Day 3
Taking the Back Streets to Istiklio Kaddesi (Avenue)
(A Popular Street for Many Reasons: Political, Business, Fashion, Treats for the Body and the Soul)

Above Left: Walking up the back roads from our hotel early in the morning.

Above Right: This is Istiklio Kaddesi (Kaddesi is a spelling variant of Caddesi which means Street or Avenue). We have arrived near Taksim Square and we will work our way toward Galata Tower (we will be seeing older and older buildings as we walk reaching a medieval Genoese neighborhood near Galata Tower).

"İstiklal Avenue or Istiklal Street (Turkish: İstiklal Caddesi; English: "Independence Avenue") is one of the most famous avenues in Istanbul, Turkey, visited by nearly 3 million people in a single day over the course of weekends. Located in the historic Beyoğlu (Pera) district, it is an elegant pedestrian street, 1.4 kilometers long, which houses boutiques, music stores, bookstores, art galleries, cinemas, theatres, libraries, cafés, pubs, nightclubs with live music, historical patisseries, chocolateries and restaurants.

The avenue, surrounded by late Ottoman era buildings (mostly from the 19th and early 20th centuries) that were designed with the Neo-Classical, Neo-Gothic, Renaissance Revival, Beaux-Arts, Art Nouveau and First Turkish National Architecture styles; as well as a few Art Deco style buildings from the early years of the Turkish Republic, and a number of more recent examples of modern architecture; starts from the medieval Genoese neighbourhood around Galata Tower and ultimately leads up to Taksim Square." Source - Wikipedia.

Above Left: Famous Gated Entrance to Galatasaray High School.

Above Right: The Republic Monument at the center of Taksim Square.

Taksim Square is considered the heart of modern Istanbul, with the central station of the Istanbul Metro network. Taksim Square is also the location of the Republic Monument (Turkish: Cumhuriyet Anıtı) which was crafted by Pietro Canonica and inaugurated in 1928. The monument commemorates the 5th anniversary of the foundation of the Republic of Turkey in 1923, following the Turkish War of Independence. Source - Wikipedia

Above: The Republic Monument.

Above Left: The Republic Monument.

Above Right: A Christian Church (there are a few around Istanbul).

Above: Terry and I visited many shops, much more so than the photos indicate. We also bought a Turkish Cookbook (in English) and the current Turkish best -elling Novel (again in English) at a Bookstore on the avenue. We quite enjoyed ourselves.

Above: Close-ups of Galata Tower.

Above Left: Galata Tower - The upper level has a restaurant and would visit on the following day.

The Romanesque style tower was built as Christea Turris (Tower of Christ) in 1348 during an expansion of the Genoese colony in Constantinople. Galata Tower was the tallest building in Istanbul at 219.5 ft (66.9 m) when it was built in 1348. The upper section of the tower with the conical cap was slightly modified in several restorations during the Ottoman period when it was used as an observation tower for spotting fires. Source - Wikipedia.

History: It was built to replace the old Tower of Galata, an original Byzantine tower named Megalos Pyrgos (English: Great Tower) which controlled the northern end of the massive sea chain that closed the entrance to the Golden Horn. That tower was on a different site and was largely destroyed in 1203, during the Fourth Crusade of 1202–1204. Source - Wikipedia.

Above Right: Dog and Cat Memorial from the people of South Korea.

Above Left: A Memorial from the people of the Republic of South Korea to the people of the Republic of Turkey (also commemorating the Silk Road).

Above Right: Galata Tower.

Above Left: Kedi.

Above Right: Fossilized Dog and Cat Prints.

Galata Mevlevihanesi Müzesi

Above: This museum visit was unplanned and this is why we tour other countries, we learn about concepts, ideas, and things that we would not likely learn about while at home. We learned that there is a Whirling Dervish demonstration (almost) every Sunday, but we were departing before Sunday, so later this day we made an arrangement to see a Sufism Mevlevihanesi Exhibition on this very evening, in old Istanbul near the Spice Market.

Galata Mevlevihanesi is the Center of Turkish Sufism in İstanbul. This building was converted into a museum in 1975 and is now home to the Museum of Divan Literature, where musical instruments and other objects exclusive to the Mevlevi are on display. Sufi lodge is of the Mevlevi order, named after the poet and religious figure Mevlana Celaleddin-i Rumi. This building was the first Sufi lodge built in Istanbul, dating from the 15th century.

Above Left: Cats at the Exit.

Above Right: Back on the street.

Above: We saw this art but we cannot remember where (along Istiklio Kaddesi).

Walking Down Istiklio Kaddesi,
then Along the North Bank of the Golden Horn,
then Over the Golden Horn Bridge and Up to the Valens Aqueduct

Above Left: Walking down Istiklio Kaddesi in Galata.

Above Right: At first this looked to be an aqueduct and maybe it was at one time but we were pretty sure that this was part of the Galata West Wall. There was a wall completely around Old Galata during the Byzantine Era.

Above: Looking South and Southwest across the Golden Horn, from Galata, toward the Haliç Köprüsü (Golden Horn Bridge). The bridge is for pedestrian and highway traffic, we will walk across it to the Valens Aqueduct.

Abovet: We saw these mosaic murals near a business strip mall near the Valens Aqueduct.

Valens Aqueduct

Above Left: Nearly as we could tell, this was a remnant of the Constantine Wall. The city name of New Rome never became used, most people of the time called the new city Constantine's City or Constantinople. Constantinople became a walled city with a fortress wall and at some point Emperor Constantine had a wall built that bisected the city and further protected the heart of the official's area where the Hagia Sophia and Royal Palace was located (also containing Hills Number 1, 2, 3, and 4 of 7 inside Constantinople).

Above Right: Our first view of the Valens Aqueduct.

The Valens Aqueduct is a Roman Aqueduct which was the major water-providing system of the Eastern Roman capital of Constantinople (modern Istanbul, Turkey). Completed by Roman Emperor Valens in the late 4th century AD, it was maintained and used by the Byzantines and later the Ottomans, and remains one of the most important landmarks of the city. Source - Wikipedia

Above: Valens Aqueduct, viewed from its north side (shadow-side).

Above Left: Valens Aqueduct, viewed from its north side (shadow-side).

Above Right: Valens Aqueduct, viewed from its south side (sun-side).

Above Left: About the Valens Aqueduct.

Above Right, Top and Bottom: The Valens Aqueduct with vehicles passing through the arches.

Above: The Valens Aqueduct is enormous, here it changes from two levels to one level (a tree blocks some detail).

Above Left: looking northeast at the aqueduct decline from two levels to one level.

Above Right: A little peek at the old water channel of the aqueduct, it appears that the fall line has saw-toothed the stones in order to slow down the water.

Lunch, Random Non-Tourist Side-Street

Above Left: Fresh bread as soon as we sat down.

Above Right: A Salad for each of us.

Above Left: This was the first Asian styled Squat-Toilet that we saw in Istanbul, in fact it may be the only Squat-Toilet that we saw in Istanbul. It was actually nice and clean.

Above Right: We found some old wood building structures - We were walking back streets at a NE direction to eventually get to the find the Eminönü area.

The Eminönü Area Market (Which Will Eventually Lead to the Spice Market).
There is not much delineation between the Eminönü Market and the Spice Market, furthermore the Spice Market leads to the Grand Bazar.

Above Left: A back street that we followed to reach the Eminönü district of Istanbul.

Above Right: We arrived into the Eminönü area, but we were initially located in a generalized commerce area.

Above Left: This is a Mosque entrance; the Mosque was closed for repairs but it was keeping its toilets open for public use. I thought that was a kind gesture.

Above Right: The Mosque members were temporarily using the market street for prayer worship. We had arrived here at the end of worship, not realizing that members were needing to use the street. I was slow at putting all of the clues together, we waited until the members picked up the temporary cardboard mats.

Today's Grand Bazar Entrance
(At one time between 1597-1664 this Market Place also contained a Prayer Square with a Wooden Balcony for Morning Prayer Call)

Above Left: Placard commemorating the 1597-1664 the Prayer Square and Wooden Balcony for Morning Prayer.

Above Right: The Wooden Balcony for the Prayer Square.

Above Left: Candy.

Above Right: It is called New Mosque.

Walking Back to Galata for Dinner

Above Left: Looking southeast across the Golden Horn at Ayasofya.

Above Right: Looking east across the Bosphorus at Istanbul on the Asian side.

A Light Dinner at the Arada Café (near our apartment)

Above Left: Appetizers.

Above Right: Dinner.

Sufism Mevlevihanesi Music and Dance Exhibition

Above Left: No Photos were allowed at the exhibition, it is a religious celebration - This photo is of their properly dressed Sufi mannequin outside the exhibit area.

This is a link to the Sufism Mevlevihanesi Museum that we saw earlier this same day. Sufism is a Muslim sect that respects the Islamic Poetry of Mevlana Celaleddin-i Rumi combined with respectful music and dance (sometimes called Whirling Dervish).

Above Right: This was the demonstration room; once the exhibition started no photos were allowed.

We had a wonderful visit on Istanbul's Istiklio Kaddesi (Independence Avenue) which is important to Turkish History on may levels. We saw the remains of a section of old Galata's city wall as well as what may be part of the Constantine Fortress Wall. We visited Emperor Valens' Aqueduct (2 level in the city, 3 level outside of old Constantinople). We visited the market in Eminönü as well as re-visited the Spice Market and the Grand Bazar. At evening time, we saw a special showing of Sufism's Mevlevihanesi Music and Dance (sometimes called Whirling Dervish).