Three Capitals of Ottomans

 

Second day. Moving to Bursa. "Emerald City ", " Green Bursa " such epithets have awarded the city for centuries. Bursa located on the north - western slopes of Mount Uludag and very green all year round. Here you can visit at the same time all seasons of the year , rising to the top of the snow Uludað . 

Bursa was founded at the beginning of II century BC king of Bithynia Prusiasom II called Prus . The city was part of the Roman Empire and then Byzantium. In 1326 after a 10- year siege , Bursa was conquered by the Ottoman Turks and became the first capital of the Ottoman state .

Ulu Jami - Great Mosque is the largest mosque in Bursa and is a monument of early Ottoman architecture with a predominance of the Seljuk style . Mosque built (about 1400 ) by Sultan Bayezid II architect Ali Najjar . The main architectural feature of the mosque is 20 domes are arranged in four rows of five . There is a legend that the mosque was built instead of 20 separate mosques which Sultan promised to build for the victory of Nikopol ( 1396 ) . Two minarets are tower over the mosque . The interior of the mosque includes besides the traditional ornamental painting 192 inscriptions which are examples of Islamic calligraphy .

"Green Mosque " was built in the XV century. Facade of the building is faced with white marble and the walls of the prayer hall covered with a green faience which the mosque owes its name to. Central facade and windows are decorated with carved marble. In the room in front of the main hall is a swimming pool with a marble fountain . The interior walls are richly decorated with Arabic script letters and painted a thin floral ornaments . The entrance door is decorated with wooden carvings fine work .

Cuisine of Bursa is famous for its peculiarities. You will have the opportunity to taste the famous dish worldwide Iskender kebab.

Visiting the shopping arcade as Indoor market , silk market , you 'll see the famous Bursa silk , known since the Middle Ages .

Ottoman House Museum and the Museum of Karagöz will give insight into the culture of life and entertainment , traditional for Ottoman period in the history of Turkey.

 

The third day. Moving in Edirne will give you the opportunity to visit Gallipoli - Thracian Chersonese - first mentioned in the time of Alexander the Great. Prosperity of the town took place during of Byzantine times when Gallipoli became a major trading center. Gallipoli fully shared the fate of Thrace. Сhanged rulers and sovereigns , mixed peoples which inhabit this land . In 1354 the city was conquered by the Ottoman Turks .

In Russian history with Gallipoli connected tragic page . Gallipoli seat - so historians had called the period of stay of the First Army Corps General Kutepov A .P. in 1920-1921 in the vicinity of the Greek ( at the time) Gallipoli ( Turkish name of the city - Gellibolu ) . In the autumn of 1920 the army was stationed in the old dilapidated barracks and tents. Began mass disease which resulted in 342 people died. The monument had designed by Lieutenant Technical Regiment Akatev N.N. was unveiled on the territory of the Russian cemetery July 16 1921. The monument was destroyed by an earthquake in 1949 . Today the Russian monument was restored in 2008 and is standing again in Gallipoli for they was forced to leave their homeland because of the revolution and could not survive in a foreign land.

Edirne - Adrianople - a city located in northwestern Turkey on the border with Greece and Bulgaria founded by the Roman Emperor Hadrian on the site of an ancient Thracian settlement . Over the more than two thousand years of history the city passed from hand to hand some conquerors changing names but maintaining the beauty and grandeur . Advantageous geographical location and unique nature of ancient Thrace made it a bone of contention for centuries .

At first time the Edirne became part of of the Ottoman Empire in 1362 . From 1365 to 1453 years Edirne is the capital of the Ottoman Empire.

On a high hill overlooking the city proudly and majestically stands Selimiye Mosque ( Selim II) - great work of the architect Sinan , standard and classic example of the mosque , the pinnacle of Islamic architecture , included in the UNESCO World Heritage List . The temple complex includes a hospital, a school , a library and baths, located around the mosque and also madrasa house Hadith and clock's room .

Your favorable impressions of stay in the first capital of the Ottoman Empire would be strengthened visit restaurants serving traditional Turkish cuisine. You can try the famous burgers cooked according to recipes Ottoman times .

Mosque of Sultan Bayezid II known contemporary tourists as modern medical museum was structured in the XV century . Apart from the traditional of the complex for the mosque at that time the mosque of Bayazid II included the hospital for treatment of the mentally ill, school of doctors and workshop for the preparation of medicines and potions.

By visiting the oldest mosque in the city of Eski Cana ( built in 1403 ) you can walk through the ancient streets and walk to the lawn Kyrkpynar where today as 500 years ago is held of competition on the traditional kind of wrestling in oil.

Medieval covered market Semiz Ali Pasha built by Mimar Sinan gives a complete picture of the place Edirne in the medieval trading. The building was damaged by fire in 1992 . Restoration work is not yet completed but what you can see testifies of the genius of the architect. Opposite the northern entrance to the market is towering Kul - Kapys (" Gate Tower ") the exclusive remaining portion of the city walls since Byzantine times . After dinner you will have opportunity to stroll through the evening city or continue acquaintance with Turkish culture visiting of a hamam XV century.

 

The fourth day. Moving to Istanbul. Exploring Istanbul will begin with the historical city center Sultanahmet. Sultanahmet or Old City it is Istanbul neighborhood in which houses the main historical attractions: Hagia Sophia, Hippodrome, Blue Mosque, Underground Cistern Basilica.

Where the Golden Horn meets the Sea of Marmara in Istanbul city center , stands the temple of God's Wisdom Hagia Sophia. Hagia Sophia of Constantinople (Hagia Sophia) a former patriarchal Orthodox Cathedral, later is a mosque now is a museum. Hagia Sophia of Constantinople over 1000 years was the largest church in the Christian world until the construction of St. Peter's in Rome. At the entrance to the temple is breathtaking beauty and grandeur. Hagia Sophia is the world famous monument of Byzantine architecture. Constructed during the reign of Justinian I the temple according to witnesses "... reigned over the city like a ship on the waves of the sea ." The interior of the temple admired luxury: gold mosaics, malachite and porphyry columns, golden iconostasis which was maintained two silver columns with gold capitals. Time and people are not spared the temple. Crusaders looted Cathedral during IV Crusade. The conquest of Constantinople by the Ottomans in 1453 and the transformation of the cathedral into a mosque changed the face of the Hagia Sophia.

Modern Hippodrome is located on the place of Roman hippodrome, where gladiator fights were held and chariot races. In the Ottoman period the area was the center of a lush wedding rituals court ceremonies and fairs .

Basilica Cistern is one of the surviving underground reservoirs of the Byzantine period built during the reign of Emperor Justinian I. In the construction of the reservoir have been used hundreds of columns from destroyed pagan temples . Tank was built as a repository of fresh water in case of a long siege of the city. Fresh water is stored in tanks today .

Blue Mosque or a Sultan Ahmed Mosque is one of the symbols of Istanbul. Unofficial name "blue" mosque owes blue color tiles applied in the interiors .

Egyptian Bazaar is the second largest market in Istanbul. The name " Egyptian Bazaar " goes back to the Ottoman period when from Egypt to Istanbul were brought spices and sold in this market . Bazaar was built in 1660 in order to raise funds for the completion of construction located near the New Mosque ( Rustem Pasha ) .

It is difficult to imagine a more scenic tour than a walk along the Bosphorus . This is an opportunity to look at Istanbul , located in two sides of the world and understand why it is so is what it is, embrace the whole panorama view of the city and grasp it uniqueness.