Sultanahmet and some of its surroundings, Istanbul

avatar
(Edited)

One of my unfinished promises to myself and my blog is to finish documenting our trip to Istanbul in 2019, and today I invite you to join me on a tour of Sultanahmet Square and some of its surroundings. This square is the heart of old Istanbul. It is located on what is known as the historical peninsula. And there, you'll find some of the city's iconic monuments, such as the Hagia Sophia and the Blue Mosque.

Sultanahmet.jpgView of the Blue Mosque in Sultanahmet Square, Istanbul

All the photos I will share were taken during our trip in December 2019. Although they were not all taken on the same day, because we visited the area several times.

The square is built on the remains of an ancient Byzantine hippodrome.

 Sultanahmet2.jpgSultanahmet Square, Istanbul

Constantinople Hippodrome

On one of the days we were at the square, we visited the remains of the old Hippodrome of Constantinople.

The first thing we saw was the Column of the Serpents belonging to ancient Greece. It was part of a sacrificial tripod at Delphi, which was moved to the Hippodrome of Constantinople on the orders of Constantine the Great. The bronze column ended with the face of three serpents, one of which is in one of the Istanbul museums.

The Obelisk of Theodosius can be seen in the background.

 Sultanahmet_TheodosiusObelisk.jpgThe remains of the Column of Serpents / Obelisk of Theodosius

This obelisk was moved to the Hippodrome from ancient Egypt on the instructions of Theodosius the Great.

TheodosiusObelisk.jpgObelisk of Theodosius

Then there is the Walled Obelisk, also known as Constantine's Obelisk, which was once covered with bronze.Bold

WalledObelisk.jpgWalled Obelisk

Finally, in the area of the old hippodrome is the German Fountain, dating from the end of the 20th century.

 Sultanahmet_Glorieta.jpgGerman Fountain

Hagia Sophia

Hagia Sophia is the most visited monument in the city. It is simply breathtaking. This temple was once a Byzantine church, then a mosque during the Ottoman Empire, then for many years a museum. It was still a museum when we visited it in 2019. But in 2020, by order of the Turkish government, it was returned to the status of a mosque.

HagiaSophia_Sultahnamet.jpgHagia Sophia

About our visit to Hagia Sophia, I wrote some time ago in A visit to Hagia Sophia.

HagiaSophia_Sultahnamet2.jpgHagia Sophia

The Blue Mosque

We initially wanted to visit it on the same day that we toured the old hippodrome, but the timing did not suit us. The Blue Mosque is open to the public depending on prayer times, so we visited it the day after we visited the Hippodrome.

TheBlueMosque_Istanbul.jpgThe Blue Mosque

This mosque is also known as the Sultan Ahmed Mosque and dates back to the Ottoman Empire.

It is perhaps the most visited mosque after Hagia Sophia.

TheBlueMosque.jpgThe Blue Mosque

When we visited Istanbul, the Blue Mosque was undergoing major restoration both inside and outside.

TheBlueMosque_Indoors.jpgThe Blue Mosque

The Basilica Cistern

Nearby Sultanahmet Square is an ancient cistern of the Byzantine Empire called the Basilica Cistern (Yeribatan Sarayi). It is the largest and oldest of the many cisterns that were built in the city during the Byzantine period and later during the Roman Empire. Cisterns in Istanbul ceased to be used after the foundation of the Ottoman Empire, as the Ottomans preferred running water.

TheBasilicaCistern2.jpgThe Basilica Cistern

Although the place had no water when we visited it, it is worth a visit. The only problem is that it is narrow and there are usually a lot of people during the visit.

TheBasilicaCistern.jpgThe Basilica Cistern

Some of its great attractions are two columns with a representation of Medusa's head at their base. On one, the head points downwards. And on the other one, it is on its side. It is said that they were placed like this to counteract the effect of her gaze and to prevent the prophecy of turning those who look at her into stone from being fulfilled. The real reason probably is less fantastic, and maybe there was some technical justification for it.

TheBasilicaCistern_MedusaHead.jpgMedusa head columns in The Basilica Cistern

Eating in Sultanahmet

We went to a place I had read on the internet that was the place to go in Sultanahmet to eat among the locals. The place's name is Sultahnamet Koftecisi, and there you go to eat koftes which are Turkish-style meatballs. The food was simple but tasty. I don't remember the exact price, but it was one of the cheapest places we ate in Istanbul.

SultahnametKoftecisi.jpgSultahnamet Koftecisi

Sultanahmet by night

The Sultanahmet square area is usually a bit deserted at night, but it is worth going to see the main monuments illuminated.

image.pngMy son with the view of the Blue Mosque, Sultahnamet

The magnificent Hagia Sophia is imposing both day and night.

HagiaSophia_byNight2.jpgHagia Sophia

And the Blue Mosque, on the opposite side of the square.

BlueMosque_byNight.jpgThe Blue Mosque, Sultahnamet

These were some of the things we did during our visit to Sultanahmet Square and some of the surroundings. And this is the place to visit if you only have one day to spend in Istanbul.

Thank you for reading!

All images and writing are my own unless otherwise stated.

© CoquiCoin

July 24, 2022



0
0
0.000
28 comments
avatar

This post has been manually curated by @steemflow from Indiaunited community. Join us on our Discord Server.

Do you know that you can earn a passive income by delegating to @indiaunited. We share 100 % of the curation rewards with the delegators.

Here are some handy links for delegations: 100HP, 250HP, 500HP, 1000HP.

Read our latest announcement post to get more information.

image.png

Please contribute to the community by upvoting this comment and posts made by @indiaunited.

0
0
0.000
avatar

Congratulations, your post has been added to Pinmapple! 🎉🥳🍍

Did you know you have your own profile map?
And every post has their own map too!

Want to have your post on the map too?

  • Go to Pinmapple
  • Click the get code button
  • Click on the map where your post should be (zoom in if needed)
  • Copy and paste the generated code in your post (Hive only)
  • Congrats, your post is now on the map!

0
0
0.000
avatar

Amazing photograph, this would be a lovely place to visit. I hope to see more about your trip to Istanbul.

0
0
0.000
avatar

Thank you very much. It is indeed a beautiful city. And thank you for stopping by :)

0
0
0.000
avatar

Hello. Welcome to my country. I hope you have enjoyed thousands of years of historical and architectural artifacts. Istanbul is one of the most important cities in the world in terms of history. It also has various riches and cultures in terms of historical temples and places of worship. If you come to Istanbul again, please visit the Galata Tower, the Maiden's Tower, the islands and dozens of other historical places. I am sure that you will be pleased to visit various cultures and historical places. I hope you will come again and enjoy your visit. Thank you for introducing Istanbul. You have prepared a very good article. :)

0
0
0.000
avatar

Hello! Thank you very much :)
I must say I fell in love with Istanbul.
I was able to visit Galata, Taksim, the Asian side, Pierre Loti, Ortakoy. We stayed almost a week, but we didn't have time to go to the islands. I hope there will be a next time since the city seemed magical to me and I would like to visit other destinations in Turkey.

0
0
0.000
avatar

I have to say Super Eli the Blue Mosque is my favourite:)
You looked so serious studying the menu 🤣🤣🤣
How long was your trip there?
Have a great day Super Eli and it is Monday so have some
!PGM

0
0
0.000
avatar

Hi Super Ed! The Blue Mosque is impressive from the outside and inside it was a pity it was almost all covered with scaffolding. But the interior of Hagia Sophia that I posted in another post is the most impressive, besides the grandeur, the mix of Islamic elements and the Christian frescoes on the walls give the place a unique look.

Hehe, I am a serious woman, Super Ed! 🤣🤣🤣

We stayed for almost a week. It was a bit of a circumstantial trip because it was the cheapest way at that time to go to Spain from here. But it was great that we decided to take the chance and stay a few days to see the city. It is worth a visit or more.

Have a magic day and week 😽

0
0
0.000
avatar

Hehe, I am a serious woman, Super Ed! 🤣🤣🤣

Oh god I nearly dropped my coffee ☕☕☕🤣🤣🤣
The cheapest way to get to Spain, so that explains what you were doing there, well at least you did stop off and enjoy the city. I can imagine the mix of frescoes being fantastic to see.
And indeed a shame the interior of the Blue Mosque was full with scaffolding.
Enjoy your week Super Eli and oh yes your birthday of Caracas today!

0
0
0.000
avatar

Hello hello, Super Ed!!!
You're insinuating that I'm not serious?

untitled.gif

0
0
0.000
avatar

Lovely shoots maam😍
Istanbul is one of the place I was dreaming to visit.

0
0
0.000
avatar

Thank you, and I hope you can visit someday :)

0
0
0.000
avatar

Always a pleasure a new tour (even digital too) around Istanbul! And one of my favorite places, the Yerebatan Cistern! I was four or five time there inside, every time I get in, love it! Great photos by the way! Saludos amiga, volveremos allá... 😉😉

0
0
0.000
avatar

I hope so, amiga :) The Yerebatan Cistern it’s a magic place.
Thank you, and have a lovely week
Abrazos!

0
0
0.000
avatar

Hiya, @lizanomadsoul here, just swinging by to let you know that this post made it into our Honorable Mentions in Daily Travel Digest #1628.

Your post has been manually curated by the @pinmapple team. If you like what we're doing, please drop by to check out all the rest of today's great posts and consider supporting other authors like yourself and us so we can keep the project going!

Become part of our travel community:

0
0
0.000
avatar

I'm happy for you liked İstanbul and you are lucky because I'm Turkish but I haven't seen İstanbul and it's architectures yet 😅

0
0
0.000
avatar

I hope you can visit it soon. It is a beautiful city.
Thank you for stopping by :)

0
0
0.000
avatar

@coquicoin OMG - this is like reliving my visit to that part of Istanbul. I have always been more intrigued by the eastern culture part of Istambul and the Sultanahmet area is the pinnacle of that. I was in awe as I walked through the Hagia sophia and the cistern.
Thanks for enabling the walk down memory lane!

singature small avatar.png

0
0
0.000
avatar

Hi, there :) You are welcome. Awe is the right word to describe the visit to Hagia Sophia. That place is amazing. I wonder how the fact that it is now a mosque could change that impression. As far as I understand, most of the frescoes are now covered by large cloths, at least at prayer times. Istanbul seemed to me a magic city.
Thank you for stopping by :)

0
0
0.000
avatar

Wow, hope you had a great stay over there? These photos are stunning and I am here in Nigeria imagining being there someday🤦🤦😀🤩🤩

0
0
0.000
avatar

I hope you can visit someday. How are you, sassy girl?
Thank you for stopping by :)

0
0
0.000
avatar

I hope so sassy partner
I am doing great today 🤗

0
0
0.000
avatar

So pretty city, tita. I want to go there 😮 But I am not seeing you anymore on Hive ☹️

0
0
0.000
avatar

I hope you can visit it someday, Nani 😊🤗

0
0
0.000