeys tall typical of Ottoman era, leaning against the outer wall of Topkapı Palace grounds.
(12)  ARCHAEOLOGY MUSEUM
One of the best, including a great collection of Sumerian tablets, pieces of the wall of Babylon and Roman marble statues. The Alexander Sarcophagus, once believed to be the sarcophagus of Alexander the Great himself.

(13)  GRAND BAZAAR
The Grand Bazaar, one of the most famous place in Istanbul, is  not  only our history and culture but also it  is  the property of the whole world.  The Grand Bazaar  in Istanbul is one of the largest covered markets in the world with 60 streets and 5,000 shops, and attracts between 250,000 and 400,000 visitors daily .

(14)  SPICE BAZAAR
Spice Bazaar is the second largest and oldest covered bazaar in Istanbul that survived until today. The Bazaar is actually built as a part of New Mosque (Yeni Valide Camii) complex, located at the southern end of the Galata Bridge in Eminönü district. 

Content Author   : Mahmut OKCESIZ
Page Editor           : Mustafa Gökhan BULUT
Published              : 11 July 2014
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  • ISTANBUL

    About Istanbul

    Blue Mosque

    Hippodrome

    Topkapi Palace

    Hagia Sophia

    Sogukcesme Street

    Little Hagia Sophia

    Basilica Cistern

    Turkish & Islamic Arts Museum

    Arasta Bazaar

    Gulhane Park

    Archaeology Museum

    Old City Walls

    Suleymaniye Mosque

    Eyup Sultan

    Kalenderhane Mosque

    Pierre Loti Hill

    Miniaturk Museum

    Panorama 1453

    Chora Museum

    Seven Tower Dungeons

    Grand Bazaar

    Sahaflar Bazaar

    Mahmut Pasha Bazaar

    Spice Bazaar

    New Mosque

    Rustem Pasha Mosque

    Tekfur Palace

    Galata Tower

    Galata Dervish Lodge

    Emirgan Park

    Yildiz Royal Garden

    Maiden’s Tower

    Dolmabahce Palace

    Beylerbeyi Palace

    Ciragan Palace

    Rumeli Fortress

    Anatolian Fortress

    Khedive Pavilion

    Ihlamur Pavilion

    Yusha Mosque

    Kadikoy Bazaar

    Camlica Hill

  • BURSA

    About Bursa

    Silk Market

    Grand Mosque

    Green Mosque & Tomb

    Uludag Mountain

    Cumalikizik Village

    Emir Sultan Mosque

    Iskender Kebab

  • EDIRNE

    About Edirne

    Selimiye Mosque

    Sultan Bayezid Complex

    Edirne Palace

    Uc Serefeli Mosque

  • CANAKKALE

    About Canakkale

    Troy

    Assos

    Mirror Mall

    Ida Mountains

    Gallipoli National Park

  • BERGAMA

    About Bergama

    Acropolis

    Asclepion

    Red Court

    Bergama Museum

  • IZMIR

    About Izmir

    Kordon

    Velvet Castle

    Clock Tower

    Greek Agora

    The Lift

    Kemeralti Mall

  • Kusadasi

    About Kusadasi

    Ephesus

    Isa Bey Mosque

    Temple of Artemis

    House of Virgin Mary

    Basilica of St.John

    Sirince Village

  • Pamukkale

    About Pamukkale

    Hierapolis & Cotton Castle

    Laodicea

    Colossea

    Karahayit

    Painted Mosques

    Buldan

  • Antalya

    About Antalya

    Alanya

    Aspendos

    Demre

    Santa Claus

    Kale Ici

    Kas

    Manavgat Waterfalls

    Finike

    Patara

    Perge

  • Konya

    About Konya

    Mevlana

    Mevlana Museum

    Aladdin Mosque

    Kilistra Ancient City

    Aya Elena Church

    Sultanhani Caravanserai

  • Cappadocia

    About Cappadocia

    Kaymakli Underground City

    Goreme Open Air Museum

    Pigeon Valley

    Uchisar Castle

    Saratli Underground City

    Pasabagi

    Zelve

    Three Graces

    Avanos

    Ihlara Valley

    Ozkonak Underground City

    Wish Hill

    Hot Air Balloon

  • Ankara

    About Ankara

    Ankara Castle

    Ataturk Mausoleum

    Hittite Museum

    Augustus Temple

  • Safranbolu

    About Safranbolu

    Kaymakam House

    Safranbolu Bazaar

    Watchtower

    Cinci Inn

  • Amasya

    About Amasya

    Yalibolu Houses

    King Rock Tombs

    Amasya Castle

    Sultan Bayezid II Complex

  • Samsun

    About Samsun

    Amazon Village

    Amisos Hill

    Gazi Museum

    Hamamyagi Thermal

    Honorary Monument

    Mater Dolorasa Church

    Samsun Archaelogy Museum

    Tekkekoy Inns

  • Ordu

    About Ordu

    Golkoy Castle

    Osman Pasha Fountain

    Pashaoglu Mansion

    Tasbasi Church

Tour Maker Turkey is the source of information that introduce destinations in Turkey with detailed explanation of Sight Seeing points. You can plan your trip with soft explanation of tourist attractions with clear images.
GNM MATAHARI TRAVEL ISTANBUL
Address : Binbirdirek Mahallesi, Klod Farer Caddesi, Sn.Ragıp Uluca Apt. No:11 Kat:2
                  34122 (Sultanahmet) Fatih, Istanbul / Turkey
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