Ottoman Splendour

Tel: (UK Office) +44 (0)1792 293 464 Tel: (Turkish Office) +90 432 215 20 92

Imperial Capitals

EasternTurkeyTours

Suit of ceremonial armourof Mustafa III Ottoman,Imperial Armoury, Topkapi

Day 1: Arrival in Istanbul. Overnight Istanbul

Istanbul was capital to three great worldempires: the Roman Empire, the ByzantineEmpire and the Ottoman Empire. Known asthe “City of the World’s desire” Istanbulstraddles the Bosphorus, that narrow stripof water separating Europe from Asia, andhas been for millennia, a culturalconfluence of East and West. Founded in this location by Greek colonistsand named Byzantium in 657 BC becauseof its fabulous harbour, the city wasinaugurated by Constantine the Great asthe capital of the Roman Empire in 330 AD.With the collapse of the Empire in the westConstantinople became the sole inheritorof Rome’s cachet and its cultural riches.Captured for the Ottomans by SultanMehmed II on the 29th of May 1453, thecity became the Ottoman capital until theend of empire in 1922; he was 21 at thetime. After the conquest he set about to re-establish the city, fallen on sad times sincethe depredations of the Crusaders of the4th Crusade in 1202, as a great world cityonce again. It is from the Ottoman periodthat Istanbul takes its familiar appearancebut one doesn’t have to look very hard tosee the heritage of Roman and ByzantineConstantinople. Istanbul must be one of

the most photogenic cities in the world.Once one has gone beyond the modern,bustling city of Istanbul, in many respectsthe city remains, as it was in ancient times,an agglomeration of towns and smallervillages. The many neighbourhoods of thecity, on both sides of the Bosphorus, stillretain their distinct characteristics. We willbegin our tour on the European sideconcentrating on the great familiar sitesand sights but looking at them with the eyeof the locals. At the end of the tour we willreturn to Istanbul but keep to the Asian sideusing Kadikoy as our base, a part of

Istanbul most foreign tourists arecompletely unfamiliar with. Kadikoy,ancient Chalcedon, was called the “City ofthe Blind” by the inhabitants of Byzantiumacross the water. They could notcomprehend why the Chalcedonians, whoarrived in the region first, could possiblyhave built their city in that location whileignoring the superb natural harbour on theGolden Horn. The district has a notableChristian heritage and was the site of the4th Ecumenical Council in 451 AD. Thiscouncil established what became known asthe Chalcedonian Creed which established

Constantinople on the eve of the Ottoman conquest 1453

Kadikoy markets

Day 2

the dual nature of Christ accepted by theCatholic and Eastern Orthodox churches aswell as most Protestant Churches but notthe Coptic, Ethiopian, Eritrean, Syriac andArmenian Apostolic Churches. In shortKadikoy is an unfamiliar place with animportant history.

Day 2We will spend the first day in the heart ofold Istanbul, Sultanahmet where all themost famous sites are situated: Aya Sophia,Hippodrome, Mosaic Museum andYerebetan Saray. Aya Sophia, the heart of Constantinopleand for nearly 900 years the ImperialChurch of the Byzantine empire andprobably the greatest religious building inChristendom. After the Conquest thebuilding was converted to a mosque andfrom early on in the Republican period amuseum. However, whatever its incarnationmay be, Aya Sofia is one of the world’sgreat buildings.The Hippodrome, built as an arena forhorse, chariot and other sporting eventswas more than just a huge sporting arena;it was also the location for political eventsand revolution during both Byzantine and

Ottoman times. While the stands havemostly disappeared, to be replaced by morerecent buildings such as the Blue Mosqueand the Palace of Ibrahim Pasha, the courseof the race track with its markers, are stillclearly evident and its Turkish name, AtMeydani (Horse Square) clearly identifies itsoriginal purpose. Historical events hereinclude the infamous Nika Riots of 532which saw the destruction of large parts ofthe city and the deaths of tens ofthousands of people; although political innature the spark that lit the fire was aconfrontation between rival chariot racingteam fans. This riot saw the destruction ofAya Sofia and the rebuilding of the churchto produce the structure we see today.The Mosaic Museum behind the BlueMosque, although small, contains exquisiteexamples of classical mosaic art depictingdaily life such as children at play withminiature chariots and superbly detailedhunting scenes.Yerebetan Saray, found at the Golden Hornend of the Hippodrome, is one of the manycisterns to be found throughout Istanbul.Dating from the late Roman period, it is theterminal point of the Aqueduct of Valensand served the Great Imperial Palace

(roughly the site of the Blue Mosque). Thisis a large cistern roughly 140 x 65 metresand capable of storing about 80,000 cubicmetres of water. What we see today is aCathedral sized subterranean chambersupported by 336 nine metre high columns;the columns are mixed Ionic, Corinthianand Doric styles and are clearly built withrecycled materials as is evident from themain attraction of the cistern, the upside-down Medusa’s head being used as acolumn base at the far end of the cistern.In the afternoon we will visit IstanbulArchaeology Museums with a specialemphasis on Byzantine collection.There arein fact three museums here: the mainarcheological museum, the Ancient OrientMuseum and the Tiled Kiosk Museum.

Aya Sophia

Medusa head, Central Pillar,Yerebetan Saray

Day 3 & 4

Day 3The City Walls of Constantinople, ChoraMuseum.One of the great sites of Constantinople,the Great Walls stretch from the Sea ofMarmara to the Golden Horn; thesedefensive walls (still largely intact) were theinspiration for military architects as farafield as Britain where castles built by

Edward I at Caernarfon and Conwy tosubdue the Welsh in the 13th century areclearly modeled on Constantinople’sdefenses which so impressed theparticipants of the Fourth Crusade.The Church of the Patriarchate (An activeOrthodox Church)Brief visits to some of the Churches whichare now Mosques such as the Church of

Theodosia (Gül Camii) andGenoese Church known as TheArabian Mosque. A Jewish synagogue, now amuseum, can be visited herealso; the museum wasestablished to commemoratethe 500th anniversary of Jewscoming to the Ottoman Empirefrom Spain after theReconquista in 1492 and thesubsequent expulsion of Jewsfrom the Iberian Peninsula. We will now have a chance toride the Tunel which is one ofthe oldest undergroundrailways in the world (1875)and then on to visit the GalataTower and its environs (a14.Century Genoese tower,

once part of the defensive walls of theGenoese trading settlement and which nowgives its name to the old neighborhoodaround it). The tower offers a spectacular360 degree panoramic view of Istanbul.From Galata Tower we can stroll on İstiklalStreet and enjoying the Belle Époque air ofthe area, the markets and arcades aroundthe Flower Sellers passage and the busyCatholic Church of St. Anthony.

Day 4The Blue Mosque, built between 1609 and1616 was the imperial mosque of SultanAhmet I and it is from this mosque that thedistrict takes its name. The architect wasSedefkar Mehmet Aga a student of thegreat Ottoman architect Sinan. The mosqueis popularly known as the Blue Mosquebecause of the stunning use of blue Izniktiles on the interior but what particularlydistinguishes Sultan Ahmet Camii is thefact that it has six minarets and is thecentre piece of Istanbul’s iconic skyline.

The Turkish and Islamic Art Museum ishoused in the palace of Suleyman theMagnificent’s Grand Vizier, Ibrahim Pasha;the building was constructed in the early

Constantine the great

Day 4

16th century. Ibrahim was a Greek fromEpirus who was sold into slavery by piratesas a child. He was befriended by Suleymanand when Suleyman became Sultan in1520 he rose to great power throughability as well as his connection with theSultan, eventually marrying the Sultan’ssister. Ultimately he succumbed to acombination of excessive ambition andpalace politics; he was executed in 1536.The collection at the museum containsartistic and ethnographic material coveringboth Seljuk and Ottoman periods. In the afternoon we will visit the TopkapiPalace. Built in 1565, the palace complexwas the home of the Ottoman Sultans and

the centre of empire until1856 when the Sultan movedto the modern Europeanstyled palace at Dolmabhace.Built on the site of the oldacropolis, the palace complexresembled in many respects, amilitary camp with manycourtyards and pavilions,housing at its peak about4000 people. Süleymaniye Mosque.Completed in 1558 the Süleymaniyedominates the Istanbul skyline as viewedfrom the Golden Horn; it is the masterpieceof the greatest and most prolific of all

Ottoman architects, MimarSinan. Sinan was a product ofthe Devşirme soon after itwas extended from theBalkans to include Anatolia;from Kayseri, he was probablyeither Greek or Armenian andgot his start as a militaryengineer in the JanissaryCorps. He constructedbuildings across the empireincluding mosques, schools,baths, religious complexes,

roads and bridges eventually becoming thechief imperial architect of Suleyman. Hisapprentices are responsible for some of thegreat buildings in the architectural recordfrom the Blue Mosque to the Taj Mahal. TheSüleymaniye, along with the Selime inEdirne, is his crowning achievement and isa synthesis of Byzantine and Ottomanstyles, but exceeds both not only in itselegance and ambition but also its sheerartistry. Sinan lived on after Suleyman’sdeath to serve his successor Selim, dying in1588 just one year short of his 100thbirthday. Both Sinan and Suleyman areburied in the grounds of the Süleymaniyemosque gardens.

Topkapi palace in the snow

Süleymaniye Mosque

Day 5, 6 & 7

Day 5Take the Bosphorus Cruise which travelsthe entire length of the Bosphorus as far asthe last stop on the Asian side at AnadoluKavagi; lunch in one of the many excellentfish restaurants in this small fishing village.Travel back to Istanbul down the Asianshore of the Bosphorus by coach, stopping

at the Beylerbeyi Palace (please note thatthis museum is closed on Mondays andThursdays and closes at 4.00pm).Beylerbeyi was commissioned by the sultanAbdul-Aziz and built between 1861-1865by the Armenian architects Sarkis and AgopBalyanin. French neo-baroque style with atraditional Ottoman house plan whichincorporates public spaces with private orharem areas. The gardens also include twoexquisite pavilions built in stone to exactlyreplicate nomadic tents. The Palace enjoysbeautiful views of the Bosphorus.

Day 6Depart by train from Sirkeci Station (theterminus for the fabled Orient Express) forEdirne.Previously known as Hadrianoplolis (afterthe Roman Emperor Hadrian) then laterAdrianopol it was known to the Ottomansas Edirne. Edirne was the Ottoman capitalfrom 1365 to 1453 and it was here theMehmed II, the Conqueror, was born. Thecity was the launching point for the finalassault on Constantinople in 1453 and wasthe hub for the principle militarypreparations including the foundries thatproduced the giant cannons that were so

important to the Ottoman success. The cityis located on the borders between Greece,Bulgaria and Turkey and in military termshas been one of the most fought overplaces on earth. We are here primarily forthe architecture as Edirne is the location ofthe great the Selimiye mosque.Commissioned by Sultan Selim II and builtby the great Ottoman architect Sinan andcompleted in 1575 when he was already80 years old. Sinan considered this mosqueto be his masterpiece and it is consideredto be one of the greatest achievements ofIslamic architecture. A massive structure,with a dome larger than Aya Sofia’s inIstanbul and with four graceful 83 metreminarets, the mosque is set within anextensive complex which includes ahospital, school, library, kitchens and baths.Overnight Edirne.

Day 7From Edirne we proceed to the site of theWorld War I battlefield at Gallipoli.After breakfast at the hotel, we drive southacross the Thracian Plain to the Battlefieldsites of Gallipoli and visit monuments atAnzac Cove, Nek, Conk Bair, Lone Pine and57th regiment memorial with a final stop at

Selimiye Mosque, EdirnePhoto by Nuran Zorlu

Haydarpaşa Station, serving the Orient

Day 7, 8 & 9

the new War Museum. Gallipoli, in TurkishGelibolu, was the site of allied landings onthe 25th of April, 1915 by French, BritishEmpire and Commonwealth troops whichintended to force the Dardanelles and gainnaval access to Constantinople. It is a placethat saw the awakening of a nationalconsciousness amongst not just Australiansand New Zealanders but also Turks,because it was here that Mustafa Kemal,later Ataturk, founder of the Turkish

Republic, first came to nationalprominence. Gallipoli is a moving place toponder the terrible war that wracked thecivilised world between 1914 and 1918 butmore than that, it is today a tranquil placeof pilgrimage for Australians, NewZealanders, British and Turks and it is amonument to the ideals of peace andreconciliation. This ideal is best representedin an unassuming monument on AnzacCove that simply carries the words of KemalAtaturk from 1934:

“Those heroes that shed their blood

and lost their lives…

You are now living in the soil of a

friendly country. T herefore rest in

peace. There is no difference between

the Johnnies and the Mehmets to us

where they lie side by side here in this

country of ours…

You, the mothers, who sent their sons

from faraway countries, wipe away your

tears; your sons are now lying in our

bosom and are in peace, after having

lost their lives on this land they have

become our sons as well."

From Gallipoli we cross the Dardanelles byferry for Canakkale. Overnight nearCanakkale.

Days 8 & 9From Canakkale we proceed to the GreatOttoman capital of Bursa. Founded in 550BC Bursa (or Proussa) became a spa townduring the Roman period. It was under theOttomans that Bursa really came toprominence when it became the firstOttoman capital; it remained the capitaluntil 1416 when the capital was transferred

Days 8, 9 & 10

to Edirne as Ottoman interest concentratedon the Balkans. However, as the Ottomandynasty spread its wings Bursa became thecapital in 1326. The city was referred to asHüdavendigar ("God's gift" in Turkish)during the Ottoman period but a morerecent nickname is Yeşil Bursa ("GreenBursa") in reference to the parks foundacross the city, as well as forests that

surround it. Overlooking the city is themountain Uludağ (2543 m). The tombs ofthe early Ottoman sultans are all located inBursa and the city's main landmarksinclude many graceful mausoleums,mosques and bazaars dating from this earlyand dynamic Ottoman period. The famousTurkish shadow puppets Karagöz andHacivat were reputedly based on historic

personalities who lived and died in Bursa.Bursa is also home to some of the mostfamous Turkish dishes such as Iskenderkebab and Locum (Turkish Delight). We willspend two nights and one full day enjoyingthe sights, sounds, smells and tastes ofBursa.

Day 10Depart Bursa for Istanbul via Iznik, a smallwalled city, Iznik, or ancient Nicaea, wasthe location of a number of crucialecclesiastical conferences that establishednot just the unity of Christianity in thecenturies to come, but also prepared theground for many of Christianity’s divisionswhich still plague the Christian worldtoday. In 325 AD this first Council of Nicaeaestablished many of the precepts ofChristian creed and practice that Christianslive by today: it established the nature ofthe Trinity and set out the article of faithknown as the Nicene Creed or the Credo,still recited in western Churches today. Theconference also set the rules for thecalculation of the date of Easter, a matterwhich still mystifies many Christians aroundthe world. Basically Easter Sunday falls on

Tomb of Osman, founder of the Ottoman Empire

Trojan horse from the Hollywood epic movie Troy in Canakkale

Day 10, 11 & 12

the first Sunday following the first fullmoon that falls on or after the springequinox. For this we can thank the EmperorConstantine and the Council of Nicaea of325 AD.The Roman Byzantine walls with four gatesare still intact and we will visit the Churchof Aya Sofia (a common church name)which is now a museum and The Museum

of Archeology. From Iznik we will return to Istanbul aroundthe Sea of Marmara (4 hours) and we willstay in Kadikoy. Kadikoy today, whileresolutely Turkish, retains a bustling andcosmopolitan atmosphere with a numberof functioning Armenian churches and athriving restaurant district not to mentionfabulous views across the Bosphorus

towards the minaret studded skyline of oldIstanbul.Overnight Kadikoy.

Day 11Free Day Istanbul

Day 12Depart

Exceed your expectations Email: info@easternturkeytour.org

Ottoman SplendourImperial Capitals

EasternTurkeyTours

Suleyman the Magnificent