Pink Hooves and Mohammed's Guide-On Bearer

The last day…already.  Looking out the window of the Historia Hotel, it’s hard to imagine that ten (plus) days in Turkey have already passed; glancing out of the corner of my eye at my blog, however, it’s easy to see the time not only passed but did so in a well-spent manner.  But on our last morning in the hotel lobby, the day began with a bit of a disappointment: our visit to Topkapi was cancelled due to an oversight in scheduling.  

Giving each of us a reason to come back to the city, this cancellation also gave some of us flexibility in how to spend our last 24 hours.  Since the rest of the group was supposed to go to the Archeological Museum and I already went, I was free to do what I wanted.  The list was short, and three specifics topped it: Dolmabahçe, Taksim Square and Eyüp Sultan Mosque.  After a quick good-bye, I was off to the palace…

Dolmabahçe

 The Imperial Gate, once used only by the Sultan and his Viziers

Built by Armenian architects in 1856 on the order of Sultan Abdul Mecit, this waterfront palace was a grand departure from the Topkapi palace it replaced and a physical effort to westernize that complemented the reforms of the tanzimat incorporated between 1839 and 1876.  

The largest difference between the two palaces was functionality; Dolmabahçe was designed to both receive dignitaries and house the sultanate, while Topkapi only performed the latter.  This difference was apparent throughout the first of two guided tours that - combined - lasted only an hour despite the structure's grandness.  The reason for such a short tour: Each tourist, upon purchasing his ticket, was transformed into a pink-hoofed part of the herd swiftly escorted through what felt like a slow-motion stampede.

To explain: prior to entering, visitors were first compelled to wear pink plastic bags over their shoes in order to maintain the red carpet lining the palace's hardwood floors.  Next, each tour was guided, and our führer was quite effective at listing the rules: No touching the handrails unless you are disabled; do not veer from the carpet; do not touch anything; do not fall behind the group!  

Once the tour began, its pace was swift and often unable to gather the group for detailed information due to the narrow passageways and the closure of rooms.  Only twice in the forty minutes did I feel we had enough time to appreciate everything in a room.  Continually walking between the red felt ropes, not stopping for fear of falling behind or being rear-ended, we were funneled through the corale.  Regardless, the corale was most impressive.

Walking through fifteen rooms and bypassing just as many more, the eye was caught by elaborately designed ceilings (the most impressive in Istanbul), numerous paintings (most depicting war, commerce and Sultans) and European furniture of all shapes, sizes, fabrics and designs.  Three rooms stuck out though.

The first was the "red" room where the Sultan received dignitaries.  Sitting off the corner of the main reception hall, the color symmetry of this little room creates pause for entrants who first notice two parallel bands of velvet red running across the room.  The higher band is a series of curtains hung over the room's windowed walls; in their openings, the Bosphorus flows past lined with barges and their wakes.  The lower band is a series of divans, sofas and chairs lining the same walls.  Offset by gold-trimmed tables and paintings, they create a spectacle.

The second area was the crystal staircase, so named by the crystalline bannisters in its railings.  Though impressive in its own right, the more striking feature was the staircase's double-horseshoe design that allowed uncomplicated access for guests and staff alike, given its location near the palace entrance.

Finally, the grand ceremonial hall was the third and most impressive room in the building.  Designed to fit up to 2,500 guests, the 124-square meter room sported a 4.5-ton chandelier (two months to clean every six years) and ten-foot high crystalline light stands in each corner underneath a blue, brown and grey dome supported (in part) by fifty Roman columns.

Following this tour, a much shorter and less impressive walk through the monotonous harem side of the palace offered a more subdued look at the palace wing that housed the Sultan, his family, visitors and the staff required for upkeep.  Most notable here was that Ataturk died in his bedroom at the age of 57 after living in the palace from 1927 to 1938.

Taksim Square
The Monument of Independence

"Trendy Shopping" at Taksim Square

After a short walk from the palace up a hotel-line thoroughfare, sat the former Atop a hill, it’s easy to see that this chic site was once used to provide water from the Belgrade forest to the Beyoğlu district in the early 1700s.  Walking under the shade of the tree-line neighborhood of the square was pleasant, but I must be getting old because I was unimpressed by the attitude of trendiness imbued by those sipping tea and coffee in the modern cafes.  More impressive was the Monument of Independence; built in 1928, this site shows Ataturk and the other founders of the republic.

Eyüp Sultan Mosque

 The Tomb of Sokollu Mehmet Paşa

 The Tomb of Eyüp Ensari

The last site of my Istanbul adventure was the mosque that Sultan Mehmet II originally dedicated to Mohammed’s guide-on bearer in 1458.  Although that building was destroyed and replaced by the current one by Selim III in 1800, the complex's grandness - largely coming from the numerous tombs surrounding it - was still intact.  

One of my primary reasons for coming here was not to bask in the glory of yet another mosque but rather to continue my sultan tomb "scavenger hunt."  However, my efforts bore no fruits, as vast sections of the partially-gated cemetery were closed and many of the dozens of tombs stood nameless from the footpaths.  The most notable that I crossed was that of Grand Vizier Sokollu Mehmet Pasha, who served under Sultans Süleyman the Lawmaker, Selim II and Murat III.

Overall, the complex was unique in its huge cemetery, baroque design and tomb of Eyüp Ensari.  But, due to renovations in the courtyard and a significant number of worshippers (mostly female), his tomb was not easily accesible and the Iznik tiles surrounding it covered.  Thus, the visit was a bit of a letdown, but not a big one.  

Like most days, the last was a good mix of individual exploration, old sites, Turkish customs and group visiting.  Although I've only focused on the former two aspects in this posting - much like the rest of them - the latter two made the ten-day trip truly worthwhile as they provided a look into a country that has (on its surface) balanced modernity with tradition and a sounding board in which to enjoy it.