Suleiman the Magnificent

Lauren occasionally gives an hour talk before we set off. These are great because she has the theme of Istanbul-Venice gateways to East-West. She focuses on a person, places them in historical context but then describes how they differ from others, or changed the course of history. Lots of anecdotes from written accounts - for Istanbul it is often the commentary of Venetian ambassadors. She reminds us where we've been and if we'll see something in the future. I guess all tour leaders do this but she is very entertaining. Great slides, which we didn't have on the Scotland tour.

Yesterday it was Suleiman the Magnificent, 10th Ottoman Emperor; a man fond of extravagant clothing. On arriving for a function one day, his unimpressed father, Selim the Grim, was said to have remarked "and what is your mother wearing?" He was also magnificent because he conquered a lot of places, but not quite Vienna. Many countries gave him magnificent gifts, especially noteworthy being the gold tiered crown bigger than the Pope's from Venetian goldsmith company. Which he wore on conquesting endevours.

The sun is just rising. I was awakened rudely this morning by a phone call from Melbourne - which I missed. Breakfast in half an hour. Back to Suleiman. He was a bit of a renaissance prince, many languages, interested in the arts, war, legacy etc, He was the only son of Selim the Grim, so did not have to kill off his brothers, and he was popular. He broke with Ottoman tradition when he married a woman, Roxalana, since Emperors basically fathered children and then set up the son and his mother for life somewhere. I am not too sure if the mothers of daughters got the same good deal, but daughters had their roles. One of Suleiman's son-in-laws became the Grand Vizier and was pretty canny with money, transforming the taxation and treasury methods.

We went to his mosque. Initially he built a grand one, but then gave that to his favourite (of 4) son who died as a teen? Later he built a simpler one for himself, which mirrored his decline into a reclusive life after his beloved Roxalana died. Today his tomb was closed for cleaning. However I did appreciate the subterranean toilet complex - so discrete, but also hard to find. Saw my first squat toilets, but gratefully a Western style cubical was available.

We visited the mosque of his son-in-law, but they are starting to blur. I think it has the most tiles of any mosque in Istanbul, and it was quite close. Picked up some Islam literature and for a minute felt lost, as, seeing none of my group, I followed another group to the exit - saw no-one outside the mosque - so hurried back inside and there they were. Esra said she spotted me below on the street, so I was never really lost. It is very unusual that I am behind the group, as we have some quite mobility-limited members.

Enraptured tourists actually listening their guide, unlike us

Esra also took me to the Official Post Office, where I bought 2024 and 2025 collections. On our way back to the group having lunch, we visited the courtyard of the New Mosque - built in the 1700s. Then on to the Spice market which is run like a well-oiled clock. Every shop is the same size, the same shelf style and it is magnificent. 

Another very common sight, both in the Bazaar and the general street scape is the Sweet shops. These are very colourful, very neat and apart from a communal present, I have not indulged in buying any.

The afternoon rounded off with climbing the Galata Tower. Across the Golden Horn lay the colonies of the Venetian and Genoese and Pisean and other trading countries. A wooden tower had been on the top of the hill from the 6th century. This one was built of stone in the 1300s. We had a loooooooong wait in a queue, and it was cold and windy, which so far it has not been. We have had sunny days throughout. Coming out of the Spice Bazaar and looking for our bus, we saw the Galata Tower across the water.

Galata Tower from the Spice Bazaar

A busy street leads to the Tower, flanked by pastel-coloured buildings. It has a European feel, and is lined by cafes - but then so is most of the Old City, or the 'tourist quarter'. 

After a lift of six floors, you climbed a spiral staircase to the viewing floor. Because there was a good barrier to head height I was prepared to walk around the top of the tower to see all of the view. I was braver back indoors.

Chain barrier across the Golden Horn

A part of Constantinople's defence system was the chain you see here. It stretched across the narrowest part of the Golden Horn, perhaps 700m or so, attached securely at both ends. Normally it lay below the surface so friendly ships could pass. Apparently it could be raised within minutes if an unfriendly ships was sighted, through largely manpower. It seems pretty flimsy but it was a successful defence until the Ottoman Conquerer, Sultan Mehmed I, carried his boats overland behind the Galata Tower in the dead of night, and surprised the Byzantines in the Old City by emerging right inside the Golden Horn itself!

My first glimpse of marzipan fruits was in the street to Galata Tower. These sweets made of almond meal were my all-time favourite from uni days, although those were much smaller. "Eat no sweets, take photographs not calories" is my maxim.