When you find yourself in Istanbul, the city on the Bosphorus, in which traces of civilization from 8,500 years ago were found during the construction of the metro, it is clear that the historical facts you will discover will blow your mind.
Although the area of Istanbul was inhabited in prehistoric times, the first time a "city" was founded in this place was in the 7th century BC. Due to its ideal location, on the sea, at the junction of Europe and Asia, it was the target of attacks by Romans and Persians for centuries.
In the 4th century, in 330 to be exact, Constantine the Great declared Istanbul (then Constantinople) the capital of the Roman Empire.
The largest and richest European city in the Middle Ages, it was ideal for building the largest church in the world, Hagia Sophia.
In the middle of the 15th century, the Ottomans conquered the city and declared it the capital of their empire.
In the next 5 centuries, a large number of mosques and palaces were built in Istanbul, which still fascinate with their beauty.
The Blue Mosque, Sultan Ahmet Mosque is especially beautiful.
And how does a visitor to Istanbul feel when he steps onto the pavement of Istanbul Square?
So, if you step into Sultanahmet Square, which is located on the site of the former ancient hippodrome, between Hagia Sophia, Sultan Ahmet Mosque and Basilica Cistern, you feel as if you have been teleported to the Middle Ages.
In order to enjoy the walk, all you need is good, clear weather and a little internet, so that you can immediately check some historical facts about what is in front of your eyes.
Hagia Sophia and SultanAhmet Dzamiya deserve a separate post, similar to the one in which I presented my impressions during the tour of the Basilica Cistern.
I will now share some pictures of these two religious buildings, and I will focus all my attention and my story about today's #wednesdaywalk on the square and what is on it.
And there are obelisks, pillars, fountains and one stone, the center of the empire.
The great obelisk, the Obelisk of Theodosius, which was made in ancient Egypt for Pharaoh Thutmose III around 1450 BC, was brought to Constantinople in 390 AD by the Roman emperor Theodosius I.
It is an obelisk made of red granite and stands on a marble plinth with reliefs.
The next one we come across is The Serpent Column. It is an ancient bronze pillar that was originally erected in Delphi, Greece. It was made from the melted weapons of the Persian army and dedicated to the god Apollo to commemorate the victory of the Greeks over the Persians at the Battle of Plataea in 479 BC.Emperor Constantine the Great moved it to Constantinople in 324 AD.
The pillar consists of three entwined snakes (with a golden tripod on top that stood on snake heads, but those parts have long since disappeared. One of the remaining snake heads can be seen today in the Archaeological Museum in Istanbul).
And the last, youngest, brick, Column of Constantine Porphyrogenetus, also known by the Turkish name Örme Dikilitaş (Brick Obelisk).
It is an ancient obelisk from the 10th century AD.
Although it is named after Emperor Constantine VII Porphyrogenitus who restored it in the 10th century, it is thought that the column is actually much older and may have been built during the time of Constantine the Great or Theodosius I.
When I thought of lowering the last from the tops of these obelisks that tear the blue of the sky, I looked in the direction of the Basilica Cistern, another building, perhaps the most important for Constantinople and the Byzantine Empire.
It is the Million Stone, a historical monument that represented the Zero Point - During the Byzantine Empire, this stone marked the starting point from which all distances within the empire were measured.
It was considered the starting point for all roads of the Roman Empire that led to Constantinople (today's Istanbul).
By 1884, the Million Stone was accepted as the starting point for the Prime Meridian by the entire world, before that role passed to Greenwich.
And not to end this walk with pictures of gray stone, I also reached the German Fountain and sat on its steps for a short break.
This fountain, located between the Hagia Sophia and the Blue Mosque, was built at the end of the 19th century as a gift from the German emperor to the Ottoman sultan. It consists of an octagonal base and a dome supported by eight marble columns.
The interior of the dome is decorated with gorgeous gold mosaics that attract the eye.
I hope you liked this short but interesting walk and that you will follow my next posts about the great Istanbul where I will present some more interesting sites.
