Turkey Holidays Guide

Istanbul - Hagia Sophia Museum Mahmut I Library

admin — Tue, 06 May 2008 23:20:13 +0000

It is located between two wall supports at the southern part of Ayasophia. It is an interesting product of Turkish construction and decorative arts. It was built by Sultan Mahmud I in 1739. The library consists of a reading room, the room where the books were kept under protection (hazine-i kutub) and a corridor between these two sections. Reading room is separated from the main space of Ayasophia with a glass partition born by six colons with diamond shaped capitals and covered with a bronze mesh. The double doors of the entrance are also covered with a bronze mesh decorated with flowers and scrolling branches and has two handles engraved with ‘Ya Fettah1. The walls of the reading room are decorated with tiles and calligraphic friezes. On the wall opposite to the door, there is the porphyry monogram of Sultan Mahmud I, bordered with green tiles. The corridor joining the reading room and the book storage is decorated with tile panels with flower, rose, carnation, tulip and cypress motives. These panels are unique in terms of color and form. The room of the books consists of two spaces separated by 4 columns and a platform. The first section is covered with a dome and the second with a vault. The dome rests on an octagonal ring. There is a wooden book cupboard at the center of this space. On the inside of the door which is the entrance to this section from the corridor there is the monogram of Sultan Mahmud I and a 15 disyichs poem about the construction ending with the date h. 1152. (1739). Iznik, Kutahya and Tekfur palace tiles of 16 -17 -18th centuries were used in combination in the library. The 16th century Iznik tiles in the book room and the flowered spring branches composition on the tiles of the corridor which are from the same century, are among the best examples of the Turkish tile art

Istanbul - Hagia Sophia Museum

admin — Tue, 06 May 2008 00:49:34 +0000

Hagia Sophia is considered a unique monument in world architecture, and it’s magnificence and functionality has been a good example in construction of countless Ottoman mosques. Hagia Sophia with its exceptional history constitutes a synthesis between east and west. This monument is one of the wonders of the world that has remained intact until the present day. One can find many attractions in Hagia Sophia - interesting forms of Byzantine architecture, mosaics of the Christian period as well as structures added during the Ottoman era.
Hagia Sophia has been a Christian place of worship for 916 years, then converted into a mosque and served Muslims for 481 years. Hagia Sophia Museum was opened in 1935 and ever since it has been attracting thousands of visitors every year.
According to Byzantine historians (Theophanes, Nikephoros, Grammarian Leon) the first building of Hagia Sophia church was established during the reign of Constantius I (324 - 337 AD). It was a basilica with a wooden roof, and it was burned down during a revolt. Nowadays there is no evidence of this structure.
During the reign of emperor Theodosius Hagia Sophia was built for the second time and opened to the public in 415 AD. The basilica was again burned down during the Nika Revolt in 532 AD. Some ruins of this building were discovered during excavations in 1936. There were stairs indicating the entrance of the building, columns, capitals and other fragments of the building.
Emperor Justinian (527 - 565 AD) wanted to build a church bigger than two previous ones, which would represent the power and magnificence of empire. The new building of Hagia Sophia was made by two famous architects of that era - Isidoros from Miletos and Anthemios of Tralles. Many columns, capitals, marble and colourful stone were brought to Istanbul from various ancient cities in Anatolia and used in construction works of Hagia Sophia.
The works were commenced on December 23, 532 AD and completed on December 27, 537. The new building consisted of a large central nave and two side aisles, separated by columns, apse, inner and outer narthex. The size of the inner space of basilica is 100 X 70m and it is covered by the magnificent dome (diameter 30.31 m), supported by the four large piers, 55 m high.
Besides the unique architecture of the building, the mosaics are also important artefacts of the period. The oldest mosaics - gold gilded with geometrical and floral designs - may be found in the inner narthex as well as in side naves. Figural mosaics (with images of Jesus Christ, Virgine Maria etc.) from 9th - 12th centuries are located on Emperor Door, apse, exit doors and upstairs gallery.
After the conquest of Istanbul in 1453, the so-called Turkish period1 started, and several repairs were made in Hagia Sophia. The artworks surrounding the mihrab includes the best samples of Turkish pottery and calligraphy. The sure is taken from the Koran inscribed on rounded plates of 7.50 m diameter by Kazasker Mustafa Izzet Efendi, a famous Ottoman calligrapher. The names of Allah, Muhammed, Omer, Osman, Ali, Hasan, Ebu Bekir nd Huseyin are inscribed there. On the sidewalls of mihrab there are plates written and granted by Ottoman sultans.
Tombs of Sultan Selim II, Sultan Mehmet III, Sultan Murat III as well as some of their relatives, fountain of Sultan Mahmut I, primary school, soup kitchen, library, Sultan Abdulmecit’s meeting place and the mosque timekeeper’s (astronomer’s) house may be found in the territory of Hagia Sophia Museum. All of the above mentioned objects, especially the tombs with their interior design, pottery and architecture are excellent examples of Ottoman tradition.

The Museum is open between 9.30-16.30 every day.
Hagia Sophia Museum Sultanahmet 34400 istanbul, Turkey
Phone: +90 (212) 5221750 / +90 (212) 5220989 Fax: +90(212)5125474

Istanbul - Fethiye Museum (Pammakaristos)

admin — Mon, 05 May 2008 00:44:49 +0000

It is in Fatih - Carsamba quarter of Istanbul. It is Pammakaristos monastery church constructed in Byzantine Period. A grave chapel has been added with the end of the Latin invasion in 13th century. After the conquest, it remained under the control of Christians and used as a women’s monastery, in 1455 patriarchate has been moved to this building and the building has been used as patriarchate until 1586.
This church has been converted into a mosque by Murat II (1574 -1595) and the mosque has been named as Fethiye.
The northern church is still being used as a mosque. The walls of the additional church are ornamented with the beautiful mosaics of 14th century. After being repaired between the years 1938-1940, it has been converted into a unit of Ayasofya Museum.

Istanbul - Caria Museum

admin — Fri, 02 May 2008 00:36:04 +0000

Kariye is located at Edirnekapi section of Istanbul. The dictionary meaning of Kariye (Caria) is ‘outside of the city’, or ‘rural’ in old Greek. The existence of a chapel outside the city walls in very old is mentioned in some sources. The first Khora Church was built on the site of this chapel by Justinianus. The building which managed to survive until the times of the Commenos with various additions and repairs, gained importance when the Imperial Palace Blakhernia near the city walls was expanded. At the end of 11th century Maria Dukaina, the mother-in-law of Emperor Alexi I had it rebuild. The church has a kiborion shaped space whose dome is carried by four arches. During the Latin occupation of 1204 -1261, both the monastry and the church became extremely run down. During the reign of Andronikos (1282 -1326), one of the prominent names of the day, the writer, poet and the minister of treasury Theodore Methocite had the monastry and the church repaired towards 1313, and had an annex to the north of the building, an outer narthex to the west and a chapel (Parekklesion) to the south. These new additions were decorated with frescoes and mosaics. Parekklesion, which is a long single naved chapel going along the southern facade, is built above a basement floor. It is partially covered with a dome and the remaining sections are covered by vaults. It has a single abscissa. The outer narthex which runs along the full western facade forms the present facade. The northern wing is only an insignificant corridor. The central dome has a high drum. It is a Turkish period restoration and is made of wood. Outer facades are given plasticity and movement with round arches, half braces, niches and rows of stone and brick. The eastern facade is finished with abscissa extending to the exterior.
The middle abscissa is supported with a half arched brace.
The building was used as a church after the conquest of Istanbul but was converted into a mosque in 1511 by the Visier Grand Hadim Ali Pasha, who later added a school and a aim kitchen next to it. After the conversion, the mosaics and frescoes were covered, sometimes by wooden blinds and sometimes by whitewashing over them. All the mozaics and frescoes were uncovered with the work carried out by the American Institute of Byzantine Research between 1948 - 1958.
Chora mosaics and frescoes are the most beautiful examples of the last period of Byzantine art (14th century). They show a striking similarity. The monotonous background of the former period cannot be seen here. The concept of depth, recognition of the placticity and movement of the figures and the elongation in the figures are the characteristic of this style. Scenes from life of Jesus are given on the outer narthex while the inner narthex has scenes from the life of Madonna.On the portal of the door joining the outer to the inner narthex, there is Christ the ‘Pantocrator1. On the left the scenes depict the birth of Jesus, population cencus being carried out under the supervision of Governor Cyrinus, the angel telling Joseph to leave taking Mary with him, the multiplication of loaves of bread, water turning to wine and on the right side scenes such as messanger kings informing about the birth of Christ, healing of the stroke victims and the massacre of children.
The most beautiful mosaic on the inside is Deisis. There is Jesus in the center with Mary on the left, below Mary, Isaac Commenus and a nun on the right of Jesus. This woman is the daughter of the Mikhael Palaiologos VIII. She was married to the Mongolian Prince Abaka Khan and following her husband’s death returned to Istanbul and became a member of a religious order. In this section, under the dome there is Jesus and his ancestors are shown in the segments. On the portal of the church proper, there is Christ in the middle and on the left Theodoros Metochites who has restored the church and adorned it with the mosaics presenting a model of the church.
The life story of Mary, which is not included in the Bible is taken from subjects based on the Apostles. At the inner narthex the scenes about Mary can be followed depicting her birth, her first steps, Gabriel telling her that she shall have a child, Mary buying wool for the tebernacle and others. Mosaic above the inner portal of the entrance to the main church depicts the death of the Virgin, Madonna bearing the child Jesus and a Saint. Parekklesion is totally decorated with frescoes. The Anastasia (rebirth) scene seen on the abscissa is a masterpiece. The last judgement above it is shown here in full. It is known that the niche on the right and left sides of the Parekklesion are graves. On the dome of the Parekklesion there is Mary and the child Jesus and 12 in the segments.

Istanbul - Archeology Museum

admin — Tue, 29 Apr 2008 01:41:20 +0000

The Directorate of Istanbul Archeology Museums that is dependent on the General Directorate of Monuments and Museums of the Ministry of Culture of the Republic of Turkey is on the Osman Hamdi Bey Ascent that opens to the Topkapi Palace Museum from the right of the Gulhane Park Entry which is in the Sultanahmet district.
istanbul Archeology Museums consist of three museums. Those are Archeology Museum, Old Eastern Works Museum and Enameled Kiosk Museum.
istanbul Archeology Museums, which were established as Muze-i Humayun (Empire Museum) by the famous artist and museum director Osman Hamdi Bey at the end of the 19th century, were opened to public on June 13, 1891. Besides its importance as the ‘first Turkish museum’, it has an importance and specialty being one of the museum buildings that are constructed as a Museum in the World. Today, it still protects its outstanding place in the World’s biggest museums with its works more than a million belonging to various cultures.
In the museum collections, there are rich and very important works of art belonging to various civilizations from the regions from Balkans to Africa, from Anatolia and Mesopotamia to Arab Peninsula and Afghanistan that were in the borders of the Ottoman Empire.
Archeology Museum
The Archeology Museum consists of two separate buildings.
I) Main Building {Old Building}
Its construction was started in 1881 by Osman Hamdi Bey and with the additions in 1902 and 1908 it gained its latest form. Its architect is Alexander Vallaury. The outer face of the building was made by inspiring from the Iskender Tomb and Crying Women tombs. It is a beautiful example of neoclassical buildings in Istanbul.
On the upper floor of the two-flat building there are small stone works, pots and pans, small terracotta statues, the Treasure Department and approximately 800.000 Ottoman coins, seals, decorations, medals and Non-Muslim and Muslim Coin Cabinets, in which coin moulds were kept, and a Library with approximately 70.000 books.
On the bottom floor saloons of the building, famous tombs are displayed such as IskenderTomb, Crying Women Tomb, Satrap Tomb, Lykia Tomb, Tabnit Tomb that are in the Say da king graveyard.
On the bottom floor, besides the display of tombs, there is Old Age Statuary display in which statues and relieves from important antic cities and regions take place. In this display, the development of the art of statuary from Archaic Period to the Byzantium Period is displayed in chronological order with outstanding examples.
11} Additional Building (New Building) The additional building attached to the southeast of the main building is of 6 stories. There are depots in the two stories under the ground floor.
The four stories of the building are arranged as exhibition saloons. There is Istanbul for Ages’ on the first floor of the building, ‘Anatolia and Troia for Ages’ on the second floor and ‘Surrounding Cultures of Anatolia: Cyprus, Syria-Palestine’ on the top floor. There is Infant Museum and architectural works display on the first floor of the additional building. The Thrakia-Bithynia and Byzantium display saloon, which was opened in August 1998, can be visited on the floor under the first floor with the name of ‘Surrounding Cultures of Istanbul’.
The museum has received the European Council Museum Award in 1991, which is its 100. establishment anniversary, with the new arrangement made in the lower floor saloons and the Additional Building display.
Old Eastern Works Museum
The building, which was made by Osman Hamdi bey in 1883 as Sanayi-i Nefise (Fine Arts School), was organized as a museum with the works made between 1917-1919 and 1932-1935. The building, which was closed to visit in 1963, was opened to visit again in 1974 with a new display by changing the inner parts.
On the upper floor of the two-flat building, Anatolian, Mesopotarnian, Egyptian and Arabic works of art are displayed. Statue of Naramsin, the king of Akad, the Kades Agreement and Zincirli statue are the unique works of art in the museum.
Moreover, in this museum there is a Tablet Archive’ in which 75.000 documents with cuneiform writings are kept.

Enameled Kiosk Museum
The kiosk that has been made by Fatih Sultan Mehmet in 1472 is one of the oldest examples of Ottoman civil architecture in Istanbul. It has been used as Muze-i Humayun (Empire Museum) between 1875-1891. It was opened to public in 1953 with the name of Fatih Museum where Turkish and Islamic works of art were displayed and it was transferred to Istanbul Archeology Museums due to its site.
The entrance facade of the kiosk is single-flat and the back facade is of two-stories. There is a marble porch of 14 columns in the entrance. The entrance exedra is decorated with mosaic enamels. Various chinaware and ceramics from the Seljuk and Ottoman period are displayed in the Kiosk that forms from 6 rooms and a middle saloon. There are approximately 2000 works of art in the museum and its depots.

Istanbul - Anadolu Hisari

admin — Tue, 29 Apr 2008 01:40:11 +0000

The castle covering seven acre area and giving its name to the location was built by Sultan Beyazid I (Yildirim) as the front military station of Ottoman in 1395. The building was added ‘Hisarpence’, storehouse and some residental buildings by Mehmed II. In 1928 some repair works were made by kandilli Municipality. Some repairs were made by Ministry of Culture in 1991-1993. Today Anadolu Hisari is within borders of Beykoz Municipality. There is no movable cultural assets in the castle. It has not been opened for visits.

Side - Etenna

admin — Sun, 27 Apr 2008 21:19:30 +0000

Etenna, which is 29 km. north of Manavgat, is founded on the hill, is at the upper part of today’s Sirt Village. At the top of the city, it is thought as a bishop center during Byzantium period, there is an Acropolis, which is composed of terraces surrounded by ramparts, and at the best preserved and highest slopes of the city. There is a Herron (a tomb for an exalted person) at the south of the city. Basilica, agora, church, hamam and cisterns are important historical ruins other than these.

Side - Seleukeia (Lyrbe)

admin — Sat, 26 Apr 2008 22:59:02 +0000

To the northwest of Manavgat are the remains of the ancient city of Seleukeia, situated within the $ihlar settlement unit. The city is known to have been founded as a fortified acropolis town to be used as a final defence and protection site in the case of an attack on Side. Upon the capture of Side by pirates in the 2nd century B.C., a number of the people immigrated to Seleukeia. The bronze statue of Apollon understood to have been built during this era is on display in the Antalya Museum. During the Pax Romana period, on the other hand, acropolis cities eventually lost their former importance. The first of the remains are the city walls understood to have been built between two straits. It is understood that the walls were built at a height of 9 m, and the 5 m high city gate was located in the middle. There is a quadrangular agora behind the gate. In the southeastern part of the Agora is the odeon with 6 seating benches where, in addition to music concerts, the meetings of the administrative council of the city are held. In the northwestern part of the Agora one can see a chapel with a single apsis with polygonal external apsis walls, understood to have been built during the Byzantine era. In the north of the Agora, 20 meters ahead, are the remains of a Temple of Apollon with a single cella and marble podium. It is understood from the stones of ruined walls in front of the temple that a further inner wall was built as a result of the dangers involved during the periods that followed. On the western slope of the land where the remains were found is a sacred cave where baptism rituals were carried out in ancient times, which still holds drinking water even today. To the west of the cave, on the slope are the remains of a Roman bathhouse complex with mosaic laid floor consisting of three main sections in the middle and various chambers at the sides. To the southwest of the bathhouse is a great basilica with coloured marble slabs on the floor under which are sarcophagi are found.

Nemrut - New Castle

admin — Sat, 26 Apr 2008 22:57:44 +0000

Near the village of Kocahisar (Eski Kahta), Yeni Kale was constructed by the Commagenes and used alongside Arsameia, opposite. The castle, which was restored by the Romans and then the Mamluks, had its most recent
renovations in the 1970s. Within the site are a bazaar, mosque, dungeon, aqueducts, dovecote ruins and various inscriptions. The aqueduct, which descends from the castle to Nymphois, is connected to Arsameia via a tunnel, with
water reachable via this 80m route.

Nemrut-Arsameia Ruins

admin — Fri, 25 Apr 2008 01:30:03 +0000

According to inscriptions by Antiochus, Arsameia was the summer capital and administrative centre of the Kingdom, founded at the beginning of the 2nd century BC by Arsemez, a descendent of Kommadenes.
An embossed pillar of Mitras is at the ceremonial road at the south, and an undamaged relief of Mithridates I shaking hands with Heracles. In front of this is the largest known Greek inscription in Anatolia, and to the right is a tunnel descending to a depth of 158m through the rock. On the platform over the hill is a monument and palace of Mithridates I, the foundations of the capital, and excavations revealed numerous statue remains including a queen and the head of Antiochus.