ISTANBUL, European Capital of Culture for 2010

1. Levent - Istanbul - Turkey

Zeytinburnu - Istanbul - Turkey

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Lamb-Rotating In Well, Gelik Meatball, Dцner Kebab, Denizer Kebab, Lamb Chops, Beef Chops, Mixed Grill, Lamb Shish Kebab, Beef Steak, Grilled Meatball, Mixed Meatball, Lamb Shish On Stick, Beef Steak With Cheese, Sucuk Meatball, Beef Steak, Şaşlık

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Gelik Ayran, Fruit Juices, Mineral Water, Coca Cola, Water

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TRANSFORM TO MUSEUM
The opening of Topkapı Palace for visits as museum happened firstly in the reign of Sultan Abdülmecid (1839-1861). The belongings within Topkapı Palace Treasury was shown to the contemporary English ambassador. Later on, it has become a tradition to show the antics within the Topkapı Palace Treasury to the foreigners and during the era of Sultan Abdülaziz (1861-1876), showrooms are made in French style, and these antics are started to be shown to foreigners in these showrooms within Treasury.

During the period when Sultan II Abdülhamid was dethroned (1876-1909), it was thought to open the Treasury Room to public visits on Sundays and Tuesdays, yet it never realized.

After the end of the Ottoman Empire in 1921, Topkapı Palace was transformed by government decree on April 3, 1924 into a museum of the imperial era. The Topkapı Palace Museum is under the administration of the Ministry of Culture and Tourism. The palace complex has hundreds of rooms and chambers, but only the most important are accessible to the public today. The complex is guarded by officials of the ministry as well as armed guards of the Turkish military.

Upon the performance of small repairs and taking some administrative cautions in 1924, Topkapı Palace was opened to service as a Museum on October 9, 1924. The sections opened to visit at that time were Kubbealtı, Arz Odası, Mecidiye Köşkü (Pavilion Mecidiye), Hekimbaşı Odası (Room of Chief Doctor), Mustafa Paşa Köşkü (Pavilion Mustafa Pasha) and Bağdad Köşkü (Pavilion Baghdad).

UNESCO WORLD HERITAGE LIST
Topkapı Palace is listed among those monuments belonging to the historic areas of Istanbul, added to the UNESCO World Heritage List in 1985. The palace is full of examples of Ottoman architecture and also contains large collections of porcelain, robes, weapons, shields, armor, Ottoman miniatures, Islamic calligraphic manuscripts and murals, as well as a display of Ottoman treasure and jewelry.

SITE
Byzantine remains in the Second Courtyard.The palace complex is located on the Seraglio Point (Sarayburnu), a promontory overlooking the Golden Horn and the Sea of Marmara, with the Bosphorus in plain sight from many points of the palace. The site is hilly and one of the highest points close to the sea. During Greek and Byzantine times, the acropolis of the ancient Greek city of Byzantion stood here.

There is an underground Byzantine cistern, located in the Second Courtyard, which was used throughout Ottoman times, as well as remains of a small church, the so-called Palace Basilica on the acropolis have also been excavated in modern times. The nearby Church of Hagia Eirene, though located in the First Courtyard, is not considered a part of the old Byzantine acropolis.

INITIAL CONSTRUCTION
Initial construction started in 1459, ordered by Sultan Mehmed II, the conqueror of Byzantine Constantinople. The palace is a complex made up of four main courtyards and many smaller buildings. At the height of its existence as a royal residence, the palace was home to as many as 4,000 people, formerly covering a larger area with a long shoreline. The complex has been expanded over the centuries, with many renovations such as after the 1509 earthquake and 1665 fire.

After the Ottoman conquest and the Fall of Constantinople in 1453, Sultan Mehmed II found the imperial Byzantine Great Palace of Constantinople largely in ruins. The Ottoman court initially set itself up in the Old Palace (Eski Saray), today the site of Istanbul University. The Sultan then searched for a better location and chose the old Byzantine acropolis, ordering the construction of a new palace in 1459. It was originally called the New Palace (Yeni Saray) to distinguish it from the previous residence. It received the name "Topkapı" in the 19th century, after a (now lost) Topkapı Gate and shore pavilion.

LAYOUT
Sultan Mehmed II established the basic layout of the palace. The highest point of the promontory he used for his private quarters and innermost buildings. From the innermost core various building and pavilions surrounded it and grew down the promontory towards the shore of the Bosphorus. The whole complex was surrounded by high walls, some of which dated backto the Byzantine acropolis. This basic layout governed the pattern of future renovations and extensions. The fifth courtyard was in reality the most outer rim of the palace grounds bordering the sea.

Access to these courtyards was restricted by high walls and controlled through gates. Apart from the four to five main courtyards, various other mid-sized to small courtyards exist throughout the complex. The total size of the complex varies from around 592,600 square meters to 700,000 square meters, depending on which parts are measured. Accounts differ as to when construction of the inner core of the palace started and was finished. Kritovolous gives the dates 1459-1465, other sources suggest a finishing date in the late 1460s.

Contrary to other royal residences which had strict master plans, such as Schцnbrunn Palace or the Palace of Versailles, Topkapı Palace developed over the course of centuries, with various sultans adding and changing various structures and elements. The resulting asymmetry is the result of this erratic growth and change over time, although the main layout by Mehmed II as still preserved.

Most of the changes occurred during the reign of Sultan Suleyman from 1520-1560. With the rapid expansion of the Ottoman Empire, Suleyman wanted the growing power and glory to be reflected in his residence. New buildings were constructed or enlargened, The chief architect responsible in that period was the Persian Alaüddin, also known as Acem Ali. He was also responsible for the expansion of the Harem.

In 1574 a great fire destroyed the kitchens. Sinan was entrusted by Sultan Selim II to rebuilt the destroyed parts expanded them, as well as the Harem, baths, the Privy Chamber and various shoreline pavilions. By the end of the 16th century the palace acquired its present appearance. The palace is an extensive complex with an assortment of various low buildings constructed around courtyards, interconnected with galleries and passages, rather than a single monolithic structure.

Almost none of the buildings are higher than two storeys. Interspersed are trees, gardens and water fountains, to give a refreshing feeling to the inhabitants and provide places where they could repose. The buildings enclosed the courtyards, and life revolved around them. Doors and windows faced towards the courtyard, in order to create an open atmosphere for the inhabitants as well as provide for cool air during hot summers.

The palace compound when seen from a birds-eye view has the shape of a rough rectangle, divided into four main courtyards and the harem. The main axis is from south to north, the outermost (first) courtyard starting at the south with each successive courtyard leading up north. The first courtyard was the one that was most accessible, while the innermost (fourth) courtyard and the harem were the most inaccessible, being the sole private domain of the sultan.

FUNCTION
Topkapı Palace was the main residence of the sultan and his court. It was initially the seat of government as well as the imperial residence. Even though access was strictly regulated, inhabitants of the palace rarely had to venture out since the palace functioned almost as an autonomous entity, a city within a city. Audience and consultation chambers and areas served for the political workings of the empire.

For the residents and visitors, the palace had its own water supply through underground cisterns and the great kitchens provided for nourishment on a daily basis. Dormitories, gardens, libraries, schools, even mosques were at the service of the court. A strict court ceremonial codified daily life, in order to ensure imperial seclusion from the rest of world. The principle of imperial seclusion is a tradition that was probably continued from the Byzantine court.

It was codified by Mehmed II in 1477 and 1481 in the Kanunname Code, which regulated the rank order of court officials, the administrative hierarchy, and protocol matters. This principle of increased seclusion over time was reflected in the construction style and arrangements of various halls and buildings. The architects had to ensure that even within the palace, the sultan and his family could enjoy a maximum of privacy and discretion, making use of grilled windows and building secret passageways.

OUTER GARDEN
Surrounding the whole complex of the First to the Fourth Courtyard are the outer palace garden, some parts towards the sea also known as the Fifth Place. Located next to the First Courtyard towards the city lies Gülhane Park, the old imperial rose garden, today a public park.

Mehmed II also had three pavilions, or kiosks, constructed, of which only the Tiled Kiosk (Çinili Köşk) has survived. The Tiled Pavilion dates to around 1473 and houses the Islamic ceramics collection of the Istanbul Archaeology Museums.

Many of the trees in the Topkapı Palace are remarkable since most of them fell victim to a fungus that completely hollowed the trunk out over the centuries, even though the trees still survive until today and are standing. In other cases, two trees of a different kind have grown and fused together, such as a fig tree that grew in the hollow of a tree and effectively fused together. This phenomenon can be seen in the Second Courtyard.

BASKETMAKER'S PAVILION
The southern and western sides border the large former imperial flower park, today Gülhane Park. Surrounding the palace compound on the southern and eastern side is the Sea of Marmara. Various related buildings such as small summer palaces (kasrı), pavilions, kiosks (köşk) and other structures for royal pleasures and functions formerly existed at the shore in area also known as the Fifth Palace.

But have since disappeared over the course of time due to neglect and the construction of the shoreline railroad in the 19th century. However, the last remaining seashore structure of the outer limits that still exists today is the Basketmakers' Kiosk, constructed in 1592 by Sultan Murad III. Thus the total area size of Topkapı Palace was in fact much larger than what it appears today.

MORE INFO BY
Topkapı Palace Museum Administration
Wikipedia / Topkapı Palace
Governorship Of Istanbul / Gallery

These scripts and photographs are registered under Copyright 2009, Topkapı Palace Museum Administration, Wikipedia / Topkapı Palace, Governorship Of Istanbul / Gallery. All Rights Reserved.

BAR & LOUNGE
A unique place to relax and unwind after a long exhausting day. Serves cocktails and drinks. Live piano music in the evenings. Open anytime of the day. Light meals and snacks are available. The selected international and local cocktails are served with qualified staff.

Bar : Enjoy drinks and snacks in a nice ambience with wide selection of international and local drinks and cocktails as well as famous Turkish coffee and tea is being served throughout the day.

Lounge : Enjoy and relax in the comfort of large sofas in a cozy atmosphere. Catch-up world news and events with daily international and local newspapers as well as in-house newsletter and cable TV.

Live Music : Enjoy the sound of live piano every day during 6:30 pm. till 9:30 pm. Perfect way to relax and unwind after a long days work.

MEETING
Four modern meeting rooms Galata, Pera, Taksim, Marmara, equipped with advanced technological facilities. Eresin Taxim Premier Business Hotel offers a variety of flexible conference and meeting facilities that can accommodate various type of events such as organizations, seminars, meetings, exhibitions, receptions and cocktails for up to 200 persons. You will discover that our experience will add value to every event organized with us and find out why Eresin Taxim Premier is considered as the ideal choice to meet your every need in Istanbul.

Eresin Taxim Premier Hotel offers a variety of flexible conference facilities and meeting rooms that can accommodate various type of events such as congress organizations, seminars, business meetings, exhibitions, receptions and cocktails for up to 200 persons. You will discover that our experience will add value to every event organized with us. You are invited to come and find out why Eresin Taxim Premier Hotel is considered as the ideal choice to meet your every need.

Technical Equipment : Video, Overhead / Slide Projector, Screen, Flipchart, TV, Stand, Microphones, 24 hours fax service, Secretarial service available on request, Wireless Internet / High speed connection

HEALTH CLUB
Eresin Taxim Premier offers contemporary amenities in a relaxed and friendly atmosphere combined with traditional hospitality and personalized service. The Health Club has everything you need to relax and enjoy your stay.
Health Club Facilities : Plasma TV with satellite channels, Marble steam bath, Indoor Jacuzzi Swimming Pool, Massage services, Sauna
Sauna & Steam Room : A private room for you in our midst. Enjoy yourself sweating off calories or wallowing in daydreams.
Swimming Pool : The most luxurious bath that rejuvenates both your body and soul.

FITNESS CENTER
A workout paradise outfitted with high-tech, equipment for body and muscle toning, and weight-lifting.
Fitness Center Facilities : Supervised cardiovascular equipment, Equipment for body and muscle toning, Equipment for weight lifting, Computerized treadmill Step machine & elliptical and condition bicycles, Solarium

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Istanbul - Turkey

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Kapalıçarşı (Grand Bazaar) is located in between the Mosques of Nuri Osmaniye and Beyazid and the Mahmutpaşa Bazaar. Kapalıçarşı is a big market, composed of shops covered with roofs and domes. Although it does not have a proper shape, it has 30.700 m square area. It has hundreds of silver plated domes with many windows. The Kapalıçarşı is constructed on the remains of a Byzantine building called the Old Bedesten (covered market). The names of the streets in the bazaar is given through the sales products. It is still a very important trade centre.

The Kapalıçarşı's jewellery trade parts were built by Sultan Mehmed The Conqueror, and the major parts were built by Kanuni Sultan Süleyman from wood. After a many of earthquakes and fires, the Kapalıçarşı was restored many times. I has 2 restaurants, 4399 shops, 2195 rooms, 497 cupboards, 61 streets, 12 treasure rooms, 1 mosque, 10 Mescid (small mosques), 1 Turkish bath, 19 fountains, 8 wells, 24 inns, 1 school, and 1 tomb. Today, the bazaar retains its 1894 boundaries enclosing 61 streets in an area of 30.7 hectares.

Kapalıçarşı or the Covered Bazaar is the collective name given to two bedestens and the series of vaulted commercial streets that surround them, located between the Nuruosmaniye and Bayezid Mosques north of Divanyolu, the main road traversing the historic peninsula heading towards Edirne (Adrinople). It is located at the northern edge of a larger market neighborhood that occupies the southern hillside of the Golden Horn where commercial ships arrived with their loads. From here, the merchandise was distributed to the hans and wholesale markets for distribution throughout the city.

Some of these raw goods made their way up the hill to the artisan workshops of the covered bazaar whose streets are named after its artisans: slipper-makers (terlikçiler), shoe-makers (kavaflar), mirror-makers (aynacılar), wash-cloth makers (keseciler), fez-makers (fesçiler), comforter-makers (yorgancılar), silk-thread makers (kazazlar), polishers (perdahçılar), fur-makers (kürkçüler), just to name a few.

At the heart of the Ottoman bazaar are two bedestens, or domed masonry structures designed for safe storage and sale of luxury goods, that were built by Mehmed II (1451-1481) following the conquest in order to revive trade and provide income for the newly converted Hagia Sophia Mosque. Byzantium also had a central market with streets allocated to trades and crafts; however, its exact location and its state at the time of the Ottoman conquest are not certain. It is equally difficult to identify what stood on the site prior to the Ottoman reconstruction.

The bazaar contains two bedestens (domed masonry structures built for storage and safe keeping), the first of which was constructed between 1455 and 1461 by the order of Sultan Mehmed the Conqueror. The two bedestens, built less than fifty meters apart facing two different directions, were quickly surrounded by shops and vaulted arcades; scholars estimate that the bazaar had reached a third of its current size by the end of Mehmed II's rule. The bazaar was vastly enlarged in the 16th century, during the reign of Sultan Süleyman the Magnificent, and in 1894 underwent a major restoration following an earthquake.

The covered bazaar has gone through many fires and earthquakes, following which it was rebuilt and expanded in an ad hoc fashion. Markets surroundings the bedestens were destroyed by fire in 1546, 1589 and 1618. A fire in 1652 originated in the Old Bedesten and a conflagration destroyed the entire city including the markets in 1660. In 1695 and 1701 fires originated again in the Old Bedesten; the wooden vaults of the surrounding streets were converted to masonry in the following restoration. The fire of 1750 damaged the market and was followed by janissaries looting the site.

Repairs were conducted after the 1766 earthquake and fires of 1791 and 1826. Mahmud Celaleddin Paşa (1839-1899), the Minister of Public Works under Abdülhamid II, re-organized the covered market after the 1894 earthquake damaged its structure and vaults. Its size was reduced through removing vaults and detaching hans and new gates were installed on major routes. The structure was reinforced with iron and the vaults were decorated with arabesques. Repairs were conducted in the five years following an earthquake in 1954 and the interior was repainted in 1980.

Bedestens
The Old Bedesten (Eski Bedesten, Bedestan-i Atik), also known as Cevahir Bedesteni (Jewelers' Bedesten), Iç Bedesten (Inner Bedesten) or Big Bedesten (Büyük Bedesten), is located at the center of the covered bazaar, oriented slightly off the east-west axis. It consists of forty-four masonry cells (mahzen) around a rectangular courtyard measuring 45.3 by 29.4 meters, enclosed with fifteen domes in three rows. The two rows of eight piers supporting the roof are crowned by small cupolas on the exterior.

An outer envelope of 56 shops covers its walls. A majority of the bazaar streets are aligned with the walls of the Old Bedesten, and streets emanate from the arched gates located at the center of each faзade. The interior is lit solely from windows at the upper section of the walls, linked by a wooden catwalk. In addition to jewelry sales and auctions for the slave trade (outlawed in 1847), the Old Bedesten was also used by all merchants of the covered bazaar as a safe deposit for money and precious goods. Its floor space is occupied by a large number of small wooden stores today.

The Sandal Bedesten was built later to house the fine fabric trade and is also known as the New (Bedestan-i Cedid) or Small Bedesten (Küçük Bedesten, Bezzaziye-i Sugra). Located to the southeast of the Old Bedesten across from the Nuruosmaniye Mosque (c. 1755), the Sandal Bedesten is a simple walled enclosure measuring 38.8 by 32 meters, covered by twenty small domes in four rows that rest on twelve piers. Entered from gates at the center of each faзade, the bedesten is surrounded by an irregular fabric of masonry stores on all sides. Both the Old and Sandal Bedesten have rubble stone-walls, brick domes, stone piers and brick arches tied by juniper beams. Their heavy iron doors are embellished with nails.

Gates
The covered bazaar is entered from four main gates located at the end of its two main streets, the north-south Yağlıkçılar (oil lamp makers) Street and the east-west Kalpakçılar (fur hat makers) Street, which intersect near the southwest corner of the bazaar. Kalpakçılar Street connects the Bayezid Mosque and Bayezid Square to the west with Nuruosmaniye Mosque to the east; the gates at these locations were added during the 1894 renovation and bear the royal monogram of Abdülhamid II. The gates allowed the entire bazaar to be closed down after work hours when watchmen hired by the guild surveyed its streets at night.

Although the structure of the covered bazaar has been largely maintained, its function and administration, as well as the nature of its goods and the interior architecture have been transformed beginning in the second half of the nineteenth century. By the 1960's, changes in Turkish industry and economy and in the urban demographics of Istanbul had effectively replaced the traditional craft workshops with western-style boutiques and tourist shops, which constitute the bulk of the trade in the bazaar today.

The stores, traditionally, consisted of open displays separated by curtains or thin wood partitions that were enclosed with vertical shutters at night. Most stores are now permanently enclosed with illuminated glass storefronts; while posting signage in alleyways was outlawed after the 1980 restoration. The important role of the medieval guild (lonca) organizations in the administration, maintenance and protection the bazaar is now inadequately performed by a weak multitude of bazaar associations.

The covered bazaar has a number of small mosques (mescit), all built above ground level and historic sabils and fountains on significant routes and intersections. Some market hans, including the Astarcı Hanı, Büyük Safran Hanı, Küçük Safran Hanı, Evliya Hanı, Sarraf Hanı, Mercan Ağa Hanı, Zincirli Han, Varakçı Hanı, Rabia Hanı, Kuyumcular Hanı and Yarım Taş Hanı, are entered solely from within the covered bazaar.

MORE INFO by
ArchNet / Grand Bazaar Istanbul
Governorship Of Istanbul / Gallery
Wikipedia / Grand Bazaar Istanbul
Wikimedia / Grand Bazaar Istanbul

These scripts and photographs are registered under Copyright 2009, ArchNet, Governorship Of Istanbul / Gallery, Wikipedia / Grand Bazaar Istanbul, Wikimedia / Grand Bazaar Istanbul. All Rights Reserved.