Tags
Basilica Cistern, Blue Mosque, Christian, Constantine, Hagia Sophia, Hippodrome, Interactions, Islam, Istanbul, Journals, Justinian, Muslim, Topkapi Palace, Travel, Turkey, World Religions
Today was our most tourism-heavy day; our journey through Turkey involves a few different aspects than a normal vacation, but we started off the trip with a full day of sightseeing.
–Topkapi Palace–
We began at Topkapi Palace, which was home to Turkey’s sultans for approximately 400 years (1465-1856).
The estate, our guide explained, housed thousands of people: not only did the sultan and his family live there, but boys’ and girls’ schools from which the sultan selected government leaders was situated there as well, and parliament also met on site. We were also told that the lands were open to the public and meals were often served free to the poor.
Now that Topkapi is a museum, various rooms house gifts the sultans received from visiting dignitaries throughout the ages. We saw a room full of clocks, finely crafted and of varying styles and sizes from across centuries and continents; a ceremonial armory with guns, arrows, swords, shields, and armor; and a collection of jewels. (The largest diamond was over 40 karats, and I mentally referred to it as the Pink Panther.)
Most interesting in Topkapi, I thought, was a chamber of religious relics the sultans had brought to them when they were unable to journey to Mecca. To this day, an imam recites verses from the Quran 24/7 in order to bless the location, in which artifacts such as Abraham’s saucepan, Fatimah’s dress, and pieces of Muhammad’s beard can be found.
As Dr. Barton mentioned, some of these artifacts, such as the swords of Muhammad’s followers, can be more easily authenticated than others. However, these relics remain important, regardless of their origins. Muslims come from world over to see these remains, and after a point, I’m inclined to believe, the historicity of the pieces becomes less important than peoples’ emotional responses to them.
Some Jews question what it might mean for modern Judaism if the biblical Exodus never occurred; many conclude that the origin story’s literality is less important than the fact that this communal narrative has remained cherished throughout Judaism’s history.
Foundational events aren’t as important, I’d argue, as the strength and identity modern-day adherents draw from these stories. Whether or not Fatimah’s dress is authentic seems less significant than the fact that she was a real woman to whom contemporary Islamic women can still look up.
The artifacts’ power is not in the items themselves, but rather in the stories we place on them and the resulting strength they bring us.
–Hagia Sophia–
After lunch, our group walked to the Hagia Sophia, a remarkable structure that has had quite the identity crisis throughout the years.
Rebuilt three times (and still partially under construction) after various earthquakes and overtakes, the Hagia Sophia initially stood as one of them most impressive churches of Justinian’s Roman empire. Overtaken later by the Ottomans, the Hagia Sophia was converted into a mosque. It has been a museum, however, since the 1930s.
When the Hagia Sophia was converted from a church to a mosque, the Christian artwork that decorated the walls was covered over with plaster. (Since Muslims, too, venerate Jesus, Mary, and other depicted figures, destroying this artwork would have been blasphemous.)
Once the Hagia Sophia was designated as a museum, renovators found that the plaster had preserved the images beneath it; therefore, the Hagia Sophia is currently decorated by both Christian iconography and Muslim calligraphy. (Muslims do not depict idols in their artwork or allow images of any kind to be nearby—and, therefore, distracting—when they are praying.)
To the modern visitor, the Hagia Sophia not only represents a significant portion of Ottoman history, but it also shows promise for the future of religions.
Christianity and Islam’s current relationship can’t exactly be termed “peaceful coexistence,” but I still find comfort in the way that the once-disputed Hagia Sophia is now shared between all visitors, regardless of their religious adherence. Christian and Islamic histories are able to balance themselves within this building, so I am inclined believe such harmony may also be attempted elsewhere in the future.
–Basilica Cistern–
The Basilica cistern runs underneath Istanbul and can hold 30 million gallons of water. (It was also, I have been reminded numerous times, featured in James Bond’s From Russia with Love.) A technological marvel in its time (and still pretty damn cool today), this cistern allowed fresh water into Istanbul; the next available source was over 40 miles away.
Two columns in the cistern have Medusa’s head carved at their bottom. The cistern was constructed during the early Christianizing years of Istanbul, and one story I heard explained that these cistern columns symbolically crushed Medusa, a symbol of paganism, under Christianity’s foot.
–Hippodrome–
Afterwards, our group surfaced to walk along the Hippodrome, a large oval stretch along which horse races were held. While stadiums would have once lined the periphery, those are long obsolete; instead, only the center portion of the Hippodrome remains.
Gladiator-style games were deemed “uncivilized” in Turkey, but the Hippodrome still saw its share of bloodshed. Jockeys often rode to their deaths in Hippodrome games, and the Hippodrome was also the site of Justinian’s tenuous peace with his enemies—following the Nika riots, he brought 30,000 of them into the Hippodrome, had guards close it off, and slaughtered them all. Since the ground was soft, no trouble was had erecting mass graves.
Today, the Hippodrome is a lovely little walkway along which vendors hawk their wares and tourists confuse the Hagia Sophia with the Blue Mosque. The vicious slaughters of the past may not be forgotten, but the sting certainly has gone out of them.
–Blue Mosque–
Between calls to prayer (during which visitors are not allowed in), we managed a tour of the Blue Mosque. While not as theologically important as Mecca or Dome of the Rock, the Blue Mosque is still the largest mosque in the Ottoman Empire (and it, unlike the others, allows non-Muslim visitors.)
Boasting 6 minarets and a capacity of 5,000 people, the Blue Mosque is quite a sight. A chain is strung across its entrance, so placed there to remind sultans and the other dignitaries who rode in to pray to either bow underneath the chain in order to pass or literally get off their high horses.
In such a structure, everyone, even royalty, must enter with humility.
Once inside, distinguishing between Muslim and non-Muslim guests becomes difficult. Visitors are not permitted in prayer sections, but everyone, regardless of religion, is shoeless and modestly dressed.
Regardless of personal origin, all are called to have reverence and humility towards each other and Islam while in this holy place. Again, though it’s just the atmosphere of one building, I hold out faith that behavior in the Blue Mosque might become a model for peoples’ interactions in the rest of the world.
If all locations were treated as wonders, people might tread a little more meekly.