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00:00Music
00:21Istanbul is one of the great cities on Earth, period.
00:25For thousands of years, this place,
00:27where east meets west, has been a crossroads of civilizations.
00:31And for over 400 years,
00:33it was the capital of the Ottoman Empire.
00:36And those sultans left quite a heritage.
00:39We'll see the historic highlights of this city,
00:42explore an Ottoman palace,
00:44marvel at the sultan's treasures,
00:46be dazzled by Byzantine domes,
00:48anticipate with the Ramadan faithful the call to prayer,
00:51and descend into an ancient Roman cistern.
00:57We'll go local in a sea of locals,
01:00sort through exotic spices,
01:02dine fine with the help of the local firewater,
01:05survive a flaming face shave,
01:08and then luxuriate in an Ottoman bath.
01:12Turkey bridges Europe and Asia.
01:14Istanbul, its largest city,
01:16straddles the Bosphorus Strait.
01:18Part of the city is in Europe and part in Asia.
01:21The Golden Horn Inlet,
01:23long a strategic harbor,
01:24is crossed by the Galata Bridge,
01:26which connects the bustling New Town
01:28and the Old Town,
01:29which fills the peninsula,
01:30conveniently protected by a mighty wall.
01:33Here we'll find the venerable sites of the sultans,
01:35the ancient Hagia Sophia,
01:37the Blue Mosque,
01:38and the fabled Topkapi Palace.
01:41Well, today the city is a vast megapolis
01:44of over 15 million people,
01:46sprawling along both sides of the Posphorus.
01:49Its oldest citizens actually remember
01:51when it had only a million people.
01:54In other words, most of the city is new,
01:56and its historic points of interest
01:58are mostly corralled into a compact old center.
02:07Over the centuries, this city has been the capital
02:09of two grand empires.
02:11During the Christian Byzantine Empire,
02:13which started in the 4th century
02:15and lasted about a thousand years,
02:17it was called Constantinople.
02:19Then, in the 15th century,
02:21the Muslim Ottomans took over
02:23and ruled what they called Istanbul
02:25until the end of World War I.
02:27Even though today's secular Turkish Republic
02:30is governed from Ankara,
02:31Istanbul remains the financial, cultural,
02:34and historic center of the country.
02:37But the story goes back
02:39even before the Byzantine Empire.
02:41As the ancient Roman Empire was falling
02:43in the 4th century,
02:45Emperor Constantine moved his capital city
02:47from Rome in the west,
02:49here, to the less chaotic east.
02:52That was around the year 324,
02:54and the new capital was named
02:56after the emperor, Constantinople.
03:00Then, in 476,
03:02Rome and its western empire finally fell.
03:05That left Constantinople,
03:07here in the east,
03:08the leading city of European civilization.
03:11Traces of the Roman capital here
03:13can still be found.
03:15This oblong square was a racetrack,
03:18still shaped like the Circus Maximus
03:20back in Rome.
03:21Built in the 4th century
03:23to seat over 40,000 fans,
03:25the Hippodrome was Constantinople's
03:27primary venue for chariot races.
03:30Its centerpiece,
03:32this 3,500-year-old Egyptian obelisk,
03:34was originally carved to honor a pharaoh.
03:37It was shipped here
03:38to ornament the racetrack
03:39back in the 4th century.
03:41What we see today
03:42is only the upper third
03:44of the original massive stone column.
03:47It's easy to overlook
03:48that in the year 600,
03:50Istanbul, with half a million people,
03:52was the largest city in all of Europe.
03:54One good way to fathom that
03:57is to descend into one of its massive cisterns,
04:01as the ancient city
04:02had an impressive water system.
04:04This cistern was built 1,500 years ago
04:07by Emperor Justinian,
04:09who built many of the city's grandest buildings.
04:12Some of these columns
04:13were scavenged from ancient temples,
04:16giving the cistern a few artistic surprises.
04:21It was a huge underground reservoir,
04:24one of many that brought water
04:25to the city's residents.
04:26This one was the biggest,
04:28as it served the emperor's palace.
04:30For nearly 1,000 years,
04:32fresh water from 10 miles away
04:34was channeled here through pipes
04:36and across aqueducts.
04:39And part of the legacy
04:40of that original water system
04:42are the city's venerable public baths.
04:46Hi, welcome, sir.
04:47Merhaba.
04:48Merhaba.
04:49In this city of experiences,
04:51one of the most memorable
04:53is enjoying a Turkish bath,
04:55a ritual that goes back 2,000 years.
04:59And today, these baths welcome tourists.
05:02You leave absolutely everything
05:05in the changing room,
05:06slip into your slippers,
05:08and shuffle into the steamy calderium.
05:12It's all about relaxation.
05:15Turks brought the steam bath with them
05:17from Central Asia,
05:19blended it with the Roman bath culture
05:20they found here,
05:22and created this,
05:24the Turkish bath.
05:28Moving on, you continue relaxing
05:30and softening up under cascades of hot water.
05:35Savor the experience,
05:37achieving maximum sweating and pampering.
05:48Then it's on to the big marble slab,
05:52where your masseuse works you over,
05:54scrubbing vigorously with rough,
05:56brillo-pad-type mitts,
05:58under Ottoman skylights,
06:01blanketed in bubbles.
06:06Then, more scrubbing,
06:08as I imagine this ancient luxury
06:10working its magic over so many centuries.
06:15More bubbles,
06:18more massaging,
06:21and finally, rinsing.
06:24Refreshed and cleaner than you can remember ever been,
06:28you venture back into the clamor of the city,
06:31ready for more Turkish history, art, and life.
06:38As a city which is over 90% Muslim,
06:41Istanbul offers a good opportunity
06:43to better understand Islam.
06:45Visitors are welcome to visit mosques,
06:47and in doing so,
06:48better understand a religion
06:50that about two billion people practice.
06:54The Blue Mosque was the 17th century triumph
06:57of Sultan Ahmet I.
06:59Architecturally, with its six minarets,
07:01it rivaled the Great Mosque in Mecca,
07:04the holiest in all of Islam.
07:08Its grand courtyard welcomes the crowd
07:10that gathers for worship.
07:12As with all mosques,
07:19you park your shoes at the door,
07:21and women cover their heads.
07:23If you don't have a scarf,
07:25you'll find loners at the door.
07:29Countless beautiful tiles fill the interior
07:32with exquisite floral and geometric motifs.
07:35It's nicknamed the Blue Mosque
07:37because of its blue tiles.
07:39Blue is a popular color in Turkey.
07:42It impressed early French visitors
07:44enough for them to call it
07:46the color of the Turks, or turquoise.
07:49While churches portray people like this,
07:52Muslims believe the portrayal of people
07:55in places of worship draws attention
07:57away from worshiping Allah as the one God.
08:00In mosques, rather than saints and prophets,
08:04you'll see geometrical designs and calligraphy.
08:08This explains why, historically,
08:11the Muslim world excelled at non-figurative art,
08:14while artists from Christian Europe
08:16focused on painting and sculpting the human form.
08:19Artful Arabic calligraphy generally shows excerpts
08:23from the Quran and quotes from Mohammed.
08:26As a church would have Jesus and God front and center,
08:29in a mosque, elaborate medallions
08:32high above the prayer niche read Muhammad and Allah.
08:38Large ceremonial candles flank the mirab.
08:42That's the niche that points from here to Mecca,
08:44in Saudi Arabia, where Muslims face when they worship.
08:48Allahu Akbar, Allahu Akbar.
08:57Like churches have bell towers, mosques have minarets.
09:01According to Muslim tradition,
09:03the imam, or prayer leader,
09:05would climb to the top of the minaret
09:07to call the faithful to prayer.
09:09These days, the prayer leader still performs
09:13the call to prayer live,
09:15but rather than climbing the minaret,
09:17it's amplified by loudspeakers.
09:19Allahu Akbar, Allahu Akbar, Allahu Akbar.
09:34Five times a day, the message is always the same.
09:37Allah Akbar, God is great.
09:40Witness, there's only one God.
09:42Muhammad is his prophet.
09:45Come join the prayer.
09:46Come join the salvation.
09:49When this happens,
09:50practicing Muslims drop into a mosque,
09:53face Mecca, and pray.
09:58Then, after a short service praising God,
10:01work-a-day life resumes.
10:04To better understand this rich and complex culture,
10:16I'm joined by my friend and the co-author
10:18of my Istanbul guidebook, Lali Sermon Aran.
10:22So what does the call to prayer mean to you?
10:25It's a personal thing.
10:27Most people are Muslims,
10:29but it's a secular country,
10:31that's in our Constitution.
10:33What we say is that you never know
10:34who has got the money or the faith.
10:36The real virtue is not to show it off.
10:38I see.
10:40But there's nothing modest
10:41about the religious architecture in this city.
10:44In fact, the best way to appreciate
10:46the magnificence of ancient Constantinople
10:48is to visit a church-turned mosque
10:50that's considered one of the greatest houses of worship
10:54in both the Christian and Muslim worlds,
10:57Hagia Sophia, the great church of Constantinople.
11:01Originally built as a church
11:03by the Byzantine emperor Justinian
11:05in the early sixth century,
11:07on the grandest scale possible,
11:09it was later converted into a mosque
11:11by the conquering Ottomans.
11:13Hagia Sophia, which marks the high point
11:15of Byzantine architecture,
11:17is the pinnacle of that society's glory days.
11:22This magnificent church was completed in 537,
11:26just about when Europe was falling into the Middle Ages.
11:29And for four centuries after that,
11:31people in Europe looked to Constantinople
11:33as the leading city in Christendom,
11:35and this was the leading church.
11:38This clever dome-upon-dome construction
11:41was the biggest dome anywhere
11:43until the Cathedral of Florence was built
11:46during the Renaissance 900 years later.
11:49The vast interior gives the impression
11:51of a golden weightless shell,
11:53gracefully disguising the massive overhead load
11:57supported by ingenious Byzantine engineering.
12:02Arched windows shed a soft light on the interior,
12:06showing off the church's original marble
12:09and glittering mosaic work.
12:14But the Byzantine Empire collapsed in the 15th century,
12:17and Hagia Sophia was turned into a mosque.
12:21Christian mosaics were plastered over,
12:24and new religious symbols replaced the old.
12:27So it's a church turned into a mosque?
12:30Yes, and churches are built to face Jerusalem,
12:33mosques Mecca.
12:34Since they could not move the building,
12:37they moved the focal point of prayer towards Mecca.
12:40See the niche?
12:41It's off the center towards right.
12:43Facing Mecca.
12:44Facing Mecca.
12:45Very economic.
12:50Today, while Hagia Sophia remains
12:52an important place of worship,
12:54tourists are welcomed up to the mezzanine level
12:57to marvel at the art,
12:59to ponder the tangled history of this venerable spot,
13:03and perhaps to give yourself the opportunity
13:07to be inspired by one of the most esteemed places in Islam.
13:13While considered a must-see by visitors,
13:16it's important for tourists to remember
13:18that Hagia Sophia remains a functioning mosque.
13:24My favorite souvenir in my travels
13:26is bringing home a broader perspective.
13:28When it comes to faiths different than mine,
13:31I like to learn without judging.
13:33We happened to be in Istanbul
13:35during the Muslim holy month of Ramadan.
13:41Here, gathered in a park between two beloved mosques,
13:44people reflect on the meaning of Ramadan
13:46as they wait to break their fast.
13:49Fasting daily for a month each year during Ramadan
13:54is one of the five pillars of Islam.
13:56From sunup to sundown for 30 days,
13:59no eating, drinking, or smoking.
14:02It's all about self-control.
14:04Muhammad taught that loosening ties to the material world
14:08makes it easier to enter into eternity,
14:10as if unchained.
14:12It's an opportunity to share a sacred moment
14:16with family and community.
14:18They're primed, meals ready,
14:20awaiting the call to prayer
14:22initiated by the setting of the sun.
14:25Allahu Akbar, Allah!
14:32It's scenes like this,
14:34so similar to family holidays of my own,
14:37that remind me why I travel,
14:40to experience cultures different than my own,
14:43only to find out how similar we are.
14:55For me, another dimension
14:56of teeming and vibrant Istanbul
14:58is to simply enjoy its busy streets.
15:01Mix it up.
15:02There are quiet back streets
15:04and market streets teeming with shoppers.
15:07Sometimes I just let myself flow with the crowds,
15:11as if in an endless river of humanity.
15:14You may find yourself in the dowry market,
15:17like a department store without a roof.
15:19It's the place where brides and their loved ones
15:22shop before a wedding.
15:25And the characters you'll meet.
15:28Seeing our camera,
15:29this fun-loving gentleman wanted all of America
15:32to know that if all the snowflakes in the skies were women,
15:36his wife is the one he'd choose.
15:43And you can pop into a barber shop
15:45for a shave you'll never forget.
15:47Lather up for a good old-fashioned razor shave.
15:51And it's finished with a flaming torch,
15:58to be sure all those extra little hairs are gone.
16:04A bit painful,
16:07but it's part of an experience
16:09that leaves you with the closest shave of your life
16:12and an impossible-to-forget memory.
16:19The venerable and thriving spice market
16:21sells an exotic range of tasty treats.
16:24You'll find everything a sultan could want.
16:27Saffron and cinnamon,
16:29dried vegetables and fruits,
16:31pistachios and hazelnuts,
16:34and a fragrant cornucopia of sweets.
16:43This thriving market recalls the long Silk Road
16:46and Spice Road tradition of Turkey
16:48being an important crossroads.
16:51This was where exotic and treasured goods
16:53from the Far East landed
16:55to then be traded with merchants from all over Europe.
16:59I can imagine, under each of its uniform arches,
17:02an importer busy wholesaling his goods
17:05to merchants at this gateway to Europe.
17:08But, of course, today's trade is more touristy.
17:12This great Turkish delight.
17:14But try it, Turkish delight,
17:15ancestor of the gummy bear.
17:17Which flavor do you like?
17:19The pistachio one, right at the center.
17:21Pistachio.
17:26Good, thank you.
17:27But it's dinner time,
17:32and I'm in the mood to splurge
17:34for some modern Turkish cuisine.
17:39Chef Omar Bozyap's all about giving traditional ingredients
17:43a contemporary twist.
17:46And we'll be washing it down with the national drink, Rocky.
17:50In Turkey, this local firewater,
17:52like brandy infused with licorice-flavored aniseed,
17:55is mixed with water and ice,
17:57and is enjoyed throughout the meal,
18:00before, during, and after.
18:07Our first course, the cold plates, or mezze,
18:10a fancy green bean salad,
18:13rolled grape leaves with rice, onion,
18:15and pine nuts with local cheese,
18:17and lamb's tongue,
18:20paired nicely with Rocky.
18:23Next, the hot mezze,
18:25zucchini with tomato sauce
18:27on a bed of yogurt with oyster mushrooms.
18:30Pastrami with thin-sliced tomato and peppers.
18:34It soaks up the butter
18:36and makes a fine little sandwich.
18:40Lamb testicles with bulgur,
18:42and lamb brain with hummus.
18:45Here in Turkey, you could say snout to tail
18:48is brain to testicle,
18:50with, of course, more Rocky.
18:53That's why we have Rocky from the beginning just yet.
18:56It is.
18:57To swallow the brains.
18:58How does it taste, then?
19:00Well, it tastes, um...
19:02I prefer testicles.
19:06It's a brain testicle.
19:08Our main course is layers of phyllo,
19:13with mincemeat, garlic yogurt, and chili peppers.
19:19Everything's laced together with Rocky.
19:24And now that he's done cooking,
19:26Chef Omar joins us,
19:28adding to the conviviality,
19:30and, of course, more Rocky.
19:34Istanbul's been a busy trading center from the start,
19:44so it needed to be well protected.
19:47This imposing wall helped fortify
19:49the ancient Byzantine capital.
19:51The wall sealed off the city,
19:53protecting it on the one side where the water didn't.
19:57Dating from the fifth century,
20:00these ramparts stood strong
20:02against both Catholic Europe from the west
20:04and the Muslim forces from the east,
20:07until 1453.
20:12That's when the Ottoman Turks,
20:14that aggressive tribe from the east,
20:16finally broke through the walls
20:17and established this city
20:19as the capital of their growing empire.
20:22Again, that's when they transformed Christian Constantinople
20:26into a Muslim city, Istanbul.
20:29The Topkapi Palace is where we find
20:31the storybook image of the Ottomans,
20:34you know, sultans, eunuchs, and harems.
20:38The palace, built in the late 1400s,
20:40was the power center of the Ottoman Empire
20:43for almost 400 years.
20:45Its buildings form a series of courtyards,
20:49the outer being used for public functions,
20:52and the farther in you go,
20:54the more private the rooms.
20:57Among the most private rooms was the harem.
21:00The word harem means forbidden in Arabic.
21:04It's the sprawling suite
21:06where the sultan lived with his wives,
21:09female slaves, and children.
21:13What a room, huh?
21:15This was the imperial hall of the harem.
21:19This was the divan that the sultan used,
21:21his throne.
21:22The divans by the window were used
21:24by the queen mother and the wives of the sultan.
21:27And the musicians used the balcony up above.
21:30So this was like the living room for the king.
21:32Exactly.
21:34And, of course, the sultan enjoyed
21:36a state-of-the-art bathroom,
21:38which came complete with hot and cold running water.
21:42Bathed in light from these exquisite stained glass windows,
21:47this is where the sultan relaxed, entertained,
21:50and savored the sumptuous luxury
21:53that came with his power.
21:56Now, when we say harem,
21:58we usually think like a playboy mansion
22:00with a lot of girls.
22:01No, no, no.
22:02No, it wasn't like that.
22:03Harem was an institution.
22:05The idea was to provide the continuation of the dynasty,
22:09to provide a future heir to the throne.
22:12It was the queen mother who was the boss in the harem.
22:16It had rules, very strict rules.
22:18The sultan was never above these rules.
22:21It's impressive.
22:22Ottoman Empire lasted for 600 years.
22:25Only one family, one dynasty, never changed hands.
22:30Some of the sultan's opulence is still on display
22:33in the palace museum.
22:36The exquisite Topkapi dagger wows tourists
22:39with its dazzling diamonds and golf-ball-sized emeralds.
22:43Clearly, the Ottomans in their heyday
22:46were a wealthy power.
22:49The palace is also a holy spot for Muslims,
22:52containing relics of Muhammad and other prophets,
22:55some of whom are revered in both the Quran and the Bible.
22:59This contains what's believed to be
23:01the arm of Saint John the Baptist.
23:04And here's John's skull inside a jeweled case.
23:07For Muslims, the most precious relics
23:10are those of Muhammad.
23:12His bow and sword?
23:14Exquisite cases containing his tooth, some hair,
23:18and his holy seal.
23:20And in the adjacent room, an afiz.
23:23That's someone who's memorized
23:25all 6,000 verses of the Quran,
23:28is part of a team that sings verses
23:30from the Muslim holy book 24 hours a day,
23:33seven days a week.
23:48It's just one more thread
23:50of the fascinating tapestry of a great city,
23:53a city enriched by its culture, history,
23:55and the diversity of the people you'll meet in the streets.
24:00Istanbul remains a crossroads of humanity.
24:04And according to the Turkish proverb,
24:07every guest is a gift from God.
24:11Istanbul bridges east and west.
24:17With a complex weave of traditional Muslim faith,
24:20Western secularism, and modern affluence,
24:23it's a dynamic city,
24:25a city that sultans would hardly recognize.
24:28Thanks for joining us.
24:30I'm Rick Steves.
24:31Until next time, keep on traveling.
24:34As a city which is over night...
24:37I'm rolling.
24:47My favorite...
24:49Yes.
24:51Wow.
24:53Wow.
25:01Wow.
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