Istanbul
is the only city in the world built on two continents which Fatih Sultan Mehmet
the Conqueror changed in his era. It stands on the shores of the uniquely
beautiful Bosphorus (Istanbul Bogazi) where the waters of the Black Sea combine
with those of The sea of Marmara and the Golden Horn. Istanbul is a province
designed to be the capital and it has been the capital of three empires which
used to dominate the world. Today the province houses the precious remains of
these civilizations and stands with all its glamour and mysticism as a
harmonious link between East and West, past and present, antique and modern.
It is one
of the richest cities in historical background, as well as one of the most
beautiful, enchanting and alive cities of the world. It has an atmosphere of its
own with its life-style, people and numerous attractions. In Istanbul you will
have to be generous with time since it has so much to show. The old palaces, the
great mosques with soaring minarets, ancient churches, museums, bazaars, the
Istanbul Strait and others are wonderful sites worth seeing.
The inter-city code for Istanbul is 212 for the European
side and 216 for the Asian side. To call a number on the other side of
the Bosphorus, first dial(0), then the appropriate code. To call overseas,
first dial(00), then the country code.
Tourism Information Offices
Information offices of the Ministry of Tourism distribute brochures
and maps and their friendly staff are helpful in finding accommodation
and answering questions.
Museums Istanbul has some of the most exciting and varied museums, ranging
from the magnificent Haghia Sophia to the intimate Sadberk Hanim Museum. Entrance
fees, where charged, are very reasonable.
Archaelogical Museums Adr.: Sultanahmet Tel: 0(212) 520 77 40 On the steep cobblestoned road from Gulhane Park to Topkapi Palace, the
two imposing neo-classical buildings of the museums are set in a charming
courtyard. They house a superb collection of Greco-Roman and Near Eastern
antiquities. A new wing has an excellent exhibition on the development
of civilization. The tiled Pavilion in the courtyard of the Archaeological
Museum and is one of the few buildings dating back to the Ottoman conquest
of the city. Open 09.30-17.00. Closed Mondays.
Asiyan Museum Adr. : Asiyan, Bebek Tel: 0(212) 263 69 86 The house of Tevfik Fikret, a celebrated 19th century Turkish poet. Open
09.00-17.00. Closed Mondays and Thursdays.
Ataturk Museum Adr.:Halaskargazi Avenue 250, Sisli. Tel: 0(212) 240 63 19 Some of the personal effects of Mustafa Kemal Ataturk, the founder and
first President of the Turkish Republic, displayed in a house where he
lived briefly. Open 09.30-16.30. Closed Thursdays and Sundays.
Calligraphy Museum Adr.: Beyazit Square, Tel: 0(212) 527 58 51 The Ottomans, always uneasy with human pictorial representation, found
fuller artistic expression in calligraphy. This is the only museum of
calligraphy in the world. Open 09.00-16.00. Closed Sundays and Mondays.
Carpet and Rug Museum Adr.: Sultanahmet. Tel:0(212)518 13 30 Open 09.00-16.00. Closed Sundays and Mondays.
Divan Literature Museum Adr.: Galip Dede Street 15, Tunel, Beyoglu. Tel:0(212)245 41 41 Also called the Galata Mevlevihane, this is where the mystic "Whirling
Dervishes" perform "Sema" dances and Sufi music on the
last Sunday of every month. A memorable experience not to be missed.
Haghia Sophia Adr.:Sultanahmet. Tel:0(212)522 09 89 The Church of Holy Wisdom is undoubtedly one of the greatest buildings
in the world. Built by the Byzantine Emperor Justinian circa AD 535, it
was transformed into a mosque after the Ottoman conquest of the city in
1453. Now a museum, it is awesome in size, and contains beautifully preserved
Byzantine mosaics. A must for any visitor to Istanbul. Open 09.30-17.00.
Closed Mondays.
Rahmi M. Koc Adr.: Sutluce. Tel:0(212) 250 89 38 A private collection of steam engines and machinery reflecting the Industrial
Revolution, housed in a beautifully restored Byzantine building.
Kariye Museum (The Church of St.Saviour in Chora) Adr.:Kariye Camii Street, Edirnekapi. Tel:0(212)631 92 41 A comparatively small Byzantine church decorated with extraordinary late
14th century frescoes and mosaics portraying the life and miracles of
Christ. The most important and extensive series of Byzantine paintings
in the city and among the most significant in the world. Open 09.30-16.30.
Closed Tuesdays.
Marite Museum Adr.:Besiktas. Tel: 0(212)261 00 40 Includes examples of the extraordinary caiques that used to row the Sultans
to and from their palaces along the Bosphorus. Open 09.30-17.00. Closed
Mondays and Tuesdays.
Military Museum Adr.:Harbiye. Tel:0(212)223 27 20 Newly arranged displays of ancient cannons, weaponry, costumes and, best
of all, some wonderful embroidered tents from ottoman campaigns. The Janissary
Band occasionally performs in front of the museum. Open 09.00-17.00. Closed
Mondays and Tuesdays.
Mosaic Museum Adr.: Sultanahmet. Tel: 0(212)518 12 05 Houses the mosaics discovered in the grand Palace of Byzantium. Open 09.30-17.00.
Closed Tuesdays.
Sadberk Hanim Museum Adr.: Buyukdere Avenue 27-29, Sariyer. Tel:0(212) 242 38 13 Excellent archaeological and ethnographical collections displayed in two
handsome old mansions on the Bosphorus. Open 10.30-18.00. Closed Wednesdays.
Topkapi Palace Museum Adr.:Sultanahmet. Tel: 0(212)512 04 80 The legendary palace of the Ottoman sultans from the 15th to the 19th
centuries. Low buildings set in a series of courtyards. Topkapi is quite
unlike a Western palace. Be sure to see the Harem, the Treasury and the
golden-roofed Baghdad Kiosk. Open 09.30-17.00. Closed Tuesdays.
The Museum of Turkish and Islamic Art
Adr.: Sultanahmet. Tel: 0(212)518 05 06 A delightful museum on the ancient Hippodrome, housed in the Ibrahim Pasha
Palace, the home of Suleyman the Magnificent's Grand Vizier. Beautifully
displayed Islamic objects and antique carpets. Open 10.00-17.00. Closed
Mondays.
Palaces Beylerbeyi Palace Adr.: Beylerbeyi. Tel: 0(216)321 93 20 A restored summer palace of the late Ottoman sultans, built of white marble.
Open 09.00-12.30 and 13.30-17.00. Closed Mondays and Thursdays.
Dolmabahce Palace Adr.:Besiktas. Tel: 0(212)258 55 44 The 19th century robocco residence of the Ottoman sultans and the place
where Ataturk died in 1938. Beautifully situated, with a 600 metre frontage
on the Bosphorus, an impressive ballroom and ornate Victorian furniture
embodying the Turkish assimilation of European culture. Visitors are admitted
in groups, led by the museum's guides. Open 09.00-16.00. Closed Mondays.
Cultural Centers The cultural centers in Istanbul often maintain lending libraries, offer
language classes and sponsor concerts and films.
British Council Adr.: Beyoglu. Tel: 0(212) 243 76 82
Casa d'Italia Adr.: Tepebasi. Tel: 0(212) 244 98 48
French Cultural Center Adr.: Taksim. Tel: 0(212) 243 43 87 - 245 38 35
German Cultural Center Adr.: Galatasaray. Tel: 0(212) 251 54 04
Spanish Cultural Office Adr.: Beyoglu. Tel: 0(212)225 21 53 .
USIS(US Information Service)
Adr.: American Consulate, Tepebasi. Tel: 0(212) 251 36 02
Libraries
American Library Adr.: Mesrutiyet Avenue 108, Tepebasi. Tel: 0(212) 251 26 75 Open 11.00-16.00. Closed Wednesdays and Weekends.
Ataturk Library Adr.: Mete Avenue 45, Taksim. Tel: 0(212) 249 09 45 Has a good collection of periodicals. Open 08.30-17.30.
Beyazit Library Adr.: Imaret Street 18-20, Beyazit. Tel: 0(212) 522 37 51 Open Monday-Saturday, 08.30-21.00.
British Council Library Adr.: Istiklal Avenue 251-253, Beyoglu.Tel: 0(212) 249 05 74 Open Monday-Friday, 09.45-17.45; Saturday, 10.45-14.15
Celik Gulersoy Library Adr.: Sogukcesme Street, Sultanahmet. Tel: 0(212) 512 57 30. A collection of books on Istanbul. Open Mondays, Wednesdays and Fridays,
10.00-12.00 ; 13.30-16.30.
Suleymaniye Library Adr.: Ayse Kadin Hamam Street 35, Beyazit. Tel: 0(212)520 64 60 Has the richest reference collection on Ottoman history and culture.
Medical Facilities Istanbul has good medical facilities and plenty of excellent doctors,
many of whom are trained abroad. State hospitals are better equipped and
cheaper than private hospitals, which in general are less crowded and
give better service. Hospitals expect you to pay immediately for services,
so have some cash or a credit card available.
Private
Hospitals
American Hospital Adr.: Guzelbahce Street, Nisantasi. Tel: 0(212) 231 40 50 (Also has
Emergency Service).
European Hospital
Adr.: Cahit Yalcin Street 1, Mecidiyekoy. Tel: 0(212) 288 24 51.
Time Line of Byzantium (Byzantion, Nova Roma, Constantinople, Istanbul)
It may seem
peculiar to provide a separate listing for the capital of both the Byzantine and
Ottoman Empires, but this city - one of the truly great cities of the world - is
historically interesting in it's own right.
Within Thracian
territory...........................to the 7th cent.
Colony established by
Megara...........................c. 657 BCE
Byzas
To Persia..........................................512-497
Involved in the Ionian
Revolt......................497-494
To Persia..........................................494-478
Member of the Delian
League........................478-411
To
Sparta..........................................411-407
Clearchus (as Spartan military gov.)..........411-409
Clearchus was deposed from his position and exiled
from Sparta for suspected corruption. He later made a name for himself as
one of the leaders of the Ten Thousand hired by Cyrus the Younger. His
execution by the Persians in 400 left command in the hands of junior
officers such as Xenophon, who led the remnants of the army on the fighting
retreat chronicled in the Anabasis.
To
Athens..........................................407-404
Clearchus (restored, as Tyrant)............c.
407-404
To
Sparta..........................................404-378
Member of the 2nd Athenian
League..................378-339
To
Macedon.........................................339-306
To the Roman
Republic...............................73-27
To the Roman Empire.............................27 BCE-395 CE
The city was razed for support of Pescennius Niger in
196 CE; later rebuilt as Augusta Antonina, but inhabitants continued to use
the old name of Byzantion or Byzantium, and the new appelation faded from
view.
The city was renamed Nova Roma in 330 CE - once again,
popular use retained Byzantium until the Emperor personally intervened and
required common usage to be "Constantinople", a name which eventually took
hold.
Capital of the Byzantine Empire....................330-1453
By the 13th century, Muslims were referring to the
place by any of several variants on the Arabic "Istinpolin", an Arab attempt
at pronouncing the Greek phrase "Eis ten polin" ("in the city"). The
Turkish version of this usage was Istanbul or Stamboul - despite which, the
official name remained Constantinople until the Turkish Post Office enacted
the change to Istanbul... in 1926.
Capital of the Ottoman
Empire.....................1453-1923
To
Turkey.........................................1922-
Note as well...
Galata
The districts of Galata and
Pera are located on the north shore of the estuary of the Golden Horn, with
the bulk of the city of Constantinople across the water to the south. They
were the foreigner's quarter for the capital from at least the 10th
century CE. In 1273, the neighbourhoods were granted as an extraterritorial
enclave to Genoa, for the use of that Republic's merchants and clients, as
well as other foreign residents. Genoa appointed governors (named as
"Podesta", or Mayor) of the community, who administered the district
autonomously. Here is a very incomplete list of these administrators...
Luccino de Facio.............................1446-1447
Pietro di Marco, acting 1447
Benedetto di Vivaldi.........................1448-1449
Francesco Cavallo.................................1449
-
Angelo Giovanni Lomelino.....................1451-1452
Francesco Giustinian.........................1452-1453
When the Ottoman Turks conquered the city in 1453,
the extraterritorial status of Galata was abolished, but the neighbourhood
was still utilized by the Turks as a foreigner's Quarter - in fact, foreign
merchants and diplomats were required to reside here and not permitted to
cross the Horn and enter the city unless accompanied by a Janissary. Over
time, Galata itself became too crowded, and the foreigners district was
expanded somewhat to include the district of Pera immediately around it.
Today, the districts have been consolidated into a newer administrative
division, Beyoglu, which is still regarded as a foreign quarter.
