In Istanbul, the Sultanahmet district is the most popular tourist destination. It is located in the historical part of the city. Geographically, it is located on a cape between the Bosphorus, Golden Horn and the Sea of Marmara. Since 1985, the area has been the cultural heritage of mankind. Administratively, this place is part of the administrative district of Fatih.
Sultanahmet Square is the indisputable landmark of Istanbul.
General information
All the most interesting in the city of Istanbul is located within one square. This is the majestic Hagia Sophia Cathedral, the magnificent Blue Mosque, the Egyptian obelisk, ancient Greek columns, a wonderful fountain (a gift to the Turkish Sultan from the German Chancellor) and much more.
The main square of Sultan Ahmed in Istanbul is located in the central historical part of the city. Conventionally, it is divided into two parts: the area between the Blue Mosque and Hagia Sophia and the Hippodrome Square, on which the ancient obelisks and columns of the Byzantine period have survived to this day, as well as the same German Fountain, donated to Sultan Abdul Hamid II from William II (Kaiser of Germany). It got its name from the Sultan Akhmet mosque located right there.
Blue Mosque
The historical square of Istanbul is decorated with this magnificent building. This beautiful mosque, which is one of the main symbols of Istanbul, is a masterpiece of not only Islamic, but also the entire world architecture. Its official name is the Sultanahmet Mosque. Among tourists, it is better known as the Blue Mosque.
It is located against the Hagia Sophia Cathedral, which in Byzantium was an Orthodox church, and was later rebuilt into a mosque. These two beautiful buildings are separated by a picturesque square with a fountain, on which tourists stroll in the summer, day and night.
The mosque was built in 1609-1616 by order of Sultan Ahmed I. The author of the project is Zedekkar Mehmet Aga, who is a student of the great architect Mimar Sinan, who created during the reign of Suleiman I (Magnificent).
German fountain
An adornment of Istanbul's square is the German fountain, which was donated to the city in 1989. It was made in Germany, and brought to Turkey disassembled. They installed it on the Hippodrome. It is made in the form of an octagon in the Neo-Byzantine style, and is decorated with a golden mosaic from the inside.
On the inner surface of the dome, which is supported by columns, the initials of William II and the monogram of Abdul-Hamid III are visible.
Hippodrome
On the site of the ancient Hippodrome is part of the central square of Istanbul. Its construction was begun by Septimius Severus (Roman emperor) in 203. At that time, the city was called Byzantium.
When Emperor Constantine (330-334) created a new capital, the Hippodrome was completely rebuilt, after which its size increased: length - 450 meters, width - 120 meters, capacity - about 100,000 people. Its territory was entered from the north side, approximately where the German Fountain stands today. Earlier, the quadriga decorated the Hippodrome, which in 1204 was taken to Venice.
At this hippodrome, chariot races took place, with the heat of passion leading to major showdowns, and sometimes to riots among fans. The largest revolt - the uprising of "Nick", which occurred in 532 during the reign of Justinian. Constantinople as a result of these actions was severely destroyed, and about 35,000 people were killed.
Since 1453, after the conquest of Constantinople by the Turks, the Hippodrome was used only as a venue for fairs, performances and other entertainment events.
Egyptian obelisk
On the historical square of Istanbul (at the Hippodrome) in 390, the obelisk of Theodosius (or the obelisk of Egypt) was brought in from Luxor by order of Emperor Theodosius I. It was installed on a specially made pedestal made of marble. It depicts scenes with Theodosius and the scene of the erection of the obelisk at the Hippodrome.
This monument is the oldest sculpture of Istanbul. It dates from the 16th century BC. e. Made of Aswan pink and white granite. The weight of the monument is 300 tons. From all sides Egyptian hieroglyphs are visible, demonstrating the heroic actions of Pharaoh Thutmose III, and the god Amon and the pharaoh himself are depicted at the top. The original obelisk during transportation was shortened from 32.5 meters to 18.8 meters.
Serpentine column
A column was brought to Istanbul Square in 326 from the Greek sanctuary of Apollo by order of Constantine the Great. This structure symbolized the victory over the Persians of the Greek city-states in 479 BC. e.
Initially, the column had a height of 6.5 meters, it consisted of three snakes intertwined. It was crowned with a golden cup, and the snakes themselves were made of bronze shields of the Persians who fell in battle. In ancient times, the cup was lost, and in 1700 the heads of snakes were broken. One of the goals today is an exhibit of the Istanbul Museum of Archeology. The height of the column is currently 5 meters.