Friday , March 29 2024
The Hagia Sofia and the Blue Mosque may be the most famous structures in Istanbul, and they are certainly spectacular, but I was more taken with the largest purpose-built mosque in the city: The Süleymaniye Mosque, built in the 1550s by master architect Sinan at the command of Süleyman the Magnificent.

Travels in Turkey: Part 4 – Istanbul, Continued: Great Bazaars and Grand Mosques

Istanbul mosqueContinued from Part 3. Series begins with Part 1.

Istanbul isn’t all mosques, despite what you may have heard. It’s also historic bazaars; countless structures, new, old, and ancient; incredible food; streetcars (see the tracks in the next photo); and everything else 14 million people need.

Istanbul

There are a lot of mosques. Flying over any Turkish town or city you’ll be struck by the sheer number of mosques poking up out of every neighborhood. The architecture ranges from ancient to modern, but the minarets are always a giveaway.

Not everyone goes to a mosque. Just like European and North American cities, Istanbul is co-habited more or less peacefully – notwithstanding the recent terrorist atrocities – between religious and non-religious people.

I like this image of a simit vendor – simit is a traditional bread shaped into a circle, sold all over the city – and a man hauling a load of (I think) plastic-packed carpets in front of a big mosque. (And if anyone can tell me the name of this mosque, please leave a comment below this article.)

istanbul mosque

Having seen the Blue Mosque and the Hagia Sofia, we spent the next day walking about the city, visiting the great bazaars and some other historic mosques and just getting the lay of the land. The Spice Bazaar is a marvelous emporium of spices, teas, food, and assorted other goods.

istanbul spice bazaar

istanbul spice bazaar

A substantial spread of bustling commerce, it’s more manageable than the tremendous Grand Bazaar, which we plunged into later. First, two more historic mosques.

The Rüstem Pasha Mosque is one of the landmarks left by Ottoman imperial architect Mimar Sinan. Sinan built it in the early 1560s after the death of the grand vizier Rüstem Pasha, a son-in-law of Suleiman the Magnificent.

Rüstem Pasha Mosque, Istanbul
Rüstem Pasha Mosque, Istanbul

Rüstem Pasha Mosque

Rüstem Pasha Mosque

Interior, Rüstem Pasha Mosque, Istanbul
Interior, Rüstem Pasha Mosque

Rüstem Pasha Mosque Istanbul

Rüstem Pasha Mosque Istanbul

The Hagia Sofia and the Blue Mosque may be the most famous structures in Istanbul, and they are certainly spectacular, but I was more taken with the largest purpose-built mosque in the city: The Süleymaniye Mosque, another of Sinan’s masterpieces, was built in the 1550s at the command of Süleyman the Magnificent.

Süleymaniye Mosque, Istsanbul
Süleymaniye Mosque, Istsanbul

It’s not just a mosque but a world unto itself, a world of the living and the dead, a complex that included schools, baths, a public kitchen that served the poor, and more.

Süleymaniye Mosque, Istsanbul

Süleymaniye Mosque, Istsanbul

Süleymaniye Mosque, Istsanbul

As in other mosques, visitors stay out of the main area reserved for prayer, keeping to a back section. There are wooden cubbies for storing your shoes, which you must take off before entering. Mosques that are major tourist sites supply plastic bags for this purpose.

Süleymaniye Mosque, Istsanbul

A lone worshipper in the Süleymaniye Mosque
A lone worshipper in the Süleymaniye Mosque

The most honored of the noble dead have hallowed places in special shrines.

Süleymaniye Mosque, Istanbul

The interior tile work is as ornate and beautiful as anywhere in Turkey.

Süleymaniye Mosque, Istanbul

The interiors of the domes are spectacular as well.

Süleymaniye Mosque, Istanbul

For a drastic change from the hushed interior of the Süleymaniye Mosque, nothing could beat the Grand Bazaar (Kapalıçarşı), one of Istanbul’s must-sees just for its sheer hugeness. It’s really a whole covered neighborhood of streets (the map looks just like a neighborhood map) jammed with some 5,000 shops.

Istanbul Grand Bazaar
One entrance to Istanbul’s Grand Bazaar

Istanbul Grand Bazaar

Dating from the 15th and 16th centuries, the Grand Bazaar has been a central marketplace for centuries. Today’s vendors sell every kind of beautiful thing, from furniture, carpets, and clocks to jewelry, prayer beads, and ceramics, all under ornately patterned arched ceilings.

Istanbul Grand Bazaar

The Grand Bazaar also includes hamams, cafés, and restaurants. And it contains multitudes. On our visit, though, the crowds were not overwhelming, partly because the ways are wide, maybe also because the place is just so expansive. As malls go, the Istanbul Grand Bazaar is at the majestic extreme.

Istanbul Grand Bazaar

One passageway was lined with Turkish flags. I don’t know if these expressions of patriotism are always out. Back in Cappadocia we had seen many flags come out in response to the bombing that occurred while we were there, which now, sadly, we have to refer to as the first Ankara bombing.

Istanbul Grand Bazaar

Outside the walls of the Bazaar there’s yet more commerce.

Istanbul Grand Bazaar

A bearded man was selling art by a tremendous tree.

Istanbul Grand Bazaar

Yours truly, an Old English Major, was naturally partial to the Old Book Bazaar.

Old Book Bazaar, Istanbul
The Old Book Bazaar, Istanbul

Speaking of books, nearby is Istanbul University, established in 1453, where you can study everything from Medicine to Transportation and Logistics to Ataturk’s Principles and Reforms.

Istanbul University
Istanbul University

I envied these rooftop construction workers their roc‘s-eye view of the whole crazy scene.

Istanbul

In the next installment: The Dolmabahçe Palace and the Bosphorus, waterway between continents.

To be continued.

All photos © Jon Sobel and Elisa Peimer, Critical Lens Media

About Jon Sobel

Jon Sobel is Publisher and Executive Editor of Blogcritics as well as lead editor of the Culture & Society section. As a writer he contributes most often to Music, where he covers classical music (old and new) and other genres, and Culture, where he reviews NYC theater. Through Oren Hope Marketing and Copywriting at http://www.orenhope.com/ you can hire him to write or edit whatever marketing or journalistic materials your heart desires. Jon also writes the blog Park Odyssey at http://parkodyssey.blogspot.com/ where he is on a mission to visit every park in New York City. He has also been a part-time working musician, including as lead singer, songwriter, and bass player for Whisperado.

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