The Topkapi Palace Museum
where Byzantine emperors watched gladiatorial combats, small, complex city in itself with thousands of shops, the ancient church of St. Irene and, on a promontory over- stalls and storehouses, fountains, restaurants and small
looking the Bosphorus, the Topkapi Palace. mosques. It is a maze in which you are sure to get lost
- and enjoy every moment of it.
T
opkapi has been called the most extensive and fascinating monument to Ottoman civil’ architecture in existence. It is not one palace but a collection of buildings built up over the centuries by successive Sultans. When I first saw it at the end of the last war it was badly in need of a wash and brush-up. Now the Turkish tourist authority, with the aid of dedicated experts, has restored and reno vated it so that the visitor can sense what it must have been like in the old days.Its treasures are beyond price. Gem-studded thrones, jewelled weapons, lavish costumes, manuscripts, por celain ... an unrivalled collection.
One of the most fascinating parts of Topkapi — the harem quarters — have only recently been unveiled to the public. Here beautiful women lived out their indolent lives in tiny rooms.
Words scratched on one of the walls says the writer stands accused because of the disappearance of a mirror, worth two kuruş. What happened to that poor girl?
We still have much to see, so leaving Topkapi and its delights let us walk on - but first a glass of Turkish tea at one of the many sidewalk cafes. Walk? I’m sure that the best way to see Istanbul is on foot, but it is worth mentioning the dolmuş system. These are large, old Ame rican cars which ply between one fixed point and another. When one customer leaps out another leaps in. The cost is only slightly more than a bus, but you have to know where you are going and you have to be pretty quick.
What next on our itinerary? No visitor should miss the Covered Bazaar, which lies near Beyazit Square. It is a
I must stress that the bazaar is not a tourist trap. It contains, of course, goldsmiths and silversmiths (don't forget to bargain) and dealers in precious carpets, but there are also haberdashers, shoemakers, ironmongers and food shops. The bazaar is used constantly by the or dinary folk of Istanbul. And you can still pick up bargains. I once bought, for a pound or two, a lamp which once graced a Sultan’s palace.
Finally let me escort you to the tiny church of St. Savior in Chora (Kariye Camii in Turkish situated a cou ple of hundred yards inside the land walls at their nor thern end. Many churches have stood on the site but what we see today is a 14th century restoration. It is the inside which concerns us, for it contains what many would call the world’s loveliest mosaics.
In a short article I can only touch on a fragment of Istanbul's charm. Nor do I want you to believe that the city is only a collection of old buildings of interest to the historian.
For the bathing enthusiast the beach of Florya on the European side of the Marmara Sea offers modern attrac tions. At night restaurants, casinos and clubs compete for the visitor's attention. Ladies will find shops selling em broidered dresses hard to resist ... like the city itself, hard to resist.
I have tried to give some impression of a city which has everything. I celebrated my 21st birthday by playing cricket with oranges in the main European road ... I spend my honeymoon in the Pera Palas ... My wife and I had the best meal of our lives in a modest cafe outside the Süleymaniye Mosque. And when we left the propri etor called to us “ Güle Güle” ... Go with smiles.
Kişisel Arşivlerde İstanbul Belleği Taha Toros Arşivi
