TIME OUT
Textured palimpsest
VASANTHI SANKARANARAYANAN
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In Turkey, one can see how the centuries have added to the existing structures without destroying any of them.
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PHOTOS: AP
LOOMING PRESENCE: The Blue Mosque
IN recent times, Turkey has been in the limelight, as one of its writers, Orhan Pamuk, has won the Nobel prize for literature. The other introduction to Turkey that I have had in the past is through the films of Omar Kavoor. Turkey has a rich history, having been ruled by Romans, Christians and Ottoman Turks. But, as early as 1929, Kamal Ataturk had fought the war of liberation and freed Turkey from the rule of kings and made it into a republic. Even though it is predominantly a Muslim country, Westernisation and modernisation have given it a wholly different texture.
During the last week of October, I had the occasion to visit Turkey on a tour arranged for the International Women's Association (IWA).
Not a nice introduction
Our very first introduction to anything Turkish was the journey from Mumbai to Istanbul via Turkish Air. To put it mildly, it was one of the most uncomfortable air journeys that I have ever undertaken. The air conditioning inside the plane was virtually non-existent. The airhostesses and the other staff who attended on the customers were patently rude and condescending. They even refused to serve us drinking water at intervals. Not a pleasant introduction to a country we were visiting for the first time. So, six hours after the flight took off, when we landed in Istanbul, none of us was in a pleasant frame of mind. To make matters worse, our guide, Naijo, informed us that we would not be checking into the hotel immediately, but commencing our tour straight from the airport in order to finish the itinerary chalked out for us. As the next day, October 29, was the Turkish Republic Day and all the museums and main shops would remain closed, we had to finish seeing the important sights of Istanbul on the 28th itself. So, after a cursory freshening up, we climbed into the bus and began our city tour of Istanbul.
But, the sight of Bosphorus with its clear, blue waters, soothed and uplifted our spirits. Our guide spoke very good English and had a good sense of humour. He was very strict with time management and we were treated as errant school children if we were late. But, we forgave him when we realised that we would have missed some of the important sights if we had not hurried up. Our very first visit was to the Hippodrome where competitive chariot races were held in Roman times. The construction of the Hippodrome began in 203 A.D. and was completed by 325 A.D. The Hippodrome was then horse-shoe shaped and could seat 1,00,000 spectators. Now, the area around the Hippodrome is just a street centre, with cars and other vehicles zipping around. But, it was not difficult to imagine the chariots assembling there and holding races while the Emperors and Sultans watched.
At the very centre is an Egyptian Obelisk built by Theodosius that dates back to 1500 B.C. with a snake column. This is one of the oldest monuments in Istanbul. It is a part of the larger monument built to commemorate the victory of 31 Greek cities against the Persians at Salamis and Palatae in 470 B.C. Straightaway we were exposed to the passage of history when different rulers such as the Romans, the Christians and the Muslims had control over Istanbul.
Even as rulers changed and mosques, churches and palaces underwent changes, there was no demolition, defacing or complete erasure of the old structures and art objects such as paintings. The new additions or even changes were made over the old structures. So, even watching the monuments as they are now gave us glimpses of the history that preceded and put everything in true perspective. This is probably why the city has been able to retain the quaint aura of the old and the new existing side by side, traces of tradition not completely wiped out by the onslaught of modernity.
Imposing mosque
Of the mosques that we visited, The Blue Mosque (also known as Sultan Ahmed Mosque) is the most imposing, its six minarets looming large majestically. Built by the architect Minar Sedefkar Mehmet Aga for Ahmet I between 1609 and 1616, it is surrounded on three sides by five portals; the portico is covered by 30 cupolas supported by 26 marble columns with stalactite capitals. It is interesting to note that when this mosque was built, the minarets in Mecca had to be increased from six to seven for it to retain its predominant position in the Muslim world. The arches here have a small sharp point at their zenith which distinguishes the Islamic arches from the Roman ones which are more curved and rounded in design. The Blue Mosque gets its name from the exquisite blue ceramic Izmic tiles used profusely up to the first level. But, as the supply of Izmic tiles was exhausted, the walls above the first level had to be painted to match the design. Until the 19th century, the Blue Mosque was the traditional starting point for the pilgrimage to Mecca.
Our next visit was to Hagia Sophia (The Church of Sacred Wisdom), one of the most renowned Byzantine cathedrals, and the best-known Christian church in Istanbul. Built first during the reign of Emperor Constantine, the church has been destroyed several times through natural disasters such as fire and earthquakes. However, a major restoration was done by Justinian, who was referred to as "The Emperor who never slept". The architects were Isidorus and Ruffinos and it has the fourth largest dome in the world. The dome is referred to as "The Mirror of Heaven on Earth", an apt way to describe a perfect edifice. Rare marbles from Marmara and other places and gold were used in building this church. It took five years to complete the construction. One thousand master craftsmen and 10,000 labourers were employed. Finally it was inaugurated in 537 A.D. Justinian entered the church ceremonially along with the Greek Patriarch Menas and is supposed to have shouted, "Solomon, I have surpassed you." Later during the Turkish conquest, the Sultans have added many decorations and edifices to the church. However, they never destroyed or defaced the existing paintings and other decorations. Therefore these paintings, the notable one of Christ and Virgin Mary with baby Jesus are preserved for posterity. In the centre of the Church is an area built out of marble mosaics of fine quality. This is believed to be the spot on which the coronation of the Byzantine emperors was held. It is called the Byzantine Omphalos (centre of the earth).
Not far from the courtyard of Hagia Sophia is the underground cistern named Yerebatan Sarnici. One of the biggest problems of ancient cities was that of ensuring a regular source of water during sieges. So, the Roman rulers built a series of large cisterns in Isanbul to take care of this problem. Some of these cisterns were open, others covered. The Yerebatan Sarnici is one of the largest cisterns in Istanbul. It is supported by 12 rows of imposing columns each with 28 columns, a total of 336 in all. The cistern is renowned for its cold water. There are two unique pillars depicting Medusa's head in different postures. It is amazing to note that even now the water is preserved, clean, clear and cool.
Treasures of the ages
The Topkapi Palace and the Dolmabahce Palace are two of the most well-known and well-preserved palaces in Istanbul. While the Topkapi Palace is a sprawling complex, Dolmabahce Palace is more contained, has more levels, one on top of the other. Though both were living quarters of the Sultans of Turkey, now they have been converted into museums which house the treasures collected by the Sultans over the years. The treasures of Topkapi Palace consist of the samples of the rich and colourful dresses worn by the Sultans and their paramours, the crowns that they wore, the thrones made or presented to them, studded with precious and semi-precious stones, bejewelled daggers, bows and arrow quivers with extraordinary details in velvet, all indicative of an opulent era.
The Domabahce Palace is more modern and Western in its style and noted for its symmetry; it is filled with living quarter luxuries such as chairs, tables, beds, curtains and rich carpets which also suggest a lavish style of living, but more Western than the Topkapi Palace. The symmetrical replicas of every object in the hall are a distinct feature of this palace. The entire palace is built in wood, but its surfaces are treated to resemble different materials such as marble or stone. The Topkapi Palace has one section devoted to objects which are associated with Mohammed, the Prophet. Both palaces have exquisite views of the Bosphorus.
On the second day, we went on a Bosphorus cruise which lasted for one-and-a-half hours. The exquisite blue waters of the Bosphorus, the long, sleek bridges such as the Galata Bridge and the sights on both sides of the Bosphorus itself, the feeling that this was a narrow strip of water that separates two continents — Europe and Asia, the different kinds of flavoured teas served to stimulate the bodies shivering in the cold morning, all were rejuvenating and awe inspiring.
Other cities
The next town that we went to was Chanakale, crossing by ferry over the famous Dardanelles. At Chanakale, during the night, we had a vision of the Republic Day Parade and the fireworks. From Chanakale, we proceeded to Troy, which has been made memorable by Homer in his poem, "The Iliad". Nothing remains of the splendour of Troy except the archaeological ruins of the city, excavated by Schlieman. The wooden Trojan horse, built to bring to mind the famous Trojan Horse used by the Greek army to stealthily enter Troy was not very imposing. However, the ruins of the palace walls, the amphitheatre and the spot where the famous Trojan War took place, fills us with a sense of melancholy; so much happened at one time, and yet so little remains to evoke even the memory of the past.
Bursa is another town we visited with its famous green mosque. Though it was not as imposing as the Blue Mosque, it had its own quiet beauty with the green and blue tiles that decorated its walls and the quiet corners from which prayers were held. Bursa is also a good shopping centre and all the objects that Turkey is famous for — porcelain, ceramic, woolens, textiles, silver ornaments, leather objects — were available and well exhibited in the main shopping centre.
Turkey was a gourmet's paradise with is mouth-watering khebabs, samoosas, flavoured rice, and sweet dishes that had their own special rich flavour and fragrance like Reke, which is a famous Turkish wine and many other such delicacies. Its Grand Bazar and Spice Market offered many goods at negotiable rates that were tempting for seasoned shoppers. But, the most attractive aspect of Turkey was this unbelievable blend of tradition with modernity, an air of mystery and tell-tale signs of a glorious past, seamlessly woven into its own kind of self sufficiency and religiosity.
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