Istanbul - the thousand-year city and the capital of the world

Prosperity and poverty, conflict and passion.

From the ancient Roman Empire, the Byzantine Empire, the Ottoman Empire, to Istanbul, in these magnificent and ups and downs of history, there should be no place in the world that has gone through 2,700 years of political and military development like Istanbul. , religious competition. After all the disputes calmed down and the prosperity faded, Istanbul, with its amazing self-healing power, became a super dynamic, multi-element, multi-cultural and inclusive charming city.

When you think of Istanbul, what comes to your mind?

Are famous landmarks: Hagia Sophia, Blue Mosque?

Or the unique humanistic life: Bosphorus, Grand Bazaar, black tea, barbecue, tapestries?

Turkey is a rich and diverse country. I believe that everyone who has been there will have their own understanding and understanding of it. So let’s talk about Istanbul from different angles.

This article first takes a look at the famous landmarks, several mosques in the old city and Independence Street and Galata Tower in the new city.

Blue Mosque Sultan Ahemt Camil

It was built more than 400 years ago during the period of Sultan Ahmed I. The reason why it is called the "Blue Mosque" is because of the uses inside the building. There are a large number of Iznik blue tiles with blue glazed porcelain, white as the base, and rich patterns engraved on them. The entire interior of the mosque is almost entirely rendered in blue. The Blue Mosque is also the largest domed building in Istanbul, surrounded by six prayer towers. It is the only mosque in the world with six towers and one of the top ten mosques in the world.

Hagia Sophia

Hagia sophia Museum

Passing through the gate of the Blue Mosque is another landmark of Istanbul: Hagia Sophia.

It is of church origin, half halal, half Christian. It was built in 532 AD and was converted into a mosque in the 15th century. In 1453, the Ottoman Turkish army captured Constantinople. Sultan Mehmed II ordered that all Christian holy objects be confiscated and the mosaics covered with stucco, thus converting Hagia Sophia into a mosque. Ironically, this approach objectively protects the ancient murals. After World War I, it was turned into a historical museum, and many of the murals buried under the plaster have been brought to light.

Hagia Sophia is where successive Byzantine monarchs were crowned. The magnificent royal gates and countless mosaics in the church all demonstrate the dignity of religion and the luxury of the royal family. It is a master of Byzantine culture. As a transitional style between the classical and medieval eras, it inherits the 107 marble columns from the Roman era, the huge dome from the imperial era, and the fine mosaics that only began to shine in the Byzantine era, including the blessing seal of Jesus. On the wall: Peace be with you, I am the light of the world. Begin with piety and end with art.

The Basilica Cistern

The Basilica Cistern is located next to Hagia Sophia. Although it is underground, it has now become one of the most mysterious and romantic places in the entire city. It has a history of 1,500 years ago and took 200 years to build. It was originally built to alleviate the demand for drinking water during the war. It is said that it can store 100,000 tons of water, which could provide drinking water for the entire city of Istanbul for a month.

"The Dante Code", "Skyfall", "Skyfall" and other movie shooting locations, the underground water palace is built into it, supported by 336 9-meter-high Corinthian stone pillars, plus a huge The vault structure has a strong color of movie exploration. Just like the two stone pillars inside it, there are also different opinions.

One is the "Pillar of Medusa's Head", with the head facing down on one side and the other facing the side. It is a mystery that has not yet been solved; the second one is the "Tear Pillar". As the name suggests, it has a teardrop-shaped pillar with exquisite patterns on it. It is a stone cave. Legend has it that if you insert your thumb into the cave and rotate it completely, your wish will come true. (There is also such a place inside Hagia Sophia, which has also been given the same interpretation. Many people line up to make wishes. I want to say that in fact, legends are just legends.)

Topkapi Palace

Every country has a palace that it is proud of, such as the Forbidden City in China and the Topkapi Palace in Turkey. From the 15th to the 19th century, for nearly 400 years, this was the main residence and work place of successive Turkish sultans.

Topkapi Palace consists of four courtyards and other small buildings such as the harem, which looks like a city within a city. The "Imperial Treasure House" located in the third courtyard is the essence of the entire palace. The "Topkapi Sword" collected in it is inlaid with three huge emeralds. In addition, there is an 86-carat teardrop-shaped diamond in the treasure house, which is the fifth largest diamond in the world. Mohammed IV once brought this diamond to the coronation ceremony.

Asuleymaniye Mosque

The unique location overlooks the entire Galata Bridge and the beautiful bay. The 500-year-old mosque has the story of the Suleiman Dynasty. If you say Hagia Sophia, standing inside the church, you are shocked by its magnificence; the Blue Mosque has a more elegant, noble and cool temperament; and the Suleymaniye Mosque is quiet, peaceful, broad and majestic, standing inside the church or Sitting outside, a few people in twos and threes may be able to perceive its history and even some of the culture of this nation with their hearts.

Independence Street

Known as Istanbul's "Champs Elysées", it starts from Galata Bridge and ends at Taksim Square. The century-old buildings on Independence Street are home to fashionable and popular brands, dessert shops, barbecue restaurants, fresh fruit stalls, retro trams, various churches, and consulates of various countries. The crowds of people come and go one after another, making it very lively. In the alleys next to the main street, there are many small bench shops with local characteristics, a cup of black tea for 2 lira, ancient pastry shops, and kittens lying leisurely on the streets. As I walked, I unknowingly turned somewhere, and my style suddenly changed, and I encountered fashionable and avant-garde music stores, bookstores, art galleries, and theaters. Perhaps the collision of new and old is the charm of Independence Street.

Galate Tower

The Galata Tower is a lighthouse built by the Byzantine Emperor Anastasius in 507. It was originally built of wood and was later used in the Crusades. It was burned down during the campaign and was rebuilt with stones by the Genoese in 1348. This ancient tower that has gone through many vicissitudes of life plays many roles: guard tower, prison, and observatory.

Nowadays, the observation deck of Galata Tower can overlook the entire Istanbul from different angles, especially with the sunset in the evening, it is the first romantic place for lovers to check in. Because of this, the queue of tourists at this time is really spectacular. In order to avoid the crowds, I went up in the afternoon and sat in the cafe on the tower, overlooking the city scenery, basking in the sun, and the light refracted in, which was another kind of laziness and romance.

There has never been a country or city that combines different ethnic groups, religions, histories and cultures from Europe, Asia and Africa. The passionate and fiery temperament of the local people constantly impacts you and makes you subvert a lot. Preconceived notions...

Istanbul will keep you immersed in a kind of beauty and fragmentation.

There is love and hate here like a storm,

gain and loss,

vicissitudes and prosperity,

liveliness and Be still,

In this intertwined collision, let you understand the meaning of survival.

Istanbul is a city that has lasted for 2,700 years. Everything is left on the stained glass of the palace and in the rumors in the streets.

...THE END...

If the world were a country, its capital must be Istanbul. ——Napoleon