Istanbul - The End of the Road
- Simon De
- Jan 15
- 15 min read
Updated: Jan 21
Istanbul would be the final major stop in my Silk Road adventure, a fitting end. It was my first time visiting the storied city and it did not disappoint. I am fortunate to have excellent friends who had organized my transport from the airport straight to the Old City centre where I would be staying (in a flat also thoughtfully arranged for me). As expected, traffic was horrendous, but as I had no real itinerary this wasn’t a problem, it allowed me to have a look around and get a feel for the layout of the city. I will provide a very brief overview of the history of Istanbul below, but I will not go into any significant detail; as one of the world’s great historical centres, I presume most of what I can say will (or should) be common knowledge.
I lugged my many bags up to the apartment, cleaned up and headed out to get some food and to explore the city. I still had several hours of daylight so stopped for a sit-down lunch at a restaurant called “Deraliye” on Tikarethane SK, which purported to serve a variation on the menus from Ottoman palaces – I ordered a dish with lamb, roasted eggplant and peppers and it turned out to be very good. For a random walk-in I was very pleased with the menu and service.
With daylight remaining I headed to the sight I was most keen to see, the Hagia Sophia. I had written a history paper on the Hagia Sophia in 2011, so I was excited to finally see this storied Byzantine church turned Mosque in the flesh, more on this below, but first a little history.
The History of Istanbul
Archaeological records point to human habitation in the vicinity of Istanbul from 6000 BC; however, it wouldn’t be until around 660 BC, when Greek settlers established Byzantium, that the modern city would begin to take shape. The Greek city was part of the Athenian League aside from a brief period when it was conquered by Persia, and when both the Grecian City states and Alexander’s Empire had declined, the city found itself allied with the Roman Empire in 73 BC. Byzantium was destroyed following its support of a usurper to the Roman Imperial throne, after which it came back into the fold of the Roman Empire and once again prospered for several centuries. In 324 AD under Constantine the Great, Byzantium would be effectively renamed Constantinople (formally re-named Nova Roma, but “Constantinople” persisted) and would begin its phase as a centre of a Christian Roman Empire. It was during this period that the magnificent Hagia Sophia church was constructed (completed between 532 and 537 AD), along with many other churches and public buildings. Long after the fall of the Western Roman Empire, Constantinople would endure as one of the major cities of the world (at times the largest), protected by its massive fortifications and its location on the Bosphorus. The city had a unique location which allowed it to play a major part in the enormous East/West trade routes along the Silk Road, but also to control trade within the Aegean and up into the Black Sea and Russia. This generated enormous wealth for Constantinople, so much so that when the city was conquered in 1204 during the 4th Crusade, many of the conquering crusaders were awestruck by its splendour. Crusader, Robert of Clari writes of Constantinople: “It was so rich, and there were so many rich vessels of gold and silver and cloth of gold and so many rich jewels, that it was a fair marvel...Not since the world was made, was there ever seen or won so great a treasure or so noble or so rich, not in the time of Alexander nor in the time of Charlemagne...Nor do I think...that in the forty richest cities of the world there had been so much wealth as was found in Constantinople.”[1] Writing later in 1340, the Florentine named Francesco Pegolotti described in some detail the exotic products of the East which could be obtained in Constantinople during the heyday of the Silk Road.[2] Constantinople’s greatness would sadly be dimmed in 1453 when, following decades of decline within the Byzantine Empire, it was finally conquered by Mehmed II of the Ottoman Empire, the Justinian Walls breached by cannons and its palaces and churches sacked. To their credit, the Ottomans commenced an enormous rebuild of the city (many of the modern landmarks were built by the Ottomans) and did not destroy all the major churches, most famously the Hagia Sophia was repurposed as a mosque. Thereafter Constantinople was renamed Istanbul, and it remained one of the principal cities of the Ottoman Empire until its own decline and eventual collapse after allying with the Central Powers during World War I. Despite the Turkish capital moving to Ankara in 1923, Istanbul would remain a major city, and it has seen exponential growth, resulting in the massive urban sprawl one can see today, far beyond the Golden Horn which was the ancient centre.
The Hagia Sophia
I have introduced the Hagia Sophia (Church of “Holy Wisdom”) in the history section above, so I will not reiterate any details here. Built by the Byzantine Emperor Justinian and constructed of Ashlar Stone and Roman brick, with an enormous dome supported by pendentives and buttressed by additional semi-domes, it would become the emblematic Byzantine church[3], with its layout influencing many future churches, mosques, synagogues and other structures. I will not attempt to reiterate the vast amount of literature written about this magnificent building. As for my own experience, aside from the historical significance and its age, I think the most impressive thing about the Hagia Sophia is how the light filters through the nave, reflecting everywhere off of its grand golden murals (now thankfully uncovered – they had been plastered over by the Ottomans); I think this is best demonstrated by Sargent’s 1891 painting of the interior, a view I unfortunately could not recreate with my camera, because only Turkish citizens or Muslims can now stand at the vantage point in the nave below. The murals are beautiful and numerous, each with their own stories, and there is even Viking graffiti.
The Interior of the Hagia Sophia - magnificent from every angle... and in the details of the mozaics & murals.
The Blue Mosque
Southwest of the Hagia Sophia is Sultanahmet Park and southwest of that is Sultanahmet Camii, also known as the Blue Mosque. I had a stroll through the park, which was quite lovely, but very crowded, so I did not linger for very long. The Blue Mosque was built by Sultan Ahmet I between 1603 and 1617 with the express goal of outshining the nearby Hagia Sophia.[4] I am not interested in ranking either structure, though it is evident that there are similarities between the two structures. Most notably, the Blue Mosque retains its outer colonnade courtyard, unlike the Hagia Sophia, and it also has six minarets. The external finishing is also I suppose cleaner, perhaps a function of its lesser age and the lower number of external buttresses etc., that have been tacked onto the Hagia Sophia. Given the crowds and that it was a place of worship I did not venture inside the Blue Mosque, preferring to stay in the outer courtyard instead. Unfortunately, there was some repair work being done on the mosque, so the external views were somewhat obstructed. I understand that the interior is like many Islamic buildings, with a richly painted and mosaiced interior, I regret not visiting inside, however, I plan to revisit Istanbul in the future so that should not be a problem.
The Basilica Cistern
I was due to meet a friend of a friend for drinks so didn’t have a huge amount of time to explore sites further afield, so I opted to visit the Basilica Cistern which is just north of Sultanahmet Park next to Hagia Sophia. It was rather pricey to get in, but I think it was broadly worth it. It is the largest of the ancient cisterns underneath Istanbul, I understand that there are hundreds of these, which was quite surprising! Constructed in the 6th century AD, the Basilica Cistern once provided drinking water and filtration of the same to the Byzantine inhabitants, and later after the Ottoman Conquest, to the nearby inhabitants of the city and to Topkapi Palace (which I will discuss later). It has been fortunately renovated so that one can walk around on walkways rather than boats. Between the massive columns that hold up the vaulted ceiling, various art and light installations have been added, some of these are rather modern artsy fartsy and I found them to be in poor taste, I suppose I prefer modern additions to ancient sites to be done with a higher level of reverence than some. There was one art installation which was a statue of the mythical Greek goddess Medusa, where shadows were utilised, and which was reminiscent of the bases of the columns (some of which use Medusa’s head as their base) which I thought was rather more thoughtfully done.
Curious statue of Medusa in the corner of the cisterns.
Topkapi Palace
The spawling complex of the Topkapi palace was one of the places I felt would be a highlight alongside the Hagia Sophia, it did not disappoint. Construction of the Topkapi palace commenced under Mehmed II, 6 years after the conquest of Constantinople in 1459. Built atop a hill overlooking the Golden Horn and the Sea of Marmara, the site was once an ancient Greek acropolis. Mehmet II’s design for the palace was a sprawling complex with outer walls surrounding four major inner courtyards and an enormous harem. This layout remained largely set after his reign, although Topkapi did see some expansion and renovation (particularly after fires) between the 1460s and the 1600s, after which its layout was largely set in the incarnation we see today. The images directly below are of a large diorama on-site which shows the sprawling layout.
Topkapi was converted to a museum in the 1920s and now there are some significant lines to visit it, but I think it was worth the wait. Each of the courtyards is unique, and interestingly they contained an array of older features dotted about the gardens, presumably left behind by the Greeks and Byzantines. More of this cast-off art and stonework is laid out after the exit in the surrounding gardens, and I amused myself by glancing at each of the pieces as I exited, wondering what prior structures they had once served or beautified. The intricate tilework typical of Islamic art is beautiful throughout and I couldn’t pick out any favourites, if I had to, I’d suggest the domed ceiling of the Imperial Hall in its vibrant red, gold, and blue paintwork. I think my favourite spots were one of the libraries, the “Baghdad Kiosk” and generally the view out over Golden Horn and the rest of modern Istanbul. The Grand Kiosk, which was built last and resembles the more modern features of the Dolmabahçe Palace (which eclipsed Topkapi as an Imperial residence in the 19th century) was probably my second favourite given its splendid location (overlooking Golden Horn).
Topkapi is enormous, these are just a tiny fraction of the interior spaces.
The views of the Bosphorus from Topkapi Palace.
The resident Ottoman crows bathing leisurely, and a sample of the litter of ancient stonework at exit of Topkapi.
The Grand Bazaar & Spice Market
I think the Grand Bazaar may be the element which, aside from some of the interiors at Topkapi Palace, most exemplified the Silk Road. The Grand Bazaar is essentially an enormous covered market, covering 61 streets, ~4000 shops and 30,700 m2 of space! Its size and location in the centre of the old city certainly made it feel like a fitting terminus to at least one section of the grand old trade route that was the Silk Road. Of course, given that its construction only began in 1455, it is perhaps a bit of a latecomer to the Silk Road.
Most of the market is covered in vaulted ceilings which are lightly decorated, with few courtyards nestled amongst its winding passageways. I think my favourite of these courtyards, which was fortunately recommended by a friend, is the Zincirli Hanı, which used to be a Caravanserai (a familiar feature to many a Silk Road traveller!), and which is now a centre for the sale and production of high-end jewelery. I was pleased to find that the market is a good mix of cheaper quality goods and knockoffs and also higher-end goods, like antiques. I found a few antique watch dealers which I would love to visit again in the future.
One of my favourite shops was a tiny little place called Minyatür selling all manner of terribly fantastic items, from Spy Cameras, to watches, and naval militaria (many in lovely, polished brass), all rather heavenly. This shop provides a good diversion to another of the things Istanbul is famous for beyond the Silk Road and its impressive history, espionage! Istanbul is uniquely placed between east and west, and as such, it is perhaps not surprising that it has been a frequent hotbed of espionage for more than a century, from Great Game, to the Kaiser’s agents during WW1, to the Cold War, and well into the present day, I am sure that the back streets and cafés of Istanbul have seen their fair share of clandestine activity. It’s a fascinating subject which I will no doubt have to add to my ever-expanding reading list. For now, I leave the reader with a pleasant article I found on the subject of espionage and the Grand Bazaar: https://www.watchesofespionage.com/blogs/woe-dispatch/shopping-for-spy-gadgets-watches-in-istanbul
An assortment of shots from within the maze of the Grand Bazaar, a feast for the senses indeed.
Apart from the Grand Bazaar and closer to the tramway which heads towards Karaköy, there is the Mısır Çarşısı or “Egyptian Bazaar” which is mostly a spice market. It is arranged in an L shape with high vaulted ceilings and lined with numerous shops selling spices and various other foodstuffs, such as nougat and Turkish Delight. There were a few of the usual shops selling counterfeit dotted around as well, and at one end there is, according to some French tourists I spoke to, quite a fine restaurant, alas I did not visit as we were heading to get some authentic kebabs nearby.
The Egyptian Bazaar.
The food and feel of Istanbul
I came to learn that one of the many great things about Istanbul is how much it has to offer beyond its major tourist attractions and sites. Simply wandering the winding streets of the old city, which I did one evening to take some night photos (below) is pleasant, although one should be warned, some of the back alleys have no light at all so I would suggest to do this as a group if you are squeamish (or alone like me if you are reckless…). When I went to find places to eat or meet friends, I discovered some excellent restaurants, and particularly on the Asia side around Karaköy, many excellent and lively streets lined with bars, including (naturally) Irish pubs serving Guinness. Whilst there is a tram back from Karaköy to Sultanahmet where I was staying, I usually opted to walk, as this permits a pleasant walk along the Golden Horn with views of the Galata Tower, many of the Mosques which are pleasantly lit, and of course of the Bosphorus, with the sea air as an added benefit.
Istanbul at night. There are many charming 19th century buildings, such as the old railway station.
As for food, I mentioned one restaurant in my introductory section which was excellent, however, I regrettably cannot recall the names of any of the bars I visited in Karaköy (mea culpa…), one of them made an excellent cocktail. For drinks and dinner one evening I visited the Cagaloglu Hamami, which is one of the oldest surviving Hammam’s (Turkish Baths) in Istanbul, and which has been visited by many famous names, from Ataturk to Kaiser Wilhelm II. Whilst I did not try the baths (next time I certainly will), I discovered they have an excellent bar and restaurant. The restaurant/bar is called “Lokanta 1741”[5] and it was excellent, both in terms of its splendid interior, food, drinks and service. I will be visiting on my next trip to Istanbul.
Overall, Istanbul outdid my expectations by a wide margin, and I felt like I barely scratched the surface of all there is to see. I will need to return.
A detour down the Turkish coast
Initially I spent only 1.5 days in Istanbul (with a further few days added on before heading back to London) and then took a long overnight bus down to Kaş with intent for a further to Kastellorizo, given it was nighttime I did not manage to get many photos of the landscape until later in the afternoon when we were nearly at the sea closer to Kalkan. The seaside drive in this area is splendid and would have been significantly more fun in a convertible (ideally vintage) with the top down. Kastellorizo was as wonderful as I recalled from a prior holiday there but as it’s not a Silk Road destination, I won’t be discussing it here. I’ve added a couple photos just because it’s lovely.
A drive down the beautiful Turkish coast towards Kaş.
A few shots of the little detour to the beautiful Greek Island of Kastellorizo (aka Megisti / Meis).
Respectively northwest and east of Kaş I visited Patara and Kekova, both of which had ancient cities which would have been Lycian and then Roman during antiquity and which are now abandoned. Patara was a waypoint for trade and pilgrims during the Byzantine period so it is possible that some Silk Road trade may have passed through, however, I will need to do more research to determine this. It also has a sprawling beach which is amazing at sunset.
Patara Ruins and sunset at Patara beach.
The Kekova region is fascinating because it contains the ancient ruins of several ancient towns, namely, Simena, Aperlae, Dolchiste and Teimioussa, large portions of which were sunk beneath the sea following an earthquake in the 2nd century AD (it had also seen rising sea levels during the Holocene period). The Kekova region was also inhabited during the Byzantine period but was ultimately abandoned after the Arab conquests. I was fortunate to take a boat tour around Kekova and to stop for fish over an open fire and a swim in the sun, during November!
A few shots of the glorious sunny November day's sailing around the sunken towns of Kekova, note the outline of ancient ruins under the water's surface.
On the return trip to Istanbul, it was again nighttime, and I did not really bother taking photos. The landscape beyond the urban sprawl of Istanbul was quite agrarian and becomes increasingly green and temperate as one heads north from Kaş. For my next Silk Road trip, now that I can say I have driven overland from Istanbul to Kaş, I hope I can either start or finish the next trip here.
The End of the Golden Journey along the Silk Road
I can’t say that I expected any grand epiphany out of my travels, or that it was extremely relaxing. There was no grand epiphany and there wasn’t much relaxation, at least until the end. When I mentioned the Silk Road not being terribly relaxing to another intrepid traveller in Tajikistan, she rightfully quipped that I was probably deluded to have expected it to be!
What then, did the Silk Road offer? Many things, all eminently worthwhile (apart from dysentery, which can kiss my ass). Being able to witness first-hand places which previously I had only seen in satellite images, old photographs, or hand-drawn survey maps in old books, was amazing; sitting and gazing upon a similar view as that which would have been experienced by people I had read about only in books, was very rewarding. The long drive across the vast expanse of Western China, stopping in cities I’d barely heard of, visiting lost cities in the desert, and eating at questionable truck stops felt like its own singular adventure, and to be able to tack 5 further countries onto the list thereafter was an immense privilege. Kyrgyzstan, where I only stayed for a short time, was so beautiful and ethereally empty that it could have been painted or a dream, an enticing vision that I hope to revisit in the future. The experience of being (finally!) entirely on my own whilst driving through the wilds of the Pamir Highway in Tajikistan was incredibly freeing; the grandeur of its natural beauty, and the underlying sense of danger will exist forever in memory, with Karakul Lake standing out to me as particularly exceptional and I regret that my photography does not (in my mind) do it justice. Uzbekistan’s ancient cities which again I had only read about in books were magical to finally visit, and its otherwise empty landscape in parts left me in further awe of the travellers who trekked through these parts in centuries past, when they were ridden with brigands and more. Turkey was an immense surprise, from the bustling and almost overwhelming assault on the senses that is Istanbul, to the more serene seaside and mountains around Kaş, it was altogether a new culture to experience, and I look forward to exploring the rest of it to further connect more Silk Road journeys in the future. The sheer volume of archaeology alone in Turkey is astounding! I barely know where to begin.
For now, I am, in a way I did not expect, very much looking forward to getting back to work, catching up on my reading list, and planning future adventures and projects (i.e. being a bit sedentary). I hope to do a presentation contrasting my journey with that of Robert Byron’s in “The Road to Oxiana” at my club, but this may need to wait until Q2 2025 and on the new job situation.
This will not be my last blog post, but it will likely be the last one for a few months. I still have mountains of photos and videos to edit and share, I plan to get some professional help with these, as I have realized that I have neither the skill nor the inclination to edit videos. I also find that filming myself is rather cringe, so there’s that as well. Perhaps I will find someone to hold my cameras on future journeys, time will tell.
To those of you who have followed along these past months, I thank you, I can only hope that it brought you each some enjoyment, and that it has enticed you to also explore this amazing region, its fascinating people, grand natural beauty, and which has such a brilliant history. I look forward to sharing more photos and videos, and perhaps some additional narrative, in the future.
Cheers,
Simon
[3] Heinle, Erwin; Schlaich, Jörg (1996). Kuppeln: aller Zeiten, aller Kulturen. Stuttgart: Deutsche Verlags-Anstalt. ISBN 3-421-03062-6. OCLC 1126355641
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