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ISTANBUL
MONUMENTS |
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The ancient
Hippodrome, the scene of chariot races and
the center of Byzantine civic life, stood in
the open space in front of the Blue Mosque,
an area now called Sultanahmet. Of the
monuments which once decorated it only three
remain: the Obelisk of Theodosius, the
bronze Serpentine Column and the Column of
Constantine. Remains from the curved end
section of the Hippodrome's wall can be seen
on the south side of these three monuments.
Today the square forms the center of
Istanbul's historical, cultural and
touristic activities. You should take
particular note of the surrounding wooden
houses, particularly the 18th century ones
on Sogukcesme Street. Delighttully restored,
they have new life as small hotels; one
houses a fascinating library of books on
Istanbul.
The Ahmet Ill Fountain, built in 1729,
stands at the entrance to Topkapi Palace.
Deep overhanging eaves shade the water
spouts where the parched could stop for a
cup of refresning water. This highly ornate,
free-standing fountain is a superb example
of the late Ottoman style.
Mahmut II built the Beyazit Tower (85 meters
high) in 1828 as a fire tower. Today it
stands within the grounds of Istanbul
University.
The Bozdogan-Valens Aqueduct, built in 368
A.D., supplied the Byzantine and later the
Ottoman palaces with water. Today part of
the remaining 900 meters of double-tiered
arches straddle the major highway that runs
through the old part of town.
The Istanbul land walls, once an
impenetrable fortification, stretch seven
kilometers from the Sea of Marmara to the
Golden Horn Restored recently, and many
times previously, these walls date from the
fifth century and the reign of Emperor
Theodosius II. UNESCO has declared the land
walls, and the area which they enclose, one
of the cultural heritages of the world.
The Galata Tower, a Genoese construction of
1348, rises 62 meters high over the Golden
Horn. From the top you see a marvelous
panorama of the Golden Horn and the
Bosphorus. In the evening tourists enjoy its
popular restaurant, night club and bar.
Rumeli Hisari, or the European Fortress, was
built by Mehmet the Conqueror in 1452 prior
to his capture of Istanbul. Completed in
only four months, it is one of the most
beautiful works of military architecture in
the world. (Open every day except Mondays.)
Known as Leander's Tower, Kiz Kulesi is one
of the romantic symbols of Istanbul. First
constructed in the 12th century on a tiny
island at the entrance to Istanbul's harbor,
the present building dates from the 18th
century.
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