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The temple of Artemision is
known as one of the Seven Wonders of the ancient world. It
has been built in the areas of Ephesus on a flat area which
has over the centuries turned into a swamp. Today one can
only see the ruins of the foundations of this marvelous
construction of the Hellenistic Age, entirely made of marble
and full of sculptured columns' capitals and shafts. |
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Ephesus, once the most
important commercial center of the western Anatolia, is one
of the highlights of Turkey that awaits the exploring
tourists.The city
was established as a port on the mouth of the river Cayster
and was one of the foremost cities of the world for its
being on a strategic trade route in Anatolia. The city
itself and the ruins are all on the sides of a fertile
valley. |
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Ephesus Terrace Houses are located on the slopes of Bulbul
Mountain, opposite the Hadrian Temple.
Also called as "the houses of
rich", these houses were for the important and wealthy
people of Ephesus, as only rich people could afford such
houses.
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Located on the top of the "Bulbul" mountain 9 km ahead of
Ephesus, the shrine of Virgin Mary enjoys a marvelous
atmosphere hidden in the green. It is the place where Mary
may have spent her last days. Indeed, she may have come in
the area together with St. John, who spent several years in
the area to spread Christianity. |
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It is believed that the evangelist St. John had spent his
last years in the region around Ephesus and buried in the
southern slope of Ayosolug Hill. Three hundred years after
the death of St. Paul, a small chapel was constructed over
the grave in the 4th century. The church was changed into a
marvelous basilica during the region of Emperor Justinian (
527 -565 AD). |
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In the beginning, in 1929, artifacts from diggings and the
surrounding were brought here and stored. In 1964, what is
now the museum's southern section was built and artifacts
were displayed there. The room was not big enough for the
increasing number of artifacts so, in 1995 new section was
added and used for exhibition. The Selcuk Ephesus Museum is
the most important, richest museum for possession and sole
display of local artifacts.. |
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This pretty old Orthodox village, 12 km away from Ephesus
and 30 km from Kusadasi, was once Cirkince ("ugly"). Indeed
its habitants gave this name on purpose as they did not want
to be bothered by foreigners nor to share the beauty of
their village.
Still after years, visitors understood that the village was
not ugly at all and called it Sirince ("pretty"). |
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Hagia Sophia is considered a unique monument in world
architecture, and it's magnificence and functionality has
been a good example in construction of countless Ottoman
mosques. Hagia Sophia with its exceptional history
constitutes a synthesis between east and west. This monument
is one of the wonders of the world that has remained intact
until the present day. |
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Sultan Mehmet the Conqueror, with the conquest of then
Constantinople, simultaneously closed and opened two ages.
Now the capital of the Ottomans was to be Istanbul, and the
Sultan was to build his palace here for the administration
of the Empire. The first palace of the sultans was built in
the district of Beyazit (Old Palace). |
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During the Byzantine Era there was a Hippodrome near the
Blue Mosque with a capacity of 10,000 people. In 1606,
Sultan Ahmet wanted to build a mosque bigger, more majestic
and more beautiful than the Hagia Sophia Church, and he did
indeed build a mosque; you will be the one to judge which
one is more impressive. |
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The Hippodrome was an immense construction 480 meters length
and 117.5 meters wide; it could seat, according to
estimations one hundred thousand spectators. It was build in
203 by the Emperor Septimus Severus and later on Constantine
the Great extended and remodeled it. As Hagia Sophia was the
center of religious life, the Hippodrome was the center of
the civil activities.. |
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You could visit Istanbul for the shopping alone. The Kapali
Carsi, or Covered Bazaar (Grand Bazaar), in the old city is
the logical place to start. This labyrinth of streets and
passages houses more than 4000 shops. The names recall the
days when each trade had its own quarter: the goldsmiths'
street, the carpet sellers' street, the street of the
skullcap makers.. |
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The Egyptian Bazaar is famous for selling the best spices in
Istanbul and Turkey. If you have enough time in Istanbul and
like to cook different things you must visit the Egyptian
Bazaar. |
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The cascading domes and four slender minarets of Suleymaniye
Mosque dominate the skyline on the Golden Horn's west bank.
Considered the most beautiful of all imperial mosques in
Istanbul, it was built between 1550 and 1557 by Sinan, the
renowned architect of the Ottoman golden age. On the crest
of a hill, the building is conspicuous for its great size,
which the four minarets that rise from each corner of the
courtyard emphasize. |
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The finest examples of
Byzantine mosaics that have remained to the present day are
the ones found in the Chora Church (Chora Monastery). This
building was used for a time as a mosque and was known as
the Kariye Camisi. Following the Second World War the
building was repaired and restored and opened as a museum. |
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The first turning on the right beyond the Valide Hani takes
us into Uzun Carsi Caddesi, the Avenue of the Long Market.
This is the site of the city's secondhand clothing market,
where the poor of the city sell one another clothing. About
half a kilometer down this street we come to the great
Rustem Pasa Mosque, one of the most beautiful of the smaller
mosques of Sinan. |
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The Dolmabahce Palace was built between 1843 and 1856 when
the Ottoman Empire was losing its power. This superb palace
displays the richness and power that the Sultans had. The
decline of the Ottoman Empire began and people starting
revolting; the Ottoman army was obsolete and disorganized,
the economy was out of control. |
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Architect Sinan designed
this mosque after 1557, for Mihrimah Sultan, Sultan
Suleyman's daughter. This mosque is unprecedented with its
supporting system and dome (19 m.). Four arches that spring
from four piers hold up the dome, which has an astonishing
height (35 m.). There are very narrow, domed aisles on the
east and west sides of the building. These isles do not lend
a support to the covering system. |
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The Underground Cistern is located near the Hagia Sophia
Church in the Sultanahmet district.
The Turks call it "Yerenbatan Sarayi" which means
"underground palace". The cistern was built by Justinian in
the 6th century. |
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Constantinople's great city walls were breached only twice
in 1600 years.
The 5th-century city walls built by Emperor Theodosius II
stretch for 6.5 km (4 miles) from Istanbul's Golden Horn to
the Sea of Marmara. |
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