Istanbul (Turkey)

August/September 2000


	22 August View from the roof terrace of Hotel Sarniç towards the Blue Mosque in the north ...	22 August ... and -- over quite common style residential houses -- towards the Sea of Marmara in the south.
Sultanahmet (Istanbul) 23 - 25 August	First main point of the sightseeing is the European quarter Sultanahmet with the objects of interest Yerebatan Cistern, Hagia Sophia, Blue Mosque and Grand Bazaar. -- Due to the devastating earthquake on 17 August 1999 the city was almost free from visitors; the more busy the dealers were trying to bring their commodity to sale ...

	24 August Mini buses at the port of Kadiköy ...	24 August ... and everyday life ...
	24 August ... on the roads of the Asian quarter.	24 August The railway station Haydarpasha in the sunset.

From Üsküdar to Eminönü (Istanbul) 26 August	Violent summer thunderstorms are quite common in Istanbul. During the trip back by ferry-boat from the Asian quarter Üsküdar, a violent hail shower took place. Therefore the boat had to stop temporarily because of poor visibility. Back in the port of Eminönü several centimetres of hail covered the ground. The roads down-leading from Sultanahmet had changed into broad brooks. Nevertheless a little later everyday life on the Bosporus bank went on ...
Bosporus Trip (Istanbul) 28 August	The Bosporus connects the Black Sea with the Sea of Marmara and is one of most busy water ways in the world. Apart from that it forms the border between Europe and Asia. At its southern end Istanbul spreads on both sides. The route leads from the port of Eminönü in a zigzag course between the European and Asian bank to Anadolu Kavagi and lasts about 90 minutes.
Taksim and Dolmabahçe Palace (Istanbul) 29 August	The Dolmabahçe Palace was built in the time of 1843-1856 under Sultan Abdülmecit I in the style of the Turkish Renaissance and replaced the Topkapi Palace as residence of the sultans. The enormous palace facility occupies an area close to 250,000 m², extends over a length of approximately 600 m on the European bank of the Bosporus containing 250 rooms and 46 halls together with 28 baths and 4 hamams, which are extremely splendid and equipped wastefully with marble, alabaster and gold. The palace is open to visitors as a public museum since 1952.
Topkapi Palace (Istanbul) 31 August	The Topkapi Palace (New Imperial Palace) dates from the time after 1465 and was the residence of the Ottoman sultans in the 19th century. Today the vast palace facility is a museum accommodating extensive valuable collections of porcelain, handwritings, portraits, garbs, crown jewels and weapons from the Ottoman Empire. Further precious objects are the Holy Mantle and other sacred relics of prophet Mohamed exhibited in separate chambers.
Princes Islands (Istanbul) 1 September	The Princes Islands, respectively Adalar Islands, locate approximately 20 km southeast of Istanbul in the Sea of Marmara. They can be reached comfortably from Eminönü by ferry-boat within a 90 min travel. The islands, in former times a feared banishing place, nowadays are a popular recreation area. Motor traffic is not permitted, so that locomotion is possible only by foot or with a horse-drawn carriage.

	04 September Visit at the Confectioner Çigdem ...	04 September ... and his clay-made sultan.
	06 September Picture from the Mosaic Museum in Sultanahmet.	07 September View of Sultanahmet from Haydarpasha.

Mosque of Princes / Suleyman Mosque (Istanbul) 8 September	Sultan Suleyman the Magnificent established the Mosque of Princes (Sehzade Mehmed Mosque) in memory of his favourite son Mehmed in the year 1544. The mosque built by the architect Mimar Sinan impresses with its clear structure without frills and its simple elegance. The Suleyman Mosque located nearby was built under the reign of Sultan Suleyman the Magnificent during 1550-1557. The mosque is the main work of the architect Mimar Sinan (later defined by himself as a journeyman's piece) and is an example of Ottoman style of the Islamic art. The complex comprises an outer and an inner courtyard, slim minarets and ten balconies. A 53 meter high dome vaulting the prayer area is the largest of more than 500 subsidiary domes. The mosque is praised by poets as "Gloss and Joy of Istanbul".

	09 September Arrival on the Atatürk Airport at 3:56 o'clock.	09 September Departure is substantially delayed, but Nescafé eases ...
	09 September ... similarly as an early Wopper jr. at 7:17 o'clock.	09 September Return flight with a B737-800 from Istanbul to Bremen.