Let us continue on our route.
When you reach Direkrarasi, which used to be the public entertainment centre
during the Ottoman Period, on the Sehzadebasi Street, turn right and walk along
the road. You first arrive at the Damat Ibrahm Pasha Complex, which was built
in 1720.
All the buildings of this complex are set around courtyard. The
Sehzade Mosque gave its name to the road and is an important milestone in the
development of Mimar Sinan’s architectural mastery. He himself referred the
mosque as his “ work of apprenticeship”and it is widely believed that he built
his masterpiece relying on the experiences he gathered during the design and
construction of this mosque.
The mosque was built for the memory of Sehzade
Mehmet, a beloved son of Sultan Suleyman, who sadly died when he was just 22
years old. The tombs in the courtyard with their spectacular tiles are also
worth a visit. However, like many other tombs in Istanbul, they can only be visited
on certain dates or with special permission.
If you proceed along the same
road you will reach the FAITH SULTAN MEHMET COMPLEX, (COMPLEX OF SULTAN MEHMET
THE CONQUEROR), one of the first religious complexes built in Istanbul. The
complex is also an earlier example of selatin mosques (imperial mosques of
Ottoman Sultans or their family members).A complex has the mosque as its
central feature and consists of a madrasah (religious college) , imaret (
public kitchens) and darussifa ( hospital) as well as other buildings for
charitable, purposes, education and health. The Faith Complex used to have the
first universities of Istanbul, the Mediterranean Madrasah and Black Sea
Madrasah. Following the demise of Byzantium, Faith underwent large scale
reconstruction and embellishment activities and building this complex was part
of the effort. It was also built on one of the seven hills of Istanbul, which
was a very significant place during the Byzantine Period. One the same hill the
HAvariyun Church (Church of the Holy Apostles) used to stand, which contained
the sacred cemetery of the Byzantine emperors.
The mosque and other buildings
were built over the ruins of the church and sustained earthquake damage several
times in its long history. They have nevertheless survived into our own day
after successive repairs. One of the most splendid parts of the complex is the
tomb where the internal decoration contains inlaid silver and gold patterning.
However, if you prefer not to
proceeds towards the Faith Complex and turn right at the Sehzade Mosque, the
road will take you to Bozadogan Su Kemeri (Valens Aqueduct), which served
Istanbul for many years by bringing water into the city from distant sources. The
aqueduct was repaired several times as Ottoman Period and extended to new water
sources to ensure a safety supply of water to Istanbul from several kilometers
away.
If you continue the road you
will reach Vefa District, which is famous for its boza ( a thick malt drink
made of fermented millet) . The historic Vefa Bozacisi ( boza producer and
seller) is close to the Valens Aqueduct and Vefa Lycee. It is the preferred
refreshing drink of the winter months though even a summer visit is no excuse
not to taste the famous drink.
Another significant building
on the same route is the Church of Christ Pantokrator, today’s Zeyrek Mosque.
This monumental building was set on top o a hill. It has the largest floor area
after Ayasofya for a surviving historical building in Istanbul. In this
district you can find examples of the late Byzantine Period. However it was not
designed and built in a single period. It consisted of several buildings
commissioned by different Byzantine emperors and empresses.
If you visit Vefa on the first
day of a calendar month, take a key with you and visit Meryem Ana Ayazmasi (Virgin
Mary Holy Spring). They keys are important if you make a wish at the holy
spring. The belief is that if you manage to keep the key for a month
afterwards, you wish will definitely be realized in near future.
The route then leads you to
the shores of the Golden Horn. Near the Ataturk Bridge spanning the Golden Horn
right and walk alongside the shore to reach back to the Egyptian Bazaar where
you can rest and recuperate with a nice meal at one of the restaurants serving
fine food from the 4 corners of Turkey.
