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11-15 June 2006, Istanbul, TURKEY |
GENERAL INFORMATION |
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THE HERITAGE
The three empires that have successively
ruled have left numerous monuments that form
the priceless heritage Istanbul proudly
treasures and offers to the visitors. Some
of
the most important that must be seen are : |
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Roman Heritage |
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The Roman Hippodrome : The Roman
Hippodrome stands near the Blue Mosque and
Hagia Sophia at Sultan Ahmet Square. The
scene of chariot races and the center of
Roman and Byzantine civic life, the
hippodrome houses the Obelisk of Theodosius,
the
Column of Constantine and the Bronze
Serpantine column.
The Istanbul land walls (city walls) :
Built in the 5th century by the Emperor
Theodosius II, the walls stretch 7 kms. from
Topkapı Gate on the Sea of Marmara along the
seashore to the Golden Horn and 5 kms from
the Golden Horn, overland to Topkapı Palace.
With
many towers and bastions, they were once the
mightiest fortifications in Christendom.
UNESCO has declared the land walls, and the
area which they enclose, one of the cultural
heritages of the world.
The Aqueduct of Valens : Built by the
Emperor Valens in 368 AD, the aqueduct
supplied
the Byzantine and later the Ottoman Palaces
with water. About 900 meters of the double
tier arches remain.
The Archaeological Museum : The
Archaeological Museum contains very rich
collections of antiquities to include the
celebrated Alexander Sacrophagus. |
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Byzantine
Heritage |
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The Basilica of Hagia Sophia (Holy Wisdom) : This
ancient basilica, now a museum, built by Constantine
the Great and reconstructed by Justinian in the 6th
century, is one of the architectural marvels of all
time. Its immense dome rises 55 meters above the ground
and is 31 meters in diameter. The beautiful interior
decorations include fine Byzantine mosaics. |
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St. Irene Museum : St. Irene was the first
church in Istanbul and was built by Constantine in the
4th century and rebuilt by Justinian. It is reputedly
the site of a pre-
Christian temple. (Visit by special permission only)
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Kariye Museum : The 11th century church of St.
Saviour in Chora is, after Hagia Sophia, the most
important Byzantine Museum in Istanbul. The walls are
decorated with
superb 14th century frescoes and mosaics on a gold
background. This church influenced
the European Renaissance. |
The Basilica Cisterns : Close to Hagia Sophia is
the 6th century Byzantine cistern known as the
Yerebatan Sarayı or the Underground Palace. Fine brick
vaulting is supported by 336 Corinthian columns. |
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Ottoman
Heritage |
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Sultan Ahmet Mosque : Facing Hagia Sophia, is
the supremely elegant, imperial six minareted mosque of
Sultan Ahmet I. Built between 1609-1616 by the
architect Mehmet, it is known as the Blue Mosque
because of its magnificent interior decoratios of hand
made blue İznik tiles. |
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Suleymaniye Mosque : The mosque of Süleyman the
Magnificent, where he and his wife
are buried, is considered as the most beautiful of all
imperial mosques in Istanbul. It was
built between 1550 and 1557 by the famous architect
Sinan whose wish was to surpass the
builders of Hagia Sophia. Standing on a hill, it is
conspicious by its great size, emphasized
by the 4 minarets rising one from each corner of the
courtyard. Inside, the mihrab (prayer
niche) and the mimber (pulpit) are of finely carved
white marble and there are fine stained
glass windows. Adjoining the mosque were theological
schools, a school of medicine, a soup
kitchen and hospice for the poor, a caravanserai and a
Turkish bath.
Rustem Pacha Mosque : Another skillful
accomplishment of the great architect Sinan, this
mosque was built in 1551 on the orders of Rüstem Pacha,
Grand Vizier and son-in-law of
Süleyman the Magnificent. The exquisite interior is
covered with some of the finest examples
of İznik tiles.
Fatih Mosque : This imperial mosque, constructed
between 1463 and 1470 bears the name
of the conqueror of İstanbul, Fatih Sultan Mehmet and
the site of his musoleum. Standing
on top of one of the hills of Istanbul, it is notable
for its vast size and great complex of religi- ous
buildings surrounding it : theological schools,
hospices, a hospital, baths a caravanserai and a
library.
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Topkapı Palace : Overlooking the Bosphorus and
the Golden Horn stands in a maze of buildings that was
the great palace of the Ottoman sultans from the 15th
to the 19th centuries. The first courtyard is a
magnificent wooded garden. On the right of the second
court, shaded by cypress and plane trees is the palace
kitchen, now housing an exquisite collection of
crystal, silver and Chinese porcelain, while on the
left is the Harem, the secluded quartes of the wives
and concubines of the sultan. |
The third court contains the
Hall of Audience of the Sultan, the library of
Sultan Ahmet III an exhibition of robes worn by the
sultans and their families, the famous jewels of the
Imperial Treasury and an exhibition of miniatures. In
the center of the third court is the Pavilion of the
Holy Mantle enshrining relics of the Prophet Mohammed. |
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Dolmabahçe Palace : Built in the mid 19th
century by Sultan Abdulmecit II, Dolmabahçe Palace has
an impressive 600 meters frontage on the Bosphorus. The
most important section
is the vast reception saloon, with 56 columns and a
huge crystal chandelier weighing 4 ½ tons
and lit by 750 lights. |
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Beylerbeyi Palace : On the Asian side of the
Bosphorus, the Beylerbeyi Palace was built by Sultan
Abdulaziz in the 19th century of white marble. It
possesses a beautiful garden with magnolia trees. It
was used as a summer residence of the sultans and a
guest house for visiting foreign dignitaries. |
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Rumeli Hisarı : The Rumeli Fortress, built by
Fatih Sultan Mehmet in 1452 prior to the
conquest of Istanbul, was completed in only four
months. One of the most beautiful works of military
architecture anywhere in the world, it is now used as
the setting for some of the events of the Istanbul
Festival. |
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