This blog is dedicated to my beloved friend who is also my travel advisor. When he encouraged me to make blog about my travel to Turkiye, i thought that i don't know much about this country. Still he insisted, only this much all i know :)
Turkiye is a very beautiful country with nice people every where you meet. You don't need to worry of getting lost because everyone will be happy to help you show the directions. There are many information offices for tourists if you somehow need more explanations for the pamphlet, map & destination. The estimate population is 75,627,384 in 2013, Of course major population registered as Muslim. One thing i noticed during my travel across the cities was the information board on the side road about population (nüfus) of the city you are entering.
The country who is blessed to have founding father such Mustafa Kemal Pasha better known as Atatürk - the 1stpresident of Republic of Turkey. I just begin to know his profile when i visited Anıtkabir and watched the "Dersimiz: Atatürk " - Thanks to my dear friend for this.
If you want to
get more sources about Atatürk, you may see this Documentary
In this blog, some information i got during my trip & some i found from references as stated. This is merely to share so that you can be a savvy traveler in Turkiye especially if you really interested in history. Don't forget to bring USB drive on your own, suddenly you will become a photographer because you don't want to missed any corner without taking it photographed. I regret one thing that i left my DSLR because i thought its weight will limit my movement. It was too many excuses not to bring my canon EOS D60 because i travel alone in the riots situation. Believe me, u must bring your DSLR. Your pictures will look much way better than what i'll show you in this blog.
This time i really enjoyed a lot my trip. Because i don't have to bother apply visa since 2yrs ago Indonesian may enter Turkiye with Visa on Arrival (USD 25). Another reasons are the places i visited this time was not commonly places offered by most tour agent. Had more free time to experience the transportation such as trams, bus & underground railway/ tunnel.
The construction of the Tunnel started on June 30, 1871. A
company of British origin namely “The Metropolitan Railway of Constantinople
from Galata to Pera” was established to operate the Tunnel & registered in
July 1872. The construction was completed on December 05, 1874. The initial
trial runs were carried out with aninals on board only. The normal runs to
serve people started then, at a cost of 10 para (The Ottoman currency in coins)
per person. The Tunnel was officially inaugurated through a magnificent
ceremony with the participation of distinguished native & foreign guests on
January 17, 1875.
The inial cost of the Tunnel was 180.000 Ottoman Lira. The
installation was powered by 2 steam engines of 150 HP. The wagons with 2 sides
open used to be illuminated by gas lamps as no electricity was available in
those years.
After the electrically powered streetcars were introduced in
Istanbul in 1910, the operating company was transformed into an Ottoman company
named “Dersaadet Mulhakatindan Galata ve Beyogly Beyninde Tahtel’arz Demiryolu”
The Tunnel was nationalized on March 01, 1939 by the state at the cost of
175,000 Turkish Lira & was handed over to Istanbul General Directorate of
Electricity, Streetcar & Tunnel Operations (IETT) which was established by
the law 3645 dated June 16, 1939.The Tunnel was out of operation for about 3,5 months during
the second world war due to the shortage of spare parts. It was completely
renovated to its present structure by a French company named Electro
Entreprises at the cost of 33.000.000 Turkish Lira. The Tunnel utilizes 2
wagons of 16m long, each running in the opposite direction at the same time,
carrying a total of 170 people in 90 seconds over a distance of 573m. The
Tunnel is run by electric power of 350 HP.
The Tunnel provided great convenience for the people of
Istanbul in the last years of the Ottoman Empire & in the early years of
the Republic. It still offers people a brief but enjoyable & nostalgic
trip, linking Karakoy & Beyoglu with quiet steps everyday.
The number of passengers carried workdays are over 10.000 people.The length of the line is 570 meters, 1 min 20'' travel time
Turkiye is left
driving, the first 2 digit on the plate number indicate the region. For
example: 38 for Kayseri, 35 for Izmir, 34 for Istanbul, 22 for Edirne, 06 for Ankara, 07 for Antalya, etc |
| Road cleaner vehicle (top left) & local market |
Wow, this one really reminds me of Indonesia, i coincided with the Sünnet festivali (circumcision) day in Istanbul. Yeah...this is a school holidays and as a major moslem population country, Turkiye held Sünnet festivali.Unlike in Indonesia which is usually provided by certain company as their CSR program, in Turkiye Generally
organized by the local municipalities, mostly for the boys of the poor
families. The ages 5 or 7 or 9 or 11 boy will wear a costume... really cute, make the boy looks so happy instead of showing the painful face
I'm not a frequent traveler nor an expert who has broad knowledge about certain countries in tourism industry. I just fall in love with this country from the first time i visited in 2010. They took seriously in preserving their heritage shown in well managed museums all across the country. The restoration of several archaeological sites was underway during my visit.
I hope this lil sharing will be useful for some of you esp. for the beginner traveler. As for my fellow country, i wished that someday our beloved Indonesia may have the sense of awakening in appreciating our culture. Enjoy the reading & your comments are welcome!
Day 1, sat. June 15, 2013
Departing from Jakarta on 14th of June at 19.50 with 1 hour transit in Singapore.
Arrival on Istanbul Ataturk airport at 06.10am by TK67. The temperature was 29 degrees, Well, to be honest i was curious for what happen in Gezi park, Taksim square but i proceeded to check in for domestic flight heading to Kayseri by TK 2026 at 09.50am. Its funny how i packed masker, eye drop & nasal nosk (personal air filtration) into my hand carry bag just in case :)
Arrived at 11.10 driving about 1 hour to Mustafa otel. Sight seeing, Kaymakli underground city, 3 beauties rock, panoramic view, Turasan oldest wine store,
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| Three beauties panoramic view |
For a shopping lover, i found one jewelry store that maybe your interest. You may see this jewelry store before you visit and buy your selection.
Day 2, sun. June 16, 2013
Started 04.15am for early ride balloon in Cappadocia, Goreme open air museum, fairy chimney rocks, hacibektas (center of Bektasi sect of Islam), Pigeon valley, folkdance & belly dance performance at Uranos sarikaya
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| instruction card will be distributed prior the departure |
Those minivans are ready to take you to the balloon-ride area, don't be too much excited by getting into the van randomly. You must follow the instruction & gather with your group with the appointed pilot.
The reasons of departing early morning is because less windy so we can spend longer times up in the air to enjoy the beautiful landscape from 5000 ft height. The number of sorties that morning was more than 70, it looked like a colorful garden with beautiful flower.
If you are lucky enough, you can see Mt. Erciyes (Erciyes Dağı)
3916 meters behind the beautiful sunrise.
It's the highest mountain in central Anatolia, there are winter sports facilities on the mountain, usually accessed from nearby Kayseri
After about 2 hours admiring the breathtaking landscape of Cappadocia, it is the time for landing. Its so interesting to see the ritual for those people who succeeded this morning flight. officers on ground under the basket was ready to pull the balloon and tie it on the vehicle he was carrying. then he took a handful of soil where we landed and threw it into the air. He did this twice. Then after a perfect landing basket, he began to pick flowers or grass and put it in the basket so it looks cute and lovely. While our pilot preparing some champagne & snacks we chatted with the other passengers & took some pictures.
Well, it was really a good way to start the day !
Goreme
valley was monastic dwelling area from 5th(or 6th
Cent. to 13th Cent.: Goreme valley
has got more than 70 rock cut churches. a number of them has got frescoes (wall
paintings) with natural dies. Some of these frescoes are from the iconoclast
periods with symbolical designs
Situated between the Karanlik (dark) church & the Carikli church.
The chapel of St. Catherine has a free cross nave & narthex. The central
bay is covered by a dome & the cross arms are barrel vaulted. Its apse is
closed by a templon. The narthex has 9 floor graves & 2 arcosolia (burial
niches). Only in the nva of the chapel are some decorations with figures. The
pendentives are decorated with carvings. The chapel of St. Catherine built by a
donor named Anna dates back to the 11th century.
Hacı Bektasi
Veli, (13th Centuries) is one of the Islamic philosophers of the 'Age of
Enlightment' of Islamic Thought. Still he has
followers in about 40 countries in the Islam World.
This is beautiful quotation from the inscription in Hacı Bektaş Veli's museum in District of Hacibektas, Province of Nevsehir, Cappadocia, Central Anatolia
Search and find
Educate the women
Even if you are hurt, don't hurt
Sages are pure sometimes purifiers
First stage of attainment is modesty
Whatever you look for, search in you
Don't forget even your enemy is human
Control your hand, your word, your lust
Beauty of human is in the beauty of his
words
Prophets and saints are God’s gift to
humanity
Road that doesn't go through science is
perilous
Don't try to find faults neither in nation
nor individual
How nice to ones who put light in the
darkness of thought
Don't do anything to anyone if you don't
want it to be done to you
Peace be with you (Huu dost!)
The entrance of the theater of Uranos Sarikaya.
This is the time you must bring your cam recorder, believe me!
The famous belly dancing.
In the closing of the performance after the audience gather on the dance floor, they sang the national anthem and unfurled the national flag with full pride. Great performance, they deserve standing applause.
Day 3, mon. June 17, 2013
Drive to Ankara, visit Anitkabir. Drop by at caravanseray, saltlake, Cinci Han then Proceed to Safanbolu
Caravansarai
is a mediavel Hotel for the Camel traders, mainly for silk road travellers. And
the Mediavel Cathedrals' designs were drawn inspirations from the caravansarai
designs.
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AGZIKARAHAN (HOCA MESUT CARAVANSERAI) 1231-1239
This a
typical caravanserai which situated on the Aksaray Kayseri high way, it has 2
parts, one open & one covered which are used for summer & winter time
the open part was built by Aleattin Keykubat in 1231 & covered part was
built by Giyaseddin Keyhusrev in 1239 T has 2 inscriptions. According to the
inscriptions which is on the covered part’s gate, it was built by Hoca bin Abdullah,
the entrance is in the side of the building it has a castle like epperance with
it’s heavy strong gate & turrets.
The kiosk
mescit (small pavilion mosque) stands in courtyard this is the 3rd
largest caravanserai after Aksaray-Kayseri caravanserai most of the ornaments
are found of the portals. Kiosk mescit & covered part’s dome.
Safranbolu Cinci Han is one of the big, little mixed
caravanserays established on Historical Silk Road laying from China to Anatolia
Land throughout the centuries. Cinci Han was built by Karabaszade Huseyin
Efendi in 1645. The architect of the Han is unknown but it was supposed that it
was built by Mimar Kasim Aga – one of the main architects in that period. Cinci
Han which was used as caravanseray until the 20th century when the silkroad
lost its values has served in different areas in Safranbolu since that time.
Being completed by restoration in 2004 by DKB Joint Stock Company Cinci Han
Hotel has started its tourism activities.
There are 23 standards, 1 suite, 1 room of the Agha which
are restored originally. Cinci Han has served tourism by Develik Restaurant,
Gocergenlik Cafe & Bar – conference saloon.
The huge museum of Anitkabir
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| i think it takes more than a whole day to visit the entire museum |
Anıtkabir (literally, "memorial tomb")
is the mausoleum
of Mustafa Kemal Atatürk, the leader of the Turkish War of Independence and the
founder and first President of the Republic of Turkey.
It is located in Ankara
and was designed by architects Professor
Emin Onat and Assistant Professor Ahmet Orhan Arda, whose proposal beat 48
other entries from several countries in a competition held by the Turkish
Government in 1941 for a "monumental tomb" for Atatürk.
The
site is also the final resting place of İsmet İnönü, the second President of Turkey, who was interred
there after he died in 1973. His tomb faces the Atatürk Mausoleum, on the
opposite side of the Ceremonial Ground.
The
mausoleum was depicted on various Turkish banknotes during 1966-1987 and
1997-2009.
Day 4, tue. June 18, 2013
Black sea, amasra castle, kuskayasi yol aniti/ bird monument, old dwelling of safranbolu, yoruk village, blacksmith guild bazaar, yemeniciler arastasi, stay in Zalifre Hotel
AMASRA KALESI
(THE CASTLE OF AMASRA)
The Castle of Amasra was built during the Roman period. The walls of the
castle were built by Byzantines, the front walls & the gates were built by
the Genoese in the 14th & 15th centuries to guarantee
the defence. The city walls surround the Boztepe & Zindan districts which
together form two island masses. The two islands were then joined by the Kemere
Bridge (built during the Roman period). The city walls were made of large stone
blocks. They were reinforced with turrets, arranged in square formations. The
Castle of Amasra is an important relic that reflects the Middle Ages.
LEYLA GENCER/ AYSE LEYLA CEYREKGIL (Oct. 10, 1928 – May 10,
2008)
Was a world reknowned Turkish operatic soprano. She was born
in Istanbul as the daughter of Ibrahim Ceyrek from the Yoruk Koyu &
Lexandra Angela Minakovska from Poland. Known as “La Diva Turca” (The Turkish
Diva) & “La Regina” (The Queen) in the opera world. Gencer was a notable
bel canto than seventy roles, she made very few commercial recordings. However
numerous bootleg recorelings of her performances exist. In particular, Gencer
was associated with heroines of Donizetti.
i feel that i must put this picture because it will always remind me of my friend's effort to look for Raki 25cl for me to bring to Jakarta. After searching in mall with disappointment, we finally found it in Istanbul. Yes, im lucky because 25cl will be no longer produce.
Btw, fruits are amazing here!! i love being pampered with those fresh fruits.
Day 5, wed. June 19, 2013
Günaydın Istanbul !
C/i Euro hotel. Visit Suleymaniye mosque, orthodox church, Chora, yerebatan sarnici, dolmahbace palace, archaeological museum, Ist. Universitesi, phanar Greek orthodox college, mimar sinan,
Suleymaniye Mosque was built on 1
of the 7 beautiful hills of Istanbul for Kanuni Sultan Suleyman (the
magnificent) by Mimar (the architect) Sinan in 1557. It was built in 7 years
(1550-1557). Within its building complex are found medreses, a hospital, a
hospice, a Turkish bath, etc.
The magnificent Suleymaniye that
is considered the greatest mosque of Istanbul was built with its complex on an
area nearly 63,000 sqm. The building is conspicuous for its simple construction
acoustic, colorful, stained glass windows, very precious granite columns, soot
room, sadiryan (water tank with a fountain), 4 minarets & 10 serefe
(minaret balcony). Its inside area is 3,422sqm. The diameter of its dome is
27,25m & the height of the dome is 48,5m.
The building cost of the mosque
& its complex was 59,760,180 akces (700,000 gold dikas) & 3523
craftsmen worked on its construction. Its corner stone was set by S.E Efendi
& its door was opened to pray by Mimar Sinan.
There was a wakf (fund) that
supported the mosque. It had 271 properties that included 2 islands & 217
villages. The wages of 275 personnel of the mosque & 331 personnelof the
other buildngs int the complex were paid by that wakf.
The magnificent temple was
damaged from a fire in 1660 & then it was restored in the reign of Sultan
Abdulmecid (1839-1860). All columns were covered with cement & oil paint in
1956. The paints were scraped off and the minarets, the dome & the vaults
were restored.
The founder of the mosque, Kanuni
Sultan Suleyman was buried in the graveyard that is in front of the mosque. The
tomb of Mimar Sinan is out of the garden at the north east side of the mosque.
The interesting from Suleymaniye camii for me is when i saw the Ostrich Egg lined up next to the lamps hanging in circle over the praying area. It is believed to prevent cobwebs & ants. I didn't find this in other mosques that i've visited (Sultan Ahmet, Selimiye, etc).
SULEYMANIYE, Istanbul
After a decline of Seljuks in Anatolia a brief interlude followed before
another dynasty, the Ottoman began to subjugate their neighbors int he 14th
century. Overcoming the set back of Timur’s invasions within the next 2
centuries, they came to dominate western Islam as well as conquering south-east
Europe, including the old Byzantine capital of Constantinople which became the
centre of western Islamic civilization.
The Ottoman introduced new developments in architecture. Their great
achievement was the monumental domed mosque plan in which a central domes pans a
uniform space, the perfect circle on thr perfect square with a uniform system
of vaulting. An early nstep was taken at Bursa, the old Ottoman capital in the
late 14th century where the rectangular great mosque has 20 domes in
4 rows of 5. Following the capture of Constantinople in 1453 the great dome
& spacious interior of Hagia Sophia exerted some influence. After 2
centuriesof development the scheme was fully realized in the Ottoman ‘Golden
Age’ of Suleyman I (Suleyman the Magnificent 1520-66), in the hand of great
architect, Sinan who finally in the Selimiye in Edirne achieved the final
resolution of the problem of supporting the domes while maximizing the spatial
concept.
The earlier Suleymaniye complex covers an area of about 650,000sq ft
(60,000sqm) & includes colleges, hospitals, hostels, tombs & many other
features as well as the great mosque. It was founded in 1550 & built by
Sinan. Its his largest building & many consider it his greatest & it
has been the chief mosque of Istanbul ever since. Suleyman had already reigned
for 30 years when he commissioned the building & he clearly intended it to
be a monument of unparalleled magnificence. The overall proportions, observing
strict ratios, indicate unusually careful planning. The main dome is 174ft
(53m) high & its surrounded by a cluster of cupolas, arches & semi
domes. There are more than 500 subsidiary domes in the whole complex. The
workmanship is peerless & the decorations though that’s secondary in
Sinan’s geometrical masterpieces is of a similarly high order & includes
tiles from the famous Iznik potteries.
MIMAR SINAN CADDESI
(MIMAR SINAN AVENUE)
Mimar Sinan Avenue within the borders of Suleymaniye
Neighborhood in Fatih derives its name from Mimar Sinan who gained many
important works such as Suleymaniye Mosque. The name of Mimar Sinan Avenue was
given to the avenue next to Kuliye of Suleymaniye Mosque. Mimar Sinan was born
in the village of Agirnas in Kayseri. Sinan who was a Christian was brought to
Istanbul through the system of devshirme during the reign of Selim II & was
recruited in the guild of Janisseries. Mimar Sinan who is known as Koca (Great)
Mimar Sinan Aga became the chief architect during the reign of Suleyman the
Magnificent, Selim II & Murad III. He fulfilled this service for 40 years.
The first work of Mimar Sinan who is also the architect of many great works is
Haseki Kuliye constructed in the name of
Hurrem Sultan. After becoming the chief architect ht produced his 3 major
works. The 1st of these is Sehzade Mosque & Kulliye which became
an example for the following ones. The 2nd one is Suleymaniye Mosque &
kulliye which is his most important work in Istanbul & called “my appreticeship
period work” by himself. The other important work which he calls “my
masterpiece” is Selimiye Mosque in Edirne. Mimar Sinan who constructed many
mosques, madrasah, hospitals, bridges, Turkish baths, caravanserais etc was
also interested in restoration. He restored the dome of Hagia Sophia. He
enabled the demolishment of the shops built next to historical works since they
damaged the appearance. He also pointed out the fires which broke out because
the streets are narrow & he enacted about it. He was also intensely
interested in the walkways of Istanbul. Mimar Sinan who dealt with many
important works & gained important works especially in Istanbul died in
1588 in Istanbul. He is buried in the mausoleum ehich he had made next to the
Suleymaniye Mosque.For further information regarding Orthodox Patriarchate of Istanbul, you may visit St. George
again, i feel so lucky to have a chance to visit this place, to be able to touch the fragment of the pillar of the flagellation of Christ.
Below Chora Museum
St. Savior (Kariye Museum) Chora Church Eyüp, Kariye Cami Sk No:26, İstanbul - Avrupa, Turkey
+90 212 631 9241
frescoes are a bit before the Western renaissance paintings.
I would suggest you to record/ filming rather than photographed.
While walking down the street you may also taste the tamarind juice served in some Lokum store. That may freshen up your afternoon walk rather than having çay (turkish tea) or Ayran (turkish yoghurt). The pronunciation of çay reminds me of 'cai' in sundanese means water.How about Turkish ice cream...i dont like it. Sorry...i’d better to have lots of cherry or mineral water. Btw, i’m missing chilli so much here. They only have in powder. It gives taste only. I saw some store hanging bunches of cayennes to be dried, but why they don't serve it fresh or cook it in some dishes? Not to mention their pickels is too salty, i was expecting to get the chilli from the pickels but the salty taste is killing me. I thought pickels should be sour, no? But these all are nothing compared with the hospitality of Turkish people.
ISTANBUL UNIVERSITESI REKTORLUK BINASI (RECTORATE BUILDING
OF ISTANBUL UNIVERSITESI)
This one is no less interesting...
I was also trying my luck when my dear friend bought some local lottery tickets Milli Piyango.
I found this worth to try, what do you think want to try your luck?
The Basilica Cistern, located in the historical peninsula of Istanbul is one of the few early architectural examples that have survived till the present age. The glamorous underground cistern was built during the reign of Emperor Justinianus in the 6th century, the age of glory for eastern Rome.
The Cistern
is 140m long & 79m wide & covers a total area of 9,800sqm. There are
336 marble columns in the cistern, each 9m high. The columns are arranged in 12
rows each consisting of 28 columns.
The
capitals of columns are mainly in the Ionic & Corinthian styles with the
exception of a few Doric style with no engravings.
The cistern
is surrounded by a firebrick wall with a thickness of 4m & coated with a special
mortar for insulation against water.
The
cistern’s water was provided from the Belgrade woods, which lie 19km north of
the city, via aquaducts built by emperor Justinianus.
The cracks
& the columns were repaired in 1968 having been restored in 1985 by
Istanbul metropolitan municipality. The cistern was once again open to the
public on September 9, 1987.
The two
Medusa’s head columns found in the northwest corner of the cistern are the
great examples of the Roman age art sculptures.
Dolmabahçe Sarayı
http://www.dolmabahcepalace.com/
007 From
Russia with Love: Some scenes were filmed in the Underground Cistern. The big carps are interesting 2 watch in the water
The water is
the rain water leakage, nowadays. Not carried with the aquaduct
http://www.dolmabahcepalace.com/
Dolmabahçe Cad. 34357 Beşiktaş, Turkey
Its closed on Monday & Thursday
SUN DIAL IN DOLMAHBACE
During the Ottoman period the Hijri Calendar (Moon
Calendar) & the Gurubi time (time system to calculate the adhan-prayer call
time) was used. According to the Gurubi time, the beginning of the new day was
considered as the sunset moment. It is regarded as 12.00 or 0.00 while the sun
sets over the horizon, right at the moment when the upper side of the edge of
the sun becomes tangent with the horizon line.
Generally during the Ottoman Period, docks with
‘level screen’ in which the location where one stands was either parallel to
the horizon or vertical to it were used. The paralleled one is called as desktop
& the other as wall style. The rods of the sundials with “level screen” is
either with straight angle to the clock level or with an angle as slanted as
the angle of that location’s latitude. The slanted rod’s free end is directed
towards the north pole (the geographical north). In the sundials with rods that
have a straight angle, the shadow of the end point of the rod & in the ones
with slanted angled rods, the directions of the shadow of the rod indicates the
time. In the western world the first type is called as ‘gnomon’ & the
second type as ‘polos’. The rod of the slanted angled sundials are generally
made in form of a triangular blade in order to prevent the angle of the rod to
the latitude change because of the external factors. Both of the sundials are
named as ‘Sun Saati – Sun Clock’ in the modern day Turkish language &
during the Ottoman period they were named as ‘Basita’.
Sundials are ‘real’ & ‘local’ time indicators
that depend on the state of the sun. As the orbit of the sphere to the sun is
an ellipse in chich focal point is the sun & that the sphere doesn’t
proceed over this orbit level & that the sun constantly changes location
between the Tropics of Cancer & Capricorn, the length of the day time
changes throughout the year.
In the Gurubi sundials, the time lines that goes by
the horizon axis these number 6 towards the north, 0 towards the east & 12
towards the west. This division is pertained to the days 21 March & 23
September in which day & night times are equal. The time of prayers are
only read directly on these days in the screen. To determine the prayer times
other than during these 2 days, a chart that includes the times lags needed to
add or subtract from the value read from the hour plate was used. These charts
are arranged for the days enumerated from 1 to 60 in each of 12 signs/
horoscopes while the sun is advancing the ecliptic zone.
The sundials of Dolmahbace Palace is a vertical
leveled,d ektop style sundial & its rod is 41 degrees slanted as this is
the latitude of Istanbul. Its hour plate made of marble has a 104cm diameter, 9
cm thickness & its height from the ground is about 1 meters. It was made
during the second half of the 19th century.
Day 6, thur. June 20, 2013
This is the time for visiting some Catholic churches around Istanbul such as St. Mary of drappery (Meryem Ana Draperis Latin Katolik Kilisesi), Sent Antuan, Latin Katolik Kilisesi, St. Anthony of Padua, and main post office building.
Here are lists of some Catholic Church in Istanbul
More than 200 churches in the town, one third of them are active. about 100 of them are Greek Orthodox churches.but, the Greek Orthodox people are the very few nowadays. Seems the Armenians one of the big Christian communities. The ethnic Armenians belong Armenian Gregorian Church. But since 18 and 19 Centuries,the Armenians has also Catholic and Protestant Churches. Another important Christian group is Assyrians, who mainly belong Greek Assyrian Church(The ethnic church, the prayers are in Aramic language) Few of them belong catholic and protestant ethnic churches. The Catholic community with a number of churches is over 12,000. And different Protestant communities has their own places to worship.
There are
small communities such as Seventh Day Adventist church, Mormon Church etc,
Russian Orthodox Church, Turkish Orthodox Church etc.
The Istanbul Main Post Office (Turkish: Büyük Postane) is an office building for postal services located at Sirkeci quarter of Fatih district in Istanbul, Turkey. It was designed by architect Vedat Tek in First Turkish National architectural style and was constructed between 1905 and 1909. The four-story building houses a post office, the Sirkeci Post Office (Turkish: Sirkeci PTT Merkezi), office space for regional administration and also since 2000 the Istanbul Postal Museum (Turkish: PTT İstanbul Müzesi). It is Turkey's largest post office building.
Initially planned for use as the building of Ministry of Post and Telegraph (Ottoman Turkish: Posta ve Telgraf Nezareti) in the Ottoman Empire, its construction began in 1905, and was completed in 1909. An inscription in Ottoman Turkish alphabet on the tiled panel above the main entrance denotes "Ministry of Post and Telegraph". The building was renamed "New Post Office" (Turkish: Yeni Postane) in the 1930s, some time after the establishment of the Turkish Republic, and then "Grand Post Office" (Turkish: Büyük Postane) In the early years of the Republic, between 1927 and 1936, the building temporarily housed Istanbul Radio.From 1958 on, it was used solely for postal and telegraphy services. Today, the ground floor is the Sirkeci Post Office, the first floor is occupied by its directorate while the second and third floors are offices for the regional post directorate of Istanbul's European side. On May 6, 2000, part of the building was converted into Istanbul Postal Museum occupying four stories. The museum informs visitors about the history of communication and telecommunication services in the country that officially began on October 23, 1840. The museum consists of four sections for post, telegraph, telephone and postage stamps.
The Main Post Office is situated in close distance to Spice Bazaar, New Mosque, Sirkeci Railway Terminal and Istanbul 4th Vakıf Han, which is a five-star hotel today. Architect Vedat Tek (1873–1942) designed the building as one of the earliest examples of First Turkish National architecture style. The four-story building has a floor area of (3,200 m2 (34,000 sq ft)). The main entrance is elevated reachable by stairs in front of the building. The building is flanked by two turrets. The facade is of cut stone and marble. It is believed that the bricks were specially designed by Vedat Tek. 16th century style classical Ottoman decorative elements are predominant in the building's ornaments including its facade with two-color stone workmanship, tiled panels with Islamic geometric patterns and Kufic calligraphic scripts, sills with tiled panels as well as muqarnas in pillar heads and corbels. The main entrance opens to a very large atrium in the center of the building. The three-story high, rectangle shaped hall is surrounded by office rooms at each floor. The atrium is topped by glass in mainly orange and blue colors.
(From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia)
Day 7, fri. June 21, 2013
Driving to Edirne: visit Trakya universitesi complex of sultan bayezid II, gunet sahatlar fakultesi, Selimiye Camii, kirkpinar oil wrestling festival (unesco intangible cultural heritage), new imperial place, tower of justice, old house of bahai leader & the cemetery, edirne merkez buyuk sinagog
SELIMIYE, Edirne
Edirne (Adrianople) near the point where the modern bounderies of
Turkey, Greece & Bulgaria meet was the Ottoman capital for nearly a century
before the capture of Istanbul (Constantinople) in 1453. The complex of the
Selimiye begun in 1569 was built almost 20 years after the similar Suleymaniye
in the reign of Suleyman I’s son & successor, Selim II (1566-74), although
here the mosqe itself is even more dominant.
Most experts including, its said the architect himself regard the
Edirne mosque as Sinan’s masterpiece. Its the final result of years of
development in making the most of the central space of the mosque which here
conveys a prefect sense of order & calm. The dome is 104ft (32m) in
diameter, approximately the same size as Hagia Sophia & 137ft (42m) high.
Its buttressed by a circle of walls & half domes & main thrust is
skilfully distributed via arches to 8 columns but they are positioned so close
to the walls that they appear to be part of them. The result is that seen from
the floor, the dome seems to float effortlessly without obvious support &
the sense of weightlessness is amplified by the numerous reltively large
windows. The minarets which at over 230ft (70m) in height are even taller than
those of the Suleymaniye are shifted from the usual position at the corners of
the courtyard to the corners of the mosque itself & ths help to emphasize
its compactness & upward movement. They each have 3 balconies with seperate
staircases. The decoration is of the highest standard with outstanding fine
Iznik tiles in the apse of the mihrab.
Sinan died within a few years of the completion of the Selimiye &
Ottoman art & architecture would lose its originality & dynamism int he
17th century but his heritage lived on the early
17th
century mosque of Sultan Ahmet I, in Istanbul by possible student of his, Sedefkar Mehmet
Aga.
D.M Field, The World Greatest Architecture (past & present)
EDIRNE’S SARAY-I CEDID-I AMIRE (NEW IMPERIAL PALACE)
Other than 2 significant palaces built in Edirne
during the Ottoman era, the Saray-i Atik (Old Palace) & the Saray-i Cedid-i
Amire (New Imperal Palace, a number of notables are known to have built
mansions & pavilions (Bucuktepe Palace, Mamak Palace, Akpinar Village
Palace) in various parts of the city, in particular along the banks of the
Tunca & Meric rivers. With the exception of portions of the Saray-i Cedid-i
Amire (New Imperial Palace), none of these extant today. Indeed, even their
original locations are unknown.
The building program of the New Imperial palace
started in the last years of Murad II’s reign, in what is today the Sarayici
Quarter of Edirne to the west of the Tunca River & eventually became a
large complex with extensions & renovations dateable to almost every era.
This palace, significant portions of which were built during the reign of
Mehmed II (1451-1481), was comprised of nearly a hundred structures with
various functions & was spread over a vast expanse.
The new imperial palace remained in use for
centuries & was witness to many important historical events (e.g. Mehmed
IV’s circumcision feast, the Ottoman-Russo Wars & the Balkan Wars, etc). In
the closing decades of the 19th & early 20th centuries, during the 1874
Ottoman-Russo War & the 1910-19-12 Balkan Wars, the palace suffered much
destruction & many of its buildings were destroyed. As a result only a few
of its original structures are extant today. Among these are: Matbah-i Amire
(Royal Kitchens), Babussaade (Entrance Gateway), Cihannuma Kasri (Eye on the
World Pavillion), Kum Kasri (Sand Pavillion), Hamami (Bath house), Adalet Kasri
(Justice Pavillion), Fatih Koprusu (Sultan Mehmed the Conqueror’s Bridge),
Kanuni Koprusu (Sultan Suleyman The lawgiver’s Bridge), Sehabeddin Pasa Koprusu
(Sehabiddin Pasa’s Bridge), Av Kosku (Hunting Lodge), Su Maksemi (Water Depot),
Namazgahli Cesme (Fountain with Open Air Mosque). While some of these
structures are in ruins, others are preserved & are currently undergoing
restoration as part of the ongoing archaelogical excavations of the palace
complex under the directions of Assoc. Prof. Dr. Mustafa Ozer of Bahcesehir
University.
Parts of the New Imperial Palace which had been
damaged during the Russion invasion of Edirne in August 1829 & subsequently
repaired were being used as an arsenal in the 19th century. Following a new
Russian assault on Edirne in 1874, the Ottoman Commander in charge (in order to
prevent the weapons stored within it failing into enemy hands) order the
explosion of the Palace, resulting in the destruction of most of its structure
only a small amount of which survived.
From the documents & publications at hand we
knowthat Edirne’s New Imperial Palace was comprised of: 117 Chambers, 21
Divanhanes, 18 Hamams, 8 Mescits, 17 Doors, 13 Dormitories, 4 Cellars, 5
Kitchens, 17 Pavillions & 6 Bridges. Doubtlessly, these figures are going
to be morecredibl eafter the examinations of archival documents & the
excavations currently being carried out in the field are completed.
Some publications claim that at one time as many as
34,000 people were living in Edirne’s New Imperial Palace, in addition to 6000
employees, that is a total number of 40,000 people.
Edirne’s New Imperial Palace is not only an
important cultural monument for Turkiye but alsi for the whole world. It is
particularly significant site for the Ottoman archaelogy & for those
attempting to recreate life in the Ottoman Palaces. In recent years,
restoration & maintenance operations are ongoing, thanks to the
institutional interest & support provided by the President of the Turkish
Grand National Assembly, the Turkish Ministry of Culture & Tourism, the
Edirne’s Governor’s Office, and Istanbul’s Bahcesehir University. Their support
has made a positive impact on the preservation & restoration of this
important site which had been ignored throughout most of the twentieth century.
FUNER RUM LISESI (PHANAR GREEK ORTHODOX COLLEGE)
Phanar Greek Orthodox College & Primary School also
known as The Red School or The Old School is publicly known as the red school
since the present building was built with the red brick brought from France
afre the decree by Mehmed II in 1454 which allows it for the Orthodox people to
have their education in their own language. A school was established in Phanar
& their educatuion started. The school which was known as Church Academy
& Greek Old School in due course was given wide opportunities. The school
turned into high school giving classical education in 1861. It present glorious
building was built by Architect Konstantin Dimadis in 1881. The land of the
school building was endowed by Moldovian Prince Dimitri Kantemir who was a
graduate of this school. The building consists of a basis & 3 floors. Its
dome has the height of 40m from bottom to top & it has an area of 3020m2
available for use. It is said that its panoramic view resembles the figure of
eagle.
At last, my vacation is over. Time to say ... i'll see you soon... Nemrut Dağı :)
That was on my head along the way back from Edirne to Airport accompanied by Rebetiko - Greek folk music in the car.
By the way, i almost forgot my weary of being in the place where the incident is still heating up until i received information that Singapore was shrouded in haze as smoke from forest fire in Sumatra that may cause some delayed-flight or rescheduling. Oh, God...
Ok, there's nothing i can do about it. Allah korusun !
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