Tuesday 9 October. Yesterday, we spent most of the day sitting; first the train trip from Bologna to Milan (just over an hour, at 300kph!), then the train trip from Milan to Malpensa Airport (45 minutes), then waiting for our flight (3 hours), then the flight to Istanbul (3 hours).
But we’re here, settled into our lovely room in a hotel which started life as a 19th century Ottoman home and is metres away from an old mosque. So, after our 0610hrs “call to prayers” we were up and out walking, enjoying this fascinating city, which has played such an important part in world history. First, the Hippodrome, constructed in 203 by Roman Emperor Septimus Severus and expanded in the early fourth century by Emperor Constantine. It was the venue for chariot races, wrestling, boxing and other athletic activities and was the site of the deaths of 30,000 people who were herded up and killed by Emperor Justinian’s army following the Nikka Riots of 532. The remains of the Sphendone, or curved wall, at one end of the site are about twenty metres from our hotel and these are the only remains of the actual hippodrome construction above the ground. The hippodrome arena area has been built over during successive centuries and the bases of the remaining features are about three metres below present ground level. These features include the Serpent Column (which was brought by Constantine from the Temple of Apollo in Delphi, Greece, where it had been erected in 479BC to commemorate the Greek victory over the Persians) and the Egyptian obelisk, transported from Alexandria, again by Constantine, where it had first been erected about 500BC. Next we went underground to look at huge cisterns, first to Yerebatan Sarniçi, known as the Basilica Cistern. Built during Justinian’s reign, this enormous underground lake is 140 metres long and 70 metres wide, and has 336 stone columns supporting its ceiling, and was used for storing water for use by Constantinople’s inhabitants. Extensive walkways have been built about five metres above the bottom level and there are a couple of feet of water throughout (with fish swimming everywhere). The lighting that has been installed highlights the subterranean beauty of row upon row of columns reaching up into the darkness. Here we also dressed as a Sultan and a Sultana and had our photo taken (a moment of madness). Then we walked to the Binbirdirek Sarniçi, or the Cistern of 1001 Columns, which was built during Constantine’s reign early in the fourth century. This cistern is dry, well-lit, and used for many purposes – it contains restaurant and cafe and is available for weddings, and does have the same atmosphere as Yerebatan, even more so for us as we were the sole visitors apart from a lurking cat. We marvelled at the adaptation of underground space as a water storage facility so long ago.
After a delicious Turkish lunch at a nearby restaurant we continued our exploration; a walk through the Grand Bazaar, the largest undercover market place in the world covering an area of 76 acres. Then to the Süleymaniye Camii – the Suleiman Mosque – built by sultan Suleiman the Magnificent between 1550 and 1557 and with a larger dome than the Aya Sofia (more about that tomorrow). Next was the tomb of Mehmed the Conqueror, the Ottoman leader who conquered Constantinople in 1453 and finally brought about the fall of the Roman Empire. After that we walked along the base of Emperor Valen’s Aquaduct, constructed around the turn of the fourth century to connect two hills of ancient Constantinople, for the purpose of bringing water to the city from the springs of Belgrade forest, about 30km north of the city. And finally the Fatih Mosque, built by Mehmet the Conqueror between 1462-1470, which was intended to rival the Aya Sofia, however legend has it that when the mosque failed to reach the height of the Aya Sofia, Mehmet had the architect’s hands chopped off. We made our way slowly back to our hotel, picking up a few mementos and gifts on the way and will now rest before going back out to get some photographs by night – and dinner.
*For you non-medical types – they’re the bones in your bottom.
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