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Steve, Katherine, and Norah | profile | all galleries >> Türkiye March 2025 >> Day 2: Basilica Cistern, Blue Mosque, Süleymaniye Mosque, Spice Market, Rüstem Pasha Mosque, and Istanbul Modern tree view | thumbnails | slideshow

Day 2: Basilica Cistern, Blue Mosque, Süleymaniye Mosque, Spice Market, Rüstem Pasha Mosque, and Istanbul Modern

We didn’t have a set itinerary for Day 2 in Istanbul. We had a list of sites we wanted to visit in Old Town and would see how the day went. We started off with Basilica Cistern (Bazilika Sarnici), also nicknamed Yerebatan Sarayi or “Sunken palace”, arriving not long after opening time and having only a short wait to get in. The cistern was built 1,500 years ago by 7000 enslaved people under Emperor Justinian’s rule (the same emperor who had the Hagia Sophia built). It was constructed under the site of a former basilica, hence its name. A series of underground pipes and raised aqueducts channeled fresh water from ten miles away and it was the city’s largest cistern, serving the emperor’s Great Palace and later the Topkapi Palace after the conquest of Constantinople in 1453. It eventually fell into disrepair and was used only by locals who drew water from it during the 1500s. The cistern underwent several restorations during the Ottoman period and current times, with a final restoration in the 1980s that removed 50,000 tons of mud and erected platforms throughout the cistern before opening to the public as a museum in 1987 (previously boats were used to tour the cistern, which sounds pretty cool).

Basilica Cistern is much more majestic than the word “cistern” suggests; more akin to an underground cathedral. The space is 150 yards long and 70 yards wide (or 10,000 square meters) with 336 columns supporting a cross-vaulted ceiling. The columns are arranged in 12 rows with the columns even spaced 16 feet apart. The majority of the columns appear to have been recycled from the ruins of older buildings throughout the empire and as a result there is no uniformity of the columns. They are carved from different types of marble and granite and are topped with different capitals of the Ionic, Corinthian, and Doric styles. The two most notable columns are ones that are resting on pedestals carved with the face of Medusa.

When the cistern was completely filled with fresh water it held 20 million gallons. Today the walkways sit above a shallow pool with lighting that cycles through various settings. Additionally there are art installations throughout the space that add to the experience. I thought the ticket price was steep for the attraction (around $34 per person for a daytime visit), but it was still worth it to see this cool underground space.

It cost nothing for us to visit our next spot: The Blue Mosque (Sultan Ahmet Camii). The requirements for visiting the mosque were to have on proper attire (shoulders and knees covered), wear a headscarf, remove our shoes, and visit in between prayer times. The Blue Mosque was commissioned by Sultan Ahmet and designed by architect Mehmet Aga, a student of Sinan (considered the greatest Ottoman architect). Built upon the ruins of the Byzantines’ Great Palace, it took seven years to build (1609-1616) and reflects the classical Ottoman style of the period, incorporating Byzantine and Islamic elements. The Blue Mosque is considered one of the most iconic monuments of Ottoman architecture.

From the outside, the mosque is unique in having six minarets. The minaret is the tower where the imam or muezzin called the faithful to prayer five times a day (today this is done by speakers) and mosques traditionally have just one minaret. Stepping inside the mosque it was hard not to be wowed by the richly decorated walls and ceiling - there was so much to take in I didn’t know where to look! The centerpiece is the dome which is 140 feet high and 110 feet across. It was modeled after the Hagia Sophia dome, which was the first building in the world to place a round dome atop a rectangular building. The dome distributes its weight by four long pendentives resting on massive cylindrical pillars. Additional support comes from the half domes that buttress the dome and push it back in. This design allows for a large open space that gives the mosque an airy, spacious feeling; further emphasized by the 260 panes of stained glass.

The architecture and space are impressive, but what really had me swooning were the Iznik tiles. More than 20,000 ceramic tiles decorate the mosque, featuring Iznik tiles on the lower walls. Iznik tiles are named after the town of Iznik in Anatolia, 50 miles south of Istanbul, that has a long pottery tradition that really blossomed during the Ottoman empire, spurred by innovations in production and a blending of Ottoman arabesque patterns and Chinese elements in the hand painted designs. In the late 15th century the traditional clay used in ceramics was replaced with quartz, which produced a bright white base to showcase the hand painted designs. The traditional four colors in Iznik tiles are turquoise, cobalt, malachite, and coral; enhanced by metal oxide (copper oxide produces the rich cobalt blue and iron oxide creates the deep Iznik red). The final glaze and firing help create the intense, vivid colors that are characteristic of the Iznik tiles.

Islam tradition forbids the portrayal of living beings in places of worship, thus the focus on geometric and floral designs. We saw a beautiful array of geometric tiles when we visited Spain’s Andalusia and Turkey leveled up with their gorgeous floral designs on the Iznik tiles. The tulip is Turkey’s national flower and it features heavily in Iznik tiles, along with roses, carnations, and hyacinths. In the Blue Mosque there are 50 different tile designs and the “Blue Mosque” nickname comes from the rich blue hues found on the tiles. The mosque is further adorned by artful Arabic calligraphy with Quran quotes of sayings of Muhammad. Overall, it is a gorgeous space.

Iznik tiles are also featured in the Tomb of Sultan Ahmet I (Sultan Ahmet Türbesi), located outside the Blue Mosque. Ahmet ascended the imperial throne at 13 and died from typhus fever at 27 in 1617, not long after the Blue Mosque was completed. The tomb was designed by the same architect Mehmed Aga and completed in 1619. Ahmet is buried with his wife Kösem, four of their sons, and various grandchildren.

The Blue Mosque sits along the Hippodrome and we visited this area next. The Hippodrome is an oblong square that was a chariot racecourse originally built in AD 203 when it was Byzantium. The Hippodrome was renovated in AD 324 (now Constantinople) and was estimated to be 1,476 feet by 427 feet. The Hippodrome was the center of Byzantine life, hosting races and other spectacles. The grandstands were capable of holding 100,000 spectators. By the time the Ottomans conquered the city in 1453, the Hippodrome had fallen into ruin and the Ottomans had no interest in it beyond using it as a meadow for its horses. Stones from the grandstands were used in building the Blue Mosque and during its construction the dirt was dumped in the Hippodrome, which is why today it is six feet higher than the sunken monuments.

During its heyday, the Hippodrome was filled with statues and monuments. Most of these have been lost to time, including the four horse statues that were looted during the Fourth Crusade in 1204 and installed at St. Mark’s Basilica in Venice. There are a few monuments that remain today that we saw:

The Egyptian Obelisk. This 60 ft red granite obelisk served as the racetrack’s center point and is very old, dating from 1500 BC. Emperor Theodosius the Great had it shipped from Egypt and what arrived was half the height of the original. It has hieroglyphics celebrating Pharaoh Thutmose III and the base is carved with scenes featuring Theodosius.

Obelisk of Theodosius. This is a 100 ft stone pillar with an undetermined origin date. It is known that it was renovated in the 10th century when the Byzantines added gilded bronze, which were later looted by crusaders. It looks a little sad today.

The Serpent Column. Named for the coiled snake with three heads that this 25 foot column originally depicted. The column was built to commemorate ancient Greece’s victory over Persia in 479 BC, supposedly from the melted-down bronze shields of the Persian warriors. It stood at the Delphic Oracle for 800 years before Constantine stole it for the Hippodrome. Another monument where the history is more interesting than the actual piece - it’s not much to look at now, lol.

The German Fountain, a public water fountain with a mix of Byzantine and Islamic styles. This is the most recent of the Hippodrome monuments as it was gifted to the sultan in 1900 by the German Kaiser Wilhelm II in an attempt to woo the sultan. This turned out to be a bad omen as the alliance they struck was a final nail in the coffin for the Ottoman Empire. They were drawn into WWI on the losing side and after the war ended in 1918 the empire was carved up by Europe’s victors (enter Mustafa Kemal Atatürk, the Turkish War of Independence, the Turkish Republic, and a newly christened Istanbul).

On the other side of the Hippodrome across from the Blue Mosque is the Hagia Sophia, the most famous building in Türkiye (and certainly one of the most historic and majestic in Europe). We took a look at the line and decided that we would skip it today and visit it first thing the next morning. And we were ready for lunch, so instead we headed off to find something to eat. The Sultanahmet area and Old Town in general are not known for their food options and I had noted a few places that seemed reasonable while researching our trip. We ended up at Hocapasa Pidecisi (it seems like it is hard to mess up pide, lol). This was a good lunch, although we underestimated how big the pide were and would have been fine splitting one.

The second mosque we visited today was the Mosque of Süleyman the Magnificent, known locally as Süleymaniye Mosque. Süleyman the Magnificent ruled for half a century (1520-1566) and presided over the Golden Age of the Ottoman Empire. He was known to the Turkish as “Süleyman the Lawmaker” and one of his main accomplishments was codifying Ottoman law. His personal life was an interesting one with his wife Roxelana. She was kidnapped in her native Poland and sold into slavery in Constantinople where she ended up in the palace harem. She was an ambitious woman and managed to be presented to Süleyman, who was taken with the vivacious woman and named her “Hürrem”, or “cheerful one”. She replaced his chief consort and Süleyman legally married her, which was a first for an enslaved concubine. They had five children together and Roxelana conspired to have the son of the previous chief consort murdered to clear the path for her own children to inherit the crown. And she didn’t stop there. She was a powerful behind the scenes force and no stranger to court intrigue and machinations; she was said to have orchestrated dozens of murders to secure the crown for her son (although there seems to be some question of historical evidence - but it makes for some intriguing lore). And one of her own son’s was strangled on the orders of Süleyman (what?!). Eventually her son Selim II did take the throne.

Sinan was the most prolific and famous architect of the Ottoman period, building over 450 monuments. He was responsible for 20 royal mosques in Istanbul alone and Süleymaniye Mosque is considered one of his masterpieces. Construction started in 1550 and was completed in 1557. The dome is a central feature of the mosque and Sinan continued to refine his designs to distribute the weight of the dome on a rectangular building (in this instance the interior of the mosque is nearly a square), resulting in a vast, spacious prayer hall. The decoration is more spare than the Blue Mosque, although there are still beautiful details throughout the mosque.

Süleymaniye is not just a mosque, but a complex of buildings including mausoleums for Süleyman and Roxelana (more beautiful Iznik tiles), a cemetery, and a former madrassa (theological school). The complex sits on the Third Hill and has terrific views of Istanbul and the Golden Horn. We certainly felt the hill as we walked up and down it several times - when we first arrived it was prayer time, so we wandered around the neighborhood for a bit before returning to visit the interior of the mosque.

Süleymaniye Mosque is not far from the Spice Market and that was our next destination (called Misir Çarşısı or the Egyptian Bazaar by locals). The Spice Market is a 17th century market hall that traditionally was full of spice, herb, and medicinal plant merchants. And many of those types of vendors remain today, as well as plenty of options for Turkish delight, dried vegetables for dolma, nuts, dried fruits, teas, and other goods. I was there to buy some spices, mainly the chili flakes that are common in the cafes. It can be a little overwhelming walking through the market as the vendors are all vying for your attention and calling out to you as you walk by. Sometimes this was amusing with what lines they would try (and for some reason people kept talking to us in Spanish), but I much prefer to do my shopping in peace. Despite this, it was still a good experience to peruse all the different products and purchase some spices to bring home.

Rüstem Pasha Mosque was the third mosque we visited today; it is near the Spice Market so it is easy to combine the two. This is another mosque that was built by Sinan in the 16th century and its namesake Rüstem Pasha was a Grand Vizier of Süleyman the Magnificent. This is a small mosque that was built on a high terrace above a complex of shops, whose rents were intended to financially support the mosque. Due to lack of space on the elevated terrace, the ablution fountain was located at street level. We climbed the stairs to a courtyard that was dominated by a large portico and a facade covered in beautiful Iznik tiles. I was already smitten! We stepped inside and were greeted with even more gorgeous tiles. Sinan’s architecture is known for emphasizing the structure of buildings over decoration, however this mosque deviates from his typical style in that it is flush with Iznik tiles. There are approximately 2300 tiles in the mosque arranged in 80 different patterns and the effect is beautiful. Rüstem Pasha Mosque is a fraction of the size of the other grand mosques we visited today, but there was something special about this smaller, more intimate space. The effect of the tiles was more immediate and we thought this mosque might be more deserving of the nickname “Blue Mosque”.

We had extra time to fill in the afternoon and decided to catch the tram across the bridge to visit the Istanbul Modern, a museum dedicated to the works of contemporary Turkish artists. The museum originally opened in 2004 in a drab warehouse and got a glow up when it reopened in Karaköy in 2023 in a Renzo Piano-designed building at Galataport. Renzo Piano is an Italian architect whose style is described as a blend of “high-tech” and “postmodernism”, which matches the vibe of Istanbul Modern’s art. He is known for his striking, unique buildings around the world which includes New York’s Whitney Museum, London’s The Shard, and Paris’ Pompidou Center. One of the coolest features of the building is the rooftop terrace. The design of the building was inspired by the glittering waters and light reflections of the Bosphorus and the rooftop is covered with shallow reflection pools to create visual continuity with the Bosphorus. I am sure the seagulls that have taken up residence in the pools are enjoying the finer points of this architectural detail.

After checking out the art at the Istanbul Modern we took a walk around Karaköy. We popped into a few shops and got tea at a cute bookstore/cafe called Frankestayn Kitabevi (complete with its own bookstore cat). Since we were in the neighborhood, we couldn’t resist another visit to Karaköy Güllüoglu for more baklava. This time we wanted to try the baklava with ice cream and got what is called a “carrot slice” with a slab of ice cream - it was delicious! We also got a few pieces to go and headed back to our hotel. At our tram stop we had a laugh at the orange cat nonchalantly hanging out on the ticket reader - we would see him there several times during our stay in Istanbul. We covered a lot of ground today - it was a good one!
Basilica Cistern
Basilica Cistern
Basilica Cistern
Basilica Cistern
Basilica Cistern
Basilica Cistern
Basilica Cistern
Basilica Cistern
Basilica Cistern
Basilica Cistern
Basilica Cistern: Jellyfish Art Installation
Basilica Cistern: Jellyfish Art Installation
Basilica Cistern: Jellyfish Art Installation
Basilica Cistern: Jellyfish Art Installation
Basilica Cistern
Basilica Cistern
Basilica Cistern
Basilica Cistern
Basilica Cistern
Basilica Cistern
Basilica Cistern
Basilica Cistern
Basilica Cistern
Basilica Cistern
Basilica Cistern: Medusa Head
Basilica Cistern: Medusa Head
Basilica Cistern: Seclusion
Basilica Cistern: Seclusion
Basilica Cistern: Medusa Head
Basilica Cistern: Medusa Head
Basilica Cistern
Basilica Cistern
Basilica Cistern: Glass Leaves
Basilica Cistern: Glass Leaves
Basilica Cistern
Basilica Cistern
Basilica Cistern: Art Installation
Basilica Cistern: Art Installation
Basilica Cistern
Basilica Cistern
Basilica Cistern
Basilica Cistern
Basilica Cistern
Basilica Cistern
Simit
Simit
Blue Mosque
Blue Mosque
Blue Mosque
Blue Mosque
Blue Mosque
Blue Mosque
Blue Mosque
Blue Mosque
Blue Mosque
Blue Mosque
Blue Mosque
Blue Mosque
Blue Mosque
Blue Mosque
Blue Mosque
Blue Mosque
Blue Mosque
Blue Mosque
Blue Mosque
Blue Mosque
Blue Mosque
Blue Mosque
Blue Mosque
Blue Mosque
Blue Mosque
Blue Mosque
Blue Mosque
Blue Mosque
Blue Mosque
Blue Mosque
Tomb of Sultan Ahmet I
Tomb of Sultan Ahmet I
Tomb of Sultan Ahmet I
Tomb of Sultan Ahmet I
Tomb of Sultan Ahmet I
Tomb of Sultan Ahmet I
Tomb of Sultan Ahmet I
Tomb of Sultan Ahmet I
Tomb of Sultan Ahmet I
Tomb of Sultan Ahmet I
Tomb of Sultan Ahmet I
Tomb of Sultan Ahmet I
Tomb of Sultan Ahmet I
Tomb of Sultan Ahmet I
Tomb of Sultan Ahmet I
Tomb of Sultan Ahmet I
Hippodrome Of Constantinople: German Fountain
Hippodrome Of Constantinople: German Fountain
Hippodrome Of Constantinople: German Fountain
Hippodrome Of Constantinople: German Fountain
Hippodrome Of Constantinople: German Fountain
Hippodrome Of Constantinople: German Fountain
Hippodrome Of Constantinople: Egyptian Obelisk
Hippodrome Of Constantinople: Egyptian Obelisk
Hippodrome Of Constantinople: Egyptian Obelisk
Hippodrome Of Constantinople: Egyptian Obelisk
Hippodrome Of Constantinople: Egyptian Obelisk
Hippodrome Of Constantinople: Egyptian Obelisk
Hippodrome Of Constantinople: Serpent Column and Obelisk of Theodosius
Hippodrome Of Constantinople: Serpent Column and Obelisk of Theodosius
Hippodrome Of Constantinople: Obelisk of Theodosius
Hippodrome Of Constantinople: Obelisk of Theodosius
Hagia Sophia
Hagia Sophia
Hocapasa Pidecisi
Hocapasa Pidecisi
Hamal Statue in Fatih District
Hamal Statue in Fatih District
Gate to Süleymaniye Mosque
Gate to Süleymaniye Mosque
Gate to Süleymaniye Mosque
Gate to Süleymaniye Mosque
Süleymaniye Mosque
Süleymaniye Mosque
Istanbul view
Istanbul view
Istanbul view
Istanbul view
Istanbul view
Istanbul view
Süleymaniye Mosque cemetery
Süleymaniye Mosque cemetery
Mausoleum of Sultan Suleyman the Magnificent
Mausoleum of Sultan Suleyman the Magnificent
Mausoleum of Sultan Suleyman the Magnificent
Mausoleum of Sultan Suleyman the Magnificent
Iznik tiles
Iznik tiles
Süleymaniye Mosque
Süleymaniye Mosque
Süleymaniye Mosque
Süleymaniye Mosque
Süleymaniye Mosque
Süleymaniye Mosque
Süleymaniye Mosque
Süleymaniye Mosque
Napping in the courtyard
Napping in the courtyard
Napping in the courtyard
Napping in the courtyard
Süleymaniye Mosque
Süleymaniye Mosque
Süleymaniye Mosque
Süleymaniye Mosque
Süleymaniye Mosque
Süleymaniye Mosque
Süleymaniye Mosque
Süleymaniye Mosque
On the way to the Spice Market
On the way to the Spice Market
Spice Market entrance
Spice Market entrance
The Spice Market
The Spice Market
The Spice Market
The Spice Market
The Spice Market
The Spice Market
The Spice Market
The Spice Market
The Spice Market
The Spice Market
The Spice Market
The Spice Market
The Spice Market
The Spice Market
The Spice Market
The Spice Market
The Spice Market
The Spice Market
Rüstem Pasha Mosque
Rüstem Pasha Mosque
Rüstem Pasha Mosque
Rüstem Pasha Mosque
Rüstem Pasha Mosque
Rüstem Pasha Mosque
Rüstem Pasha Mosque
Rüstem Pasha Mosque
Rüstem Pasha Mosque
Rüstem Pasha Mosque
Rüstem Pasha Mosque
Rüstem Pasha Mosque
Rüstem Pasha Mosque
Rüstem Pasha Mosque
Rüstem Pasha Mosque
Rüstem Pasha Mosque
Rüstem Pasha Mosque
Rüstem Pasha Mosque
Rüstem Pasha Mosque
Rüstem Pasha Mosque
Nusretiye Mosque and Clock Tower
Nusretiye Mosque and Clock Tower
Istanbul Modern
Istanbul Modern
Between Worlds by Chiharu Shiota
Between Worlds by Chiharu Shiota
Between Worlds by Chiharu Shiota
Between Worlds by Chiharu Shiota
Between Worlds by Chiharu Shiota
Between Worlds by Chiharu Shiota
Between Worlds by Chiharu Shiota
Between Worlds by Chiharu Shiota
Izzet Keribar photography
Izzet Keribar photography
My Hell by Fahrelnissa Zeid
My Hell by Fahrelnissa Zeid
Crossing Through the Dark by Albert Bitran
Crossing Through the Dark by Albert Bitran
Fisherman Boy and Cats by Orhan Peker
Fisherman Boy and Cats by Orhan Peker
The Landscape of Silence by Azade Koker
The Landscape of Silence by Azade Koker
Istanbul Modern
Istanbul Modern
Infinity Room: Bosphorus by Refik Andol
Infinity Room: Bosphorus by Refik Andol
Istanbul Modern rooftop
Istanbul Modern rooftop
Istanbul Modern rooftop
Istanbul Modern rooftop
Istanbul Modern rooftop
Istanbul Modern rooftop
Istanbul Modern
Istanbul Modern
Galataport
Galataport
Frankestayn Kitabevi-Bookstore & Cafe
Frankestayn Kitabevi-Bookstore & Cafe
Frankestayn Kitabevi-Bookstore & Cafe
Frankestayn Kitabevi-Bookstore & Cafe
Frankestayn Kitabevi-Bookstore & Cafe
Frankestayn Kitabevi-Bookstore & Cafe
Karaköy Güllüoglu: Carrot slice with ice cream
Karaköy Güllüoglu: "Carrot slice" with ice cream
Karaköy Güllüoglu baklava
Karaköy Güllüoglu baklava
Ticket inspector
Ticket inspector
Ticket inspector
Ticket inspector