EMINÖNÜ, THE GRAN BAZAR AND SURROUNDINGS
Eminönü, the Grand Bazaar and surroundings
In addition to the Suleiman I mosque and the Grand Bazaar, make sure to see the Valens aqueduct; If you have additional time available we recommend:
Stroll in Beyazit square and its gardens, where the immense triumphal arch borders the university area
Take a small cruise on the Bosphorus, with tickets that can be purchased directly at the Eminönü ferry port,
Relax at the sixteenth-century hammam of Suleyman, which compared to the others where men and women are separated, allows access to couples and families (reservation required on the official website)
Suleymaniye Mosque - Süleymaniye Cami
The Ottoman Empire reached the height of its splendor during the reign of Suleiman I, who dedicated time and energy to legislative codification. Literature, the arts and the sciences also experienced a golden age, supported by his strong personality and his tireless desire for spiritual and cognitive enrichment.
As a symbol of his strength, upon the return of the victorious campaign in Hungary, Suleiman I decided to build his mosque, located on the hill closest to the west of Sultanahmet.
The realization of this titanic work was entrusted to the imperial architect Mimar Sinan, who took the plan of the Hagia Sophia basilica and adapted it to Islamic needs to show the world the level of science and technique achieved by the Ottoman Empire, natural heir of the Byzantine one.
After strengthening the foundations with excavations said to have reached the sea, the mosque was completed in 7 years, in 1557. It is said that the sultan, when he saw his completed mosque, told his architect Sinan that the name of Suleiman would be remembered for the construction of this mosque and not for the great military exploits accomplished.
This building is surrounded by green gardens, where people usually rest. At the center of the mosque's plan you can observe an immense 53 meter high dome that tops a perfect square, with each side 26.5 meters long, exactly half the height of the mosque. Windows and openings allow light to illuminate these immense spaces, restoring solemnity.
The courtyards and side areas contain the essentiality, and in one of these it is possible to see the small and simple mausoleum of the architect Sinan, who wanted to be buried in the mosque.
Gran bazar
Considered the largest covered market in the world, the Grand Bazaar of Istanbul was born a few years after the Ottoman conquest, and expanded year after year, merging streets and buildings, until it reached its current size. Over 4000 shops are visited daily by thousands of tourists looking for some souvenirs to take home.
Although globalization has standardized most of the goods sold, some areas still remain faithful to tradition and continue to sell carpets and fabrics, lamps, spices and dried fruit, jewellery and antiques. Here you can test your trading skills!
Valens aqueduct
Today the majestic Roman aqueduct of Valens is integrated into city traffic, but until the Ottoman conquest it was part of the city's water supply system. Just think that the water was collected in the forests of Thrace, a region between Greece, European Turkey and Bulgaria, and conveyed in pipelines hundreds of kilometers long that reached up to Constantinople and filled underground cisterns such as the Basilica Cisterna, allowing the city to resist for months in case of enemy siege.
That's all! If you like this text or have any question, leave a comment below.
Comments powered by CComment