Travel Reference
In-Depth Information
arets, Hagia Sophia was consecrated for Christendom by the Byzantine Emperor Justinian
in 537. (Mindful of its great predecessor, the Temple of Solomon in Jerusalem, Justinian
supposedly cried, “Ho, Solomon! I have surpassed thee!”) In Ottoman times, Hagia Sophia
was rededicated as a mosque. And under Atatürk's regime, Hagia Sophia became a mu-
seum, open to all.
Figure 14.3 Blue Mosque
By common consent and popular acclaim, the Blue Mosque (framed and lit by 260
windows) and the Suleymaniye (with exquisite glazed tiles and stained glass) are Istanbul's
most glorious.
WHAT IS ON SALE IN THE GRAND BAZAAR?
Most visitors to Istanbul make their way sooner or later to the Grand Bazaar in the Beyazit
area. In Ottoman times, the merchants in the Grand Bazaar sold the wealth of empire in
all its forms and varieties. Today the Bazaar concentrates on four kinds of goods: jewelry,
carpets, tiles and other ceramics, and antiques. The Bazaar is a vast labyrinth with passages
and cross passages. Home to something on the order of 3,000 shops, the Bazaar's mer-
chants stand outside shops and stalls, trying to lure visitors inside. (“What are you looking
for? How can I help you? Come in; just have a look. No charge for looking…”). Dozens
and dozens of shops carry much the same merchandise. How, the visitor wonders, can these
places support themselves?
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