This time the Grand Bazaar didn’t catch my attention. I only entered briefly on one of the gates, looked around and, after 10 minutes, I left. There are hundreds of shops there, a Heaven for shoppers but may be some other time…
The Hypodrome, built by Septimius Sever in the 3rd century, now a little park, offers for the eager tourist The Wilhelm III fountain (buit for the visit of the king to Istanbul), the Egyptian Obelisk, which was sometime in Luxor,the column with snakes (brought from near Delphi).
Basilica Cisterna, built by Justinian on 532, is an enchanting monument! A lot of columns (336 more exactly) sustain the vault, and two of them are sustained by Medusa heads, brought from an even older monument. It is cool inside, and you walk on a wooden bridge and see fishes swimming in the water which still stays in the cisterna.
The old ottoman houses have been renovated and included in the touristic circuit.
Zona Sultanahmet, poate cea mai frecventata de catre turisti, a fost denumita dupa constructorul Moscheii Albastre, sultanul Ahmed I. Aici se afla cele doua minuni – Sfanta Sofia si Moscheea Albastra – dar si Palatul Topkapi, Marele Bazar, Hipodromul, Cisterna Basilica, casele otomane din lemn si multe alte obiective.
Marele Bazar n-a reusit sa-mi retina atentia, de data asta. Am intrat doar putin, m-am uitat si am iesit in 10 minute. Poate altadata…
Intemeiat de Mehmed II, bazarul este o aglomerare fantastica de magazine, intre care te poti rataci cu usurinta. In bazar se intra pe mai multe porti. Daca esti amator de shopping sau doar de privit, nu conteaza, iti poti petrece (sau pierde?) aici o gramada de timp. N-am ajuns sa vad nici celebra zona a aurarilor. Cand voi reveni si voi sta mai multe zile in Istanbul, voi scotoci si bazarul mai bine.
Hipodromul, datorat lui Septimius Sever (sec.III) este un fost stadion urias, pe locul caruia se afla astazi o gradina publica. Aici puteti vedea Fantana ridicata in memoria vizitei lui Wilhelm al II-lea la Istanbul (1898), obeliscul egiptean (1500 i.e.n.) adus de langa Luxor, coloana serpilor, adusa de langa Delphi (probabil, 479 i.e.n.)
Vechile case otomane, din secolul al 19-lea, au fost renovate si au intrat, majoritatea in circuitul turistic, fiind foarte solicitate. Culori luminoase, pastelate si numeroase fantani.
Ah, I would love to revisit this great city! Lovely photos!
Thank you, Joo! You are nice as always:)
The well known great city of Constantinopolis, so pretty and historically interesting place!
Thanks for the comment, Phivos!