Irresistible Istanbul

By Ned Dikmen and Karen Malonis

It has been known by a number of names. It has been called Byzantium, New Rome, Constantinople and Stamboul, depending upon who ruled it. Then, in 1930, it was given its newest name.

Today, Istanbul is a modern city with a long and varied history that ranges across continents and civilizations, that spans cultures and religions, that joins East and West. And with its population of more than 11 million people and its access to beautiful waterways all around it, Istanbul is becoming something brand new: a world-class yachting destination.

The Bosphorus Strait, a narrow strip of water that separates Europe and Asia, divides Istanbul, thus making it the Asian city nearest Europe and the European city closest to Asia. To the north, it reaches the Black Sea and the numerous bays and sheltered harbors that dot its coastline. To the south lies the Sea of Marmara.

A stay in Istanbul should include a tour of the Bosphorus by boat. Its shores are a combination of the past and present, of manmade and natural beauty. Modern hotels stand next to simple, wooden houses, marble palaces are situated alongside ancient stone citadels and trendy districts neighbor small fishing villages. During the journey, the boat passes beneath the Bosphorus Bridge, which is one of the world’s largest suspension bridges and which joins the European and Asian sides of the city.

Those who arrive in Istanbul by boat can sail along the Bosphorus themselves. Or if you don’t come with your vessel but still want to get out on the water, you can take a ferry cruise on the Bosphorus all the way up to Sariyer, which sits close to the end of the Bosphorus near the Black Sea.

Another point of interest is the famous Maiden Tower of Istanbul, which is located in the middle of the sea near the entrance of the Bosphorus. Legend has it that one day a king had a daughter. The king’s seers prophesized that she would die on her eighteenth birthday. To avoid this unfortunate fate, the king ordered his architects to build this tower in the middle of the sea and placed his daughter in it in order to protect her from all evil. On her eighteenth birthday, however, the princess received a box full of grapes from her father. Unknown to the king and his daughter, there was also a snake hidden in the box. It bit the princess and killed her. Ever since, this tower has been called the Maiden Tower.

The tower has recently been renovated, and visitors can take a boat ride to the small island of the tower, where a restaurant is also located.

The Golden Horn, named after the color of the setting sun reflecting off its water, is a horn-shaped natural harbor that divides European Istanbul. The Byzantine and Ottoman navies and commercial shipping centers were based here. Now, parks and walkways line its shores. Midway up the Golden Horn is a neighborhood with entire streets of old wooden houses and churches dating from Byzantine times.

Boaters also can voyage to the Princess Islands, an archipelago of nine islands in the Sea of Marmara. The name of the islands comes from the Byzantine period, when princes and empresses were exiled here. During the Ottoman period, especially around the 19th century, when steamboats were in use, these islands became popular resorts for Istanbul’s elite. Jewish, Greek and Armenian communities then made up a large part of the population of the islands. Today, the islands are popular tourist destinations during the summer.

You can either sail to the islands with your own boat and anchor behind one of the islands where you can enjoy the beautiful weather and the sea, or you can take a ship to get to the islands. These islands are free of motor vehicles, so taking a horse drawn carriage tour is a good way to view the surroundings.

After navigating the Bosphorus, the Golden Horn or the Princess Islands, boaters can return to one of the large marinas in the area.

There are two main private marinas in Istanbul. On the European side, there is the Atakoy Marina, which can harbor up to 700 boats, including yachts and sailboats.

The second private marina, Kalamis Marina, is located on the Asian side and has a capacity of 1,069 boats. Located about 17 miles from Ataturk Airport, it offers cleaning services, parking, telephone, security, internet access, car rental, banking, market, laundry and health and beauty services. There are also four restaurants on the site. Also on the Asian side is Fenerbahçe Marina. Both of these Asian-side marinas offer 24-hour service.

On a trip to Istanbul, tourists will have their days and nights filled with places of interest to visit. A good place to start is in Sirkeci, which is very close to the historic downtown area of Istanbul and is the point of departure for the Bosphorus ferries. This area is called Sultanahmet and includes many of Istanbul’s important historic sites.

The Blue Mosque, the famous Hagia Sophia, the ancient Byzantine Hippodrome, the Sunken Palace Cistern, as well as the famous German Fountain—all are located just steps from each other.

Blue Mosque

Formally known as the Mosque of Sultan Ahmet, the Blue Mosque has the largest courtyard of any Ottoman mosque and is the only mosque in the world with six minarets. A blend of proportion and elegance, there are tens of thousands of interior blue tiles that give the building its unofficial name. Completed in 1616, the mosque is located just opposite the Church of Hagia Sophia. The Blue Mosque is a working mosque, so non-worshipping tourists are not permitted to enter during prayer times, which occur five times daily for 30 minutes each. The building is nearly a square and is covered with a dome 77 feet in diameter and almost 142 feet high. The mosque has 260 windows which let the sunlight radiate into the building.

Hagia Sofia

Hagia Sophia Church is a masterpiece of Byzantine architecture. It played an important role in the Byzantine Empire, as well as in the Ottoman Empire as a mosque. The church was initially completed in 360 A.D. during the reign of Constantinus. The church was burned in 404, and rebuilt by emperor Theodosius in 405. This church was also destroyed in a fire. The last church was completed in 537 by Emperor Justinian I and was the site of all coronation and major baptism ceremonies. When Turks conquered Istanbul in 1453, Mehmed “the Conqueror” ordered the conversion of the church into a mosque. Four minarets were added in different periods and the mosaics on the walls were covered with plaster because they were forbidden in Islam. Oddly, this actually helped preserve the mosaics and frescoes. Hagia Sophia served as a mosque until Mustafa Kemal Ataturk ordered the conversion of the mosque into a museum. He believed that it was a world heritage and people should come and see it. Beginning in 1929, the plaster was removed; and in the 1940s, it was reopened as a museum.

Basilica Cistern

Basilica Cistern is a Byzantine structure with 336 columns and a high, vaulted ceiling that was primarily used to store water for the Great Palace and surrounding buildings. During the Ottoman period, the water was used for Topkapi Palace and its gardens. Of special interest are two columns that are supported by upside-down Medusa heads and a column near the center that features a teardrop design.

Grand Bazaar & Egyptian Spice Bazaar

Kapali Çarsi (Grand Bazaar) is the ultimate medieval shopping center with 4,400 shops. Here you can buy jewelry, rugs, kilims, souvenirs, leather, antique items and much more. It’s a huge, complex and totally frenetic shopping experience. Shoppers should be prepared to haggle. It is impossible to talk about Istanbul without mentioning another famous market located near the ferry docks. The Egyptian Spice Bazaar is a colorful market where you can buy all sorts of Turkish delights and various spices at reasonable prices.


Topkapi Palace

Topkapi Palace was the administrative center of the Ottoman Empire from 1465 to 1853 and was also the historical home of the sultans and their famous harems.

Completed in 1465, the palace is located on the Seraglio Point between the Golden Horn and the Sea of Marmara. It consists of many smaller buildings built together and surrounded by four courts. Tourists can view the harem quarters, kitchens, mint and rooms of the concubines, the sultan, the sultan’s mother and the Audience Chamber where resolutions were presented to the sultan for ratification. The palace also has a large collection of porcelain, jewelry, robes, weapons, shields, Ottoman miniatures and calligraphic manuscripts.

While on the palace grounds, do not forget the Istanbul Archeology Museum. It was established in 1891. You should, however, carefully plan your trip to this area, since it takes at least half a day to tour the Topkapi Palace alone. Established in 1891, it houses works of art belonging to various civilizations from the Balkans, Africa, Anatolia, Afghanistan, Mesopotamia and the Arab Peninsula.

After a day of sightseeing, spend an evening on Taksim Square, a paved thoroughfare that is the center of action for throngs of locals who are out and about. A red streetcar, the only vehicle allowed on the square besides police and government cars, passes through the area. Here one can find several exclusive boutiques, brand-name clothing stores, music stores, bookstores, theaters, continental restaurants, bars, bakeries and street vendors selling roasted ears of corn and chestnuts. Street performers play music for passersby. Head down one of the narrow side streets to find bohemian-style cafes and bars.

Or you could just skip all this and quickly “visit” all the important tourist attractions in Turkey at once. Located near the Golden Horn, the MiniaTurk is an open-air park that contains 105 models done at 1/25 scale. Forty-five of the structures are from Istanbul, 45 are from Anatolia and 15 are from the Ottoman territories that today lie outside of Turkey.

Ancient and modern, foreign and friendly, Istanbul is a feast for the senses. Indeed there’s so much to see, it’s hard to do it all in one trip. Don’t worry, though: Istanbul will undoubtedly call you back to discover more of its timeless—and nearly limitless—treasures.