The tall dark brown building next to the square is the Ataturk Cultural Center. To the west of the square is Taksim Park, which was once a large artillery camp during the Ottoman Empire.
Crossing the Republic Avenue, you will reach the artillery battalion parade ground. After World War II, this wide open space was preserved. In recent years, star-rated hotels and high-rise buildings have sprung up here.
There is a section of area near Taksim Square that is called a slum by the tour guide Nalan Shiqi and Yunluo. Thieves and robbers often appear here. Nancy has always told Nalan Shiqi and Yunluo to be careful. She remembered that the tour guide had given similar advice on a certain street in Rome. Fortunately, Chinese people no longer carry large sums of cash with them when traveling.
(Sometimes I think that many luxury goods are unaffordable even if I put all the cash in a sack, and China also has foreign exchange controls...), thieves and pickpockets are naturally no longer interested in Nalan Shiqi and Yunluo. As long as they are careful enough, they can still walk safely.
Although this square is also used to commemorate the founding fathers, it is not appropriate to compare it with the ** Square in Sihai City, which is a landmark building in feudal society.
On a tower of the Forbidden City, there are photos of the founding fathers of the New China and slogans about creating a new social system hung, with completely different symbolic meanings. The square is actually not very big, but there are many bustling shopping streets next to it, and it is very lively.
The circular Independence Monument stands on the south side of the square, which is used to commemorate the founder of the Republic, Kemal, the founding father who is extremely respected by thousands of Turkish people. The lifelike bronze relief shows the style of the founding father in front of the world. On every major festival, there will always be many Turks who spontaneously send wreaths, similar to the People's Heroes Monument of Nalan Shiqi and Yunluo.
Turkey's special kebab pizza, I believe many gourmets will have ideas when seeing this picture, but in fact the taste is really special. I tried the famous authentic Turkish meat sandwich. There are many spices added in it, and people who are not used to the special taste will not find it particularly delicious.
There are many handsome chefs in the kitchen, and they are very enthusiastic to see Nalan Shiqi and Yunluo. There are many snack bars on the street that are similar to Chinese fast food rations. You can pay by credit card, and some also accept US dollars. In fact, you can travel around Istanbul very conveniently without exchanging lira.
Street stalls selling lottery tickets and real lottery draws can be seen everywhere in the bustling streets. It seems that there are many people around the world who believe that "winning the lottery changes your destiny and lottery illuminates your life."
You can get a lot on this commercial pedestrian street. It is similar to Zhongshan Road in Amoy. In addition to various brand stores, it also sells various Turkish specialties and snacks. The most important thing is that the prices are much cheaper than the Grand Bazaar that Nalan Shiqi and Yunluo went to later. You don't have to bargain hard.
You must seize the opportunity, because if you miss this opportunity, you will miss it, because the main audience here is still the local residents of Istanbul, while most of the people visiting the Grand Bazaar are tourists from other places. Seeing the lights above the street reminded Yunluo of that night in Interlaken, Switzerland...
In Istanbul, you can find many traces of the fusion of Asian and European cultures, such as fast food restaurants, residential buildings on the streets, and various businesses occupying the road... At a certain moment, Yun Luo felt as if he was still in China. If it weren't for the fact that their appearance was completely different from that of Oriental people, Yun Luo's illusion would have continued.
Living at the cultural intersection, they were all very warm and simple. The excessive politeness of pure Asians and the extreme xenophobia of pure Europeans both seemed a bit extreme, but the two cultures finally reached harmony here, allowing Nalan Shiqi and Yunluo to fully feel their sincere welcome to their visit.
Black tea is east, coffee is west, maybe the cloyingly sweet soft candy, the special bitter coffee, the sticky cream ice cream, the tea drinks with various strange flavors and the food with mixed spices can slightly reflect the lovely personality of the Turks.
The trip to Istanbul was only two days long. On the first day, they got a brief taste of the unique Asian and European customs. On the second day, Nalan Shiqi and Yunluo began to learn about Istanbul's history and civilization by visiting ancient sites.
Many thrilling stories have taken place in this strategically important place, among which the ones related to China are: it is connected to the Silk Road of the past. When the Ottoman Empire rose and blocked the trade between Asia and Europe, it prospered the Maritime Silk Road of Nalan Shiqi and Yun Luo.
I opened the hotel window early in the morning and took a picture of the first sunshine in Istanbul. In the distance was the beautiful Bosphorus Strait and next to me was the shopping mall that was about to be built. If I have the opportunity to visit Türkiye again in the future, I hope to come here again.
Such large mosques with multiple minarets can be seen everywhere in Istanbul. Although the Muslims here are relatively open-minded, the whole city is still full of Islamic religious atmosphere. However, ordinary mosques have at most 4 minarets. The Blue Mosque that Nalan Shiqi and Yunluo are going to visit has 6 minarets.
The Blue Mosque is actually a general name, named after the brilliance of Izni blue tiles. Its real name should be Sultanahmet Camii. It is the work of Mehmetaga, the proud disciple of Sinan, the most outstanding architect in the Muslim world. It is one of the most important buildings in Istanbul and the tourist center of the old city.
The Blue Mosque was built in the 17th century. The diameter of the large dome is 27.5 meters. There are also 4 smaller domes and 30 small domes. The walls of the mosque are all decorated with blue and white Iznik tiles. There are six minarets around the huge dome.
The Blue Mosque is one of the ten wonders of the world. It is said that only the mosque in the Islamic holy city of Mecca can have six minarets. When the Blue Mosque was being built, the architect heard Sultan Hamid I's order of "golden", and did not expect that "golden" and "six" sounded very similar, so the Blue Mosque exceeded the rules and had six minarets.
The Blue Mosque was built without a single nail and has survived several earthquakes. The 260 small windows, more than 20,000 blue tiles, carpets and Arabic calligraphy are the main attractions of the mosque.
The majestic mosque sparkles in the warm autumn sun. The text on the lintel is in Arabic. It is said that Arabic has always been the official language of Turkey.
After 1928, Mustafa Kemal Ataturk, the founding father of Turkey, established the Republic and began to reform the country's language to mark the difference between the new country and the old Ottoman Empire, which gave rise to the current Turkish language.
Minarets are indispensable in mosques. Each has its own characteristics. After returning from Turkey, Yunluo carefully observed the mosques around him and found that almost none of them had minarets. It may be because the mosques are too small. Only in China can you see minarets and enter and exit mosques freely.
In Egypt, women must cover their body and hair to enter the mosque, while in Turkey, they can visit freely except during prayer time. They do not need to cover their heads, but they must cover the exposed parts. The rules are slowly changing from the west to the east.
The black cat I saw on the steps before entering the mosque was quite old, with gray whiskers. It stared at the visitors with a dignified and respectable look. As expected, influenced by the solemn religious atmosphere, even the cats here have aristocratic temperament.
The stained glass on the windows is said to come from the famous Burano Island (Glass Island) in Venice, Italy. Under the interplay of sunlight and light, it appears particularly hazy and dreamy.
When Yunluo first saw such a beautiful scenery, he was amazed by the star-like chandeliers and was deeply attracted by the gorgeous European-style stained glass. Isn't this also a testimony to the integration of Asian and European cultures? In Islam, people can talk directly with God and pray in their hearts in this scene.
Would you feel closer to Allah? The carpets are also extremely beautiful. The patterns and embroidery are exquisite, and the dreamlike scenes add to the mysterious atmosphere of the Blue Mosque.
The inner wall of the entire mosque is decorated with more than 20,000 Iznik tiles, the main color is blue, which is very beautiful. These tiles not only form various patterns, but also blend into the overall building. It continues the beauty. Because of this, people affectionately call it the "Blue Mosque".
To the west of the Blue Mosque is the site of the hippodrome, with three columns standing in the square. The southernmost one is the 25.6-meter-high "Obelisk of Theodosius I" with relief carvings, which was brought from the Karnak Temple in Luxor, Egypt by the emperor of the Roman Empire.
The "Snake Pillar" was broken during transportation and is only 8 meters high. It was transported by Constantine I from the Temple of Apollo in Delphi, Greece. It was built in Greece in the 5th century BC to commemorate the Persian War. The group members jokingly called it Tianjin hemp flower, and it does look a bit strange at first glance.
The octagonal building nearby is the "German Fountain", which was donated by German Emperor Wilhelm II... It is said that there are many proverbs written in Arabic hidden on the roof.
Opposite the Blue Mosque is Hagia Sophia, and the minaret can still be seen. If you don’t tell me that this is an Orthodox church, Yunluo will still think it is a mosque. It and Hagia Sophia in Harbin are both rare Orthodox churches that have been preserved to this day.
There is no mistake in the poem, post, content, and read the book on 6, 9, and bar!
Hagia Sophia was built during the reign of the Eastern Roman Emperor Justinian (532-537 AD), when the Byzantine Empire was at its peak. As one of the ten most desirable churches in the world, Hagia Sophia is across the street from the Blue Mosque.
The Hagia Sophia is magnificent and fully reflects the outstanding architectural art, thus becoming the design template for later Islamic mosques. After the decline of the Byzantine Empire, the Hagia Sophia was transformed into a Turkish mosque dedicated to Allah. The Hagia Sophia is a religious museum shared by Christians and Mohammedans.
Tickets to Istanbul's ancient monuments are often made in the shape of keys. These ancient buildings are the key to understanding the once glorious ancient civilization, and now they have become famous religious museums.
This church is more magnificent than the St. Sophia Cathedral in Harbin and has more oriental ethnic characteristics. It is visited by many tourists. There seem to be many local people sitting on lounge chairs and chatting in the park in front of the church. It feels very pleasant to wander and relax among the ancient monuments.
When you enter the church for a visit, you will be immediately stunned by the exquisite architectural style. In addition to the murals of the Virgin Mary and Christ on the roof, there are many giant round signs engraved in Arabic hanging on the pillars.
The collision of Asian and European cultures has been so beautifully manifested. Many things that seemed incompatible before actually feel quite harmonious here, which makes Yunluo believe more that the most beautiful art comes from religion.
The visit to Hagia Sophia is relatively relaxed, as you don't need to wrap your arms and can walk around freely. The images of the Virgin Mary and Christ are very characteristic of the locals. If you want religion to be accepted by the people, similar appearances will make them feel more familiar.
While strolling outside the church, I met a close couple. They seemed to be traveling independently and were discussing with a map. Yunluo happened to catch this classic scene. The atmosphere here seems to be easy to get lost in. They are alone in each other's world, oblivious to the surroundings...
After the morning tour, Nalan Shiqi and Yunluo followed the tour guide through many winding alleys before finding a place to eat Chinese food. Ever since they had that local meal, Nalan Shiqi and Yunluo insisted on eating Chinese food, which was a bit difficult in Turkey where few Chinese tourists visited.
Therefore, Nalan Shiqi and Yunluo's dining location was changed to a Korean restaurant near a tourist attraction. They originally thought they could only eat kimchi and cold noodles, but later they found out that they also served Chinese food. The waiters and chefs were still locals, and there was no trace of Asians at all.
The alleys near the ancient monuments are very distinctive, with cobblestone roads. They are generally narrow and it is basically difficult for large vehicles to pass through. In addition to cafes, there are homestays on both sides of the street. If you have the opportunity to travel to Istanbul independently, renting a small room here is also a good experience.
On the way to the restaurant, I saw local people playing football. Football is a national sport in Turkey and is loved by everyone, young or old, male or female. Turkish Airlines’ advertisements all feature football stars from the national team, which is similar to the status of table tennis and badminton in China.
The afternoon's tour focused on the Old Turkish Palace, a magical palace with a very rich collection. Due to Istanbul's special geographical location, the exhibits are from East Asia to Western Europe. The large number of various gems and gold ornaments and the exquisite carvings dazzled Nalan Shiqi and Yunluo.
I was dumbfounded. Unfortunately, the palace was too big, and Nalan Shiqi and Yunluo's stay was too short, so they couldn't visit the entire huge museum. So they just took a quick look and chose the best ones. The saddest thing was that the guide in Turkey didn't explain the exhibits and history at all. (To be continued...)