Location

Sultanahmet

Because of its strategic position, Istanbul boasts a varied and interesting history.

The majority of Istanbul’s notable sights are located in Sultanahmet an area of the city that sits on a promontory known as the Golden Horn. One of the most famous attractions is the impressive Aya Sofya (Hagia Sophia). This Church of the Divine Wisdom was created by Justinian the Great in 537AD, and declared a mosque by Mehmet II in the 1400’s.

Topkapi Palace

One of Sultanahmet’s highlights is Topkapi Palace; home to Ottoman Sultans for 400 years. The last Sultan to occupy the palace was Mahmut II, who lived there until 1839. The great palace consists of four courts, and each court permitted only people of a certain standing to enter. The inner courts were the most secluded and fewer people were allowed access.

Entering the palace is done through the Court of Processions, behind Aya Sofya. This court was open to all and beautiful gardens line the path leading to the Second Court and the Middle Gate. Resembling the entrance of a medieval castle, the Middle Gate is built of graying white stone with a turret on either side. Gold Arabic writing above the huge black door reminds you of the history associated with the palace.

The Second Court, open only to people on Imperial business, includes the palace kitchens, which now contain an impressive collection of Chinese porcelain. The Divan Salonu, or Imperial Council Chamber is also located in the Second Court. The gate to this room is astounding – ornate gold lattice covers windows and a glass door, alluding to the room’s importance. Inside, long red sofas provided a place for the councilmen to sit, while the Sultan looked on from a separate room behind a grill high up on the wall.

The Third Court was even more secluded and open only to the Imperial Family, palace staff and other important people. The Treasury is located inside the Third Court, and although you must pay extra to enter, it’s definitely worth a trip – if only to see the Spoonmaker’s Diamond. This 86 carat monstrosity is the world’s fifth largest diamond.

Included in the palace entrance ticket are the Seferli Koiuiu - rooms which house the robes, kaftans and uniforms of the imperial family. The size of the kaftans gives you a pretty good idea of how large the Sultans were.

The most sacred of all rooms in the Third Court are the Mukaddes Emanetler Dairesi. Holy Muslim relics are kept here and include sandals worn by Mohammed, impressions of his feet, dust collected from his tomb, and even hairs from his beard.

The Harem is probably the most amazing and interesting part of the palace, and by far the most elaborate. As this was the private quarters of the Sultan and his family, the rooms are ornately decorated and the tiles on the walls easily rival that of the Blue Mosque. Only a small percentage of the Harem’s 300 rooms are open to the public, and are only accessible by guided tour. Unfortunately, the tour takes only thirty minutes, when you could easily spend hours wandering through the clandestine area.

Many people perceive the Harem as more of a brothel than a family residence. In fact, it was closer to a breeding ground than anything else. The word Harem is derived from an Arabic word meaning, “the thing or person that is forbidden”, and refers to the living quarters of the Sultan and his family, not just the women.

The concubines were mostly foreigners, and were brought to the Harem at an early age where they were schooled in many areas, including Islam, Turkish, music, embroidery and dress. There could be anywhere from 300-800 women in the Harem at one time, and they would have led completely different lives depending on where they fit into the hierarchy.

The most powerful woman in the Harem was the Dowager Sultan, the mother of the current Sultan. She often took part in the running of the palace and political matters, as she would have been raised in the palace as a concubine and thus, sometimes, knew more than her ruling son. The Sultan could take up to four Wives (though some had up to eight) and they were the second most powerful women in the Harem. The Blissfuls - women who had born a child of the Sultan - numbered from six to eight and were the second most powerful women after the Wives. All Blissfuls started out as Favorites - special concubines that had been chosen for the Sultan and with whom he would have sexual relations. There could be between four to ten Favorites, and occasionally the Sultan would choose one himself. The Wives, The Blissfuls and The Favorites all had special apartments separate from the other concubines.

Other ladies of the Harem would have to stop and bow their heads when the Sultan went by, and weren’t allowed in the inner, more private part of the Harem. The majority of concubines were just plain old servants and had little or no contact with the Sultan.

Eunuchs were also a key component of the Harem, although they were likely never allowed inside. Their main jobs were to guard the Harem, do minor chores such as lock and unlock the gates, and accompany the women on trips outside of the palace. There were usually around 100 Eunuchs, the majority of whom were black men who had been castrated outside the palace grounds.

Very little information on life in the Harem is available, as it was such a private place and any woman who left was forbidden to talk about their experience as a concubine. Things changed slightly from Sultan to Sultan, but the hierarchy within the Harem remained much the same.

Most tours take you to the hamam, or Turkish bath, which has a surprising amount of gold decorations. The Sultan bathed in a special area partitioned off by a gold cage. This was because while bathing, he would have been quite vulnerable and unable to protect himself, so he bathed behind the gates for his own safety.

The rooms where the princes were schooled are also included in the tour. Iznik tiles cover the walls and gold bars turn the windows into cages. Low sofas and cushions created a relaxed classroom.

The Sultan’s private room, also covered in colorful tiles, has a large water fountain that served two purposes - making noise to cover any classified words said by the Sultan in his chambers, and cooling the room during hot weather. A massive, beautifully decorated hall near the Sultan’s rooms was used for entertainment. A huge covered seating area was reserved for the Sultan, and from here he would watch various dancers, musicians, and poets.

The chambers of the Dowager Sultan would are richly decorated with the same incredible tiles found in the rest of the Harem. The size and the grandiosity of the rooms emphasized her power and importance.

The last portion of the tour is a walk down a fairly plain looking hallway called the “Golden Way”. It is said that the concubines would wait here for the Sultan on special days, when he would walk down the corridor tossing coins at the girls.

The Fourth and final Court, again only for family, is often referred to as gardens as it occupies a natural and spacious area. From here you have an incredible view of both the Bosphorus and the rest of Sultanahmet, with its multitude of mosques and minarets piercing the skyline. One wall of an open building is covered with bright Iznik tiles, an accumulation of pure color and artistry. Walking among the gardens and colorfully decorated walls give you a sense of what it might have been like to be royalty in the days of the Sultans.

The Blue Mosque

Across from the Aya Sofya sits a more recent masterpiece – the Blue Mosque (Sultanahmet Camii). Construction started on the mosque in 1606 – more than 1000 years after Aya Sofya was built. Its immense size is awe-inspiring alone.  A series of smaller black-topped domes lead up to the crowning dome, which, unlike Aya Sofya’s, is supported on the inside by four gigantic pillars. Six minarets surround the mosque and when the call to prayer is heard, it echoes over all of Sultanahmet.

Nearing the mosque’s worshippers’ entrance, you will see a row of water fountains with stone blocks as chairs.

Men sit performing ablutions, washing their hands, feet and face before entering to pray. A separate entrance for visitors is located at the back of the mosque, and the removal of shoes is required before you can enter this place of worship. Head scarves are available for the women, and covering your head is considered a sign of respect.

A necessary, but involuntary hush falls over the visitors as they enter ?stanbul’s most famous mosque. The enormous interior is decorated with countless startlingly blue iznik tiles, which give the mosque its colorful name. Stained glass windows provide a break in the ongoing maze of blue. Lush, wool carpets cushion your step and gigantic chandeliers hang so low that some individuals almost have to duck.

The actual worship area is roped off to prevent the tourists from disturbing those at prayer. It is still possible to see the elaborate mafil or chair from which the imam, or prayer leader gives the sermon on Fridays.

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