Highlights from the Byzantium

It’s Istanbul, not Constantinople, the Canadian group The Four Lads sang to us in 1953, as did many others after them. But the history of Constantinople is what makes Istanbul so interesting.

According to legend, Byzantium was founded by a tribe from Greece led by their king Byzas around 660 BC. After this, Persians took over in 512 BC, then more Greeks in 478 BC, Spartans in 404 BC, Romans in 79 AD, until the city was named Constantinople after emperor Constantine around 330 AD. That was more or less when the Byzantine Empire started, until it was taken over by the Ottomans in 1453.

Nowadays, traces from the Byzantine era are still visible in Istanbul within the confines of the defensive stone walls that once surrounded Constantinople. This triangle between the Sea of Marmara and the Golden Horn, with a view on the Bosphorus, is often referred to as the Old City or Historical Peninsula. It is visited by every tourist. Not only will you find the famous Hagia Sophia, Grand Bazaar, Topkapı Palace and Blue Mosque here, it’s also home to a clutch of the city’s lesser known but equally significant Ottoman sights.

Click on the maps for bigger versions of todays Istanbul and former Constantinople with the sites mentioned:

To get to know Byzantium a little bit, we join a specially designed tour.

We begin with a peek into history at the very end of the Byzantine Empire by paying a visit to the Panorama 1453 History Museum. This museum lies just outside the triangle. The 360 degree spatial reproduction of the 1453 battle displays the end of the Byzantine Empire in Constantinople. The panoramic painting in the dome creates an awesome three-dimensional effect. It makes up for the fact that all the information in the modern museum, which was only opened three years ago, is all in Turkish.

During the 1453 siege, the defensive stone walls were breached in several places. But even nowadays, as much as 5 to 9 km (depending on which source you consult) of the original 45 km long walls is still standing. The remains are often in a dire state or alternatively reconstructed with modern brick, and in both cases sometimes only a few meters from newly build houses. It’s possible to walk on, between or next to the walls in some places (like the stretch from the Silivrikapi 1 km south of the Panorama Museum to the Belgradkapi 2 km south of the Panorama Museum). But in most places highways, restorations and/or other building sites make this impossible.

Part of the panorama portraying the siege of 1453, photo by author

Our second stop is the Yedikule Fortress, also known as the Castle of Seven Towers Museum, which is located on the most southwestern tip of the confinement of walls. Its Golden Gate was the main ceremonial entrance into the city. The site now serves as a large open air museum. The steep stone staircases without handrails are probably the highlight of a visit. The dungeons added during Ottoman times and the spectacular views from the battlements are definitely worth the precarious climb up these stairs as well.

We then visit the Chora Museum next to Edirnekapi and near the northwestern tip of the Theodosian land walls. This gate is where the Ottomans broke through first in 1453. This kapi (gate) is the second-most important gate of the walls. The museum, called Kariye in Turkish, was built in the 4th century as an orthodox church. It was converted into a mosque in the 16th century and then into a museum in 1945. In the fifties, the original mosaics and frescoes were uncovered and can now be admired by the public. Especially interesting are the stories behind the paintings, although your neck might get a bit sore from staring at the ceiling.

Inside Yedicule Fortress, photo by author

Next to the museum are a few souvenir shops and a small restaurant where you can drink typical Turkish tea before going on to the next museum. This one is known to some as the Pammakaristos Church and to others as the Fethiye Mosque. It is located in a conservative neighborhood, 1 km to the east of Edirnekapi, and is still partly in use as a mosque. In the surrounding streets you can see many women in traditional black çarşaf, which shows only the area between eyes and mouth. The museum has many interesting frescoes.

At the end of the morning, our guide takes us to a small eating shop which we would have never found by ourselves. The beef and eggplant stews followed by a traditional rice pudding are sufficient fuel to continue the tour in the afternoon. Read about that in More Byzantine Highlights.

The cook presenting his homemade food, photo by author

Useful information

Cengo Travel Tours
We did a private tour with guide Emre Onal from Istanbul Sightseeing Tours. The tour was adjusted to our wishes, but based on the Byzantine tour that we found on Local Guiding.

Panorama 1453 History Museum
Topkapı Culture Park, Tram to Topkapı, Opened daily between approximately 9am to 5pm, Admission TL10, English audio tour 10 TL, http://www.panoramikmuze.com

Yedikule Fortress
Kule Meydanı 4, Tram to Yedikule, Opened daily between approximately 9am to 5pm, Admission TL10, http://www.istanbul7towers.com is at the moment of writing not working

Chora Museum
Kariye Camii Sok, Bus to Edirnekapi, Open between approximately 9am to 5pm, closed on Wednesdays, Admission TL15 (free with museum card), http://www.choramuseum.com

Pammakaristos Church
Fethiye Cad, Bus to Fethiye Durağı‎, Open between approximately 9am and 5pm, Admission TL5, see this website for photos

Other interesting websites
http://www.byzantium1200.com
http://www.3dmekanlar.com