cvkhotelsandresorts.com Exploring İstanbul - CVK Hotels and Resorts Historical Places: Topkapı Palace It is located on the promontory of the historical peninsula in Istanbul which overlooks both the Marmara Sea and the Bosphorus. The walls enclosing the palace grounds, the main gate on the land side and the first buildings were constructed during the time of Fatih Sultan Mehmet (the Conqueror) (1451 – 81). Topkapı Palace was converted to a museum in 1924. Blue Mosque The Sultan Ahmed Mosque is a historical mosque in Istanbul, the largest city in Turkey and the capital of the Ottoman Empire (from 1453 to 1923). The mosque is popularly known as the Blue Mosque for the blue tiles adorning the walls of its interior. Dolmabahçe Palace Until the 17th century the area where Dolmabahçe Palace stands today was a small bay on the Bosphorus, claimed by some to be where the Argonauts anchored during their quest for the Golden Fleece, and where in 1453 Sultan Mehmed the Conqueror had his fleet hauled ashore and across the hills to be refloated in the Golden Horn.Principal sections are the suite of the Valide Sultan (sultan’s mother), the so-called Blue and Pink salons, the bedrooms of sultans Abdülmecid, Abdülaziz and Mehmed V. Resad, the section housing the lower ranking palace women known as the Cariyeler Dairesi, the rooms of the sultan’s wives (kadinefendi), and the study and bedroom used by Atatürk. All the main rooms are furnished with valuable carpets, ornaments, paintings, chandeliers and calligraphic panels. Hagia Sophia Hagia Sophia “Holy Wisdom’’ is a former Orthodox patriarchal basilica, later a mosque, and now a museum in Istanbul, Turkey. From the date of its dedication in 360 until 1453, it served as the Greek Patriarchal cathedral of Constantinople, except between 1204 and 1261, when it was converted to a Roman Catholic cathedral under the Latin Patriarch of Constantinople of the Western Crusader established Latin Empire. The building was a mosque from 29 May 1453 until 1931, when it was secularized. It was opened as a museum on 1 February 1935. Galata Tower Galata Tower has dominated Beyoglu”s skyline since 1348 and still offers the best panoramic views of the city. Originally named the Tower of Christ, it was the highpoint in the city walls of the Genoese colony called Galata. Until the 1960s it was a fire lookout tower. Now the upper floors hold an uninteresting restaurant-nightclub, and a panorama balcony. The balcony is open daily from 9 am to 5 pm (7 pm in summer) for a few dollars (half price on Monday). Hippodrome of Constantinople The Hippodrome of Constantinople was a circus that was the sporting and social centre of Constantinople capital of Byzantine Empire. Today it is a square named Sultan Ahmet Meydanıin the Turkish city of Istanbul with a few fragments of the original structure surviving. Süleymaniye Mosque The SüleymaniyeMosque was built on the order of Sultan Süleymanwas fortunate to be able to draw on the architectural genius of MimarSinan. The construction work began in 1550 and finished in 1558. Grandbazaar Istanbul’s one of the largest and oldest covered market in the world. It was the commercial heart of the old city and it’s 4.000 shops are full of treasures,includingcarpets and kilims, silks, jewellery, ceramics, icons. Spice Market Bazaar is the centerfor spice trade in İstanbul, as well as spice shops. The building itself is part of the kulliye(complex) of the New Mosque. The revenues obtained from the rented shops inside the bazaar building were used for the upkeeping mosque. Beylerbeyi Palace Beylerbeyi Palace was commissioned by Sultan Abdulaziz(1830-1876) as a summer residence and a place to entertain visiting heads of state. The palace looks its most attractive from the Bosphorus, from where it’s two vathingpavilions, one for the harem(women’s only) and the other for selamik(men’s only), can be best seen. The Basilica Cistern One of the magnificent historical constructions of Istanbul is the Basilica Cistern, located near south-west of Ayasofya (Hagia Sophia). This cistern that was laid on an area of total 9.800 m2 has the capacity to store 100.000 tons of water.The enlarged cistern provided a water filtration system for the Great Palace of Constantinople and other buildings on the First Hill, and continued to provide water to the Topkapi Palace after the Ottoman conquest in 1453 and into modern times. Basilica Cistern Medusa; Located in the northwest corner of the cistern, the bases of two columns reuse blocks carved with the visage of Medusa. The origin of the two heads is unknown, though it is thought that the heads were brought to the cistern after being removed from a building of the late Roman period. Archaeology Museum The collection of classical antiquities displayed here is world class and – rarely for Istanbul – everything is well lit and comprehensively labelled. Sitting within the grounds of the Topkapı Palace, the museum was founded in the mid-19th century in an attempt to stanch the flow of antiquities being spirited out of the country by foreigners to fill the museums of Europe. Starting with the pre-classical world, the museum covers 5,000 years of history, with artefacts gathered from all over Turkey and the Near East and grouped thematically. The Chora Museum The Chora Museum (Kariye Müzesi) is located in Edirnekapı, Fatih and is one of the most beautiful Byzantine churches in the city. Though it was originally a church, it was converted into a mosque and later into a secular museum in 1948. Though smaller in size than other museums, the Chora Museum’s interior features brilliant frescoes and mosaics. Hagia Irene Located in the courtyard of Topkapı Palace, Aya Irini, or Hagia Irene, is a former Eastern Orthodox Church that now stands as a museum. Due to its impressive acoustics and atmosphere, the venue is now used primarily for concerts. As of 1980, the Istanbul International Music Festival has been held here every summer. If there is a concert here while you are in town, we strongly recommend you attend. Tours in İstanbul: The Classics Old City (Morning Tour) The Classics Old City (Afternoon Tour) The Classics Old City (Full Day Tour) The Asiatic Side (Morning Tour) Bosphorus Cruise (Morning & Afternoon Tour) Princes Island (Full Day Tour) Tours out of İstanbul: Cappadocia Tour Ephesus Tour Troy & Gallipoli The Green Bursa Tour Sapanca & Maşukiye Museums & Arts: Museum of Turkish and Islamic Art This museum, located in the Hippodrome (Old City district), displays valuable and historically important artworks from Turkey and other Islamic nations throughout the years. Objects on display include stonework, ceramics, metalwork, silver, brass, wood objects and ornaments, calligraphy and carpets. The items on display span many time periods with pieces from the days of the Ummayids, the Abbasids, the Mamluks, the Seljuks, the Beyliks and the Ottomans. Istanbul Modern The city has finally got its own modern art museum, complete with a permanent collection and impressive exhibitions such as Juan Munoz, Anish Kapoor, William Kentridge, Design Cities and the Istanbul Biennial to name but a few. The building itself is worth seeing in its own right: a converted warehouse that now features sleek industrial design with state-of-the-art technology, including a library, a cinema and flat-screen TVs featuring video art. The Istanbul Modern Café is also a big hit, with excellent food and a great view (when there isn’t a big cruise ship moored outside). The Rahmi Koç Museum This private museum is dedicated to the history of transport, industry and communication. Founded in 1991 by one of the members of Turkey’s wealthiest dynasty, the museum has been in operation since 1994. Rumour has it that founder Rahmi M. Koç was inspired to create the museum after visiting the Henry Ford Museum in Michigan. Sakıp Sabancı Museum This magnificent villa was converted into an art museum by one of Turkey’s wealthiest families, the Sabancıs. It’s brought over some excellent exhibitions so far, including Picasso, Rodin and Dali. Take a browse before enjoying some lunch at the exceptional Müzedechanga restaurant on the museum’s grounds. Santralİstanbul Istanbul’s newest cultural centre and museum space is a power plant that’s been transformed by Istanbul Bilgi University. Located in Silahtarağa, Santralistanbul hosts modern art and design exhibitions, a museum of the old power plant, a library, conferences and seminars, festivals, concerts and more. It also features one of the city’s best new nightlife venues, Ottosantral. Pera Museum Founded by the Suna and Inan Kıraç Foundation in 2005, this relatively new museum is known for its three permanent collections of Anatolian weights and measures, Kütahya tiles and ceramics and Oriental art. The pieces all date back to the 17th century. The museum itself is in a historical building, built by architect Achille Manoussos in 1893. Sadberk Hanım Museum This museum was established by the Vehbi Koç Foundation in honour of the late Sadberk Koç, Vehbi Koç’s wife. Owing to the wooden crossed mouldings along the exterior of the museum, it was nicknamed ‘Threaded Yalı’ (“yalı” meaning waterside residence). The museum contains a gift shop, a small tearoom, an attic used for storage and more, though many prefer the Sevgi Gönül Wing of the museum which was added in 1983 to house the Hüseyin Kocabaş art collection. Doğançay Museum This museum is dedicated to the work of the prominent Turkish painter Burhan Doğançay, and includes his works from the 1950s to the present day. Paintings of ribbons, cones and other urban wall series can be viewed alongside his photographs on four floors, with a separate section dedicated to the works of his late father, Adil Doğançay.