Garuda Indonesia Colours Magazine February 2015 | Page 135

Travel | Istanbul

133

© David Coleman

Istanbul in Numbers

07

Istanbul, which used to
be known as Constantinople
thanks to the Roman emperor
Constantine the Great, is built
on seven hills to match the
seven hills of Rome.
Istanbul, yang dijuluki
Konstantinopel di masa
Penguasa Romawi Konstantinus
Agung, didirikan di tujuh
bukit agar menyerupai
tujuh bukit di Roma.

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Dem, a relative
newcomer to the
Karaköy scene, that
landed the coveted
Time Out İstanbul
Best Café award
in 2014.

It was designed by Sinan, a great
architect responsible for many of the
mosques that still dominate the old city.

The Kılıç Ali Paşa mosque flaunts itself
on the main road. Easier to overlook is
the Yeraltı (Underground) Mosque near
the waterfront. Before the Ottoman
conquest of Constantinople in 1453 the

3,000
Byzantine rulers used to stop foreign
ships from entering the Golden Horn by
stringing a chain across the Bosphorus;
one end was probably secured to a lost
tower on this site. Today the mosque
commemorates two Arab holy men
believed to have taken part in a seventhcentury attempt to seize the city
from the Byzantines.
The architecture of Karaköy reflects the
fact that in the 19th century it was home
to many foreigners, which also explains
why the narrow streets around the
cafés are unexpectedly full of churches.
Most conspicuous is the huge and sootstained Armenian church of St Gregory
the Illuminator that looms over
the tramlines, silently recalling
a lost segment of the population.
The least conspicuous are also the most
interesting – four tiny chapels that lurk
on the rooftops of otherwise ordinary
workplaces. Until recently it was hard
to find them, but ground clearance to
make way for new hotels has made their
cupolas much easier to spot. Built to
serve Russian pilgrims travelling to

Dem offers more than 60
varieties of tea including an
English cream tea.
The popular Karabatak
Café was in at the start of the
gentrification of Karaköy.
Karaköy Fish Market in
Istanbul near the Galata Bridge.

The Grand Bazaar is the
biggest covered bazaar in the
world, with over 3000 shops.
The Grand Bazaar adalah
pasar tertua dan terbesar di
dunia, berisi lebih dari 3.000 toko.

360˚
Originally named the Tower
of Christ, the Galata Tower was
built in 1348 at the apex of
fortified walls and was used to
house prisoners of war, later
became an observatory, but now
offers a 360-degree viewing
gallery of the city.
Dahulu bernama Tower
of Christ, Galata Tower yang
dibangun tahun 1348 pernah
berfungsi sebagai penjara
tawanan perang, sempat
menjadi observatorium, dan kini
menjadi menara pandang
dengan pemandangan 360�.

source: www.turkeytravelcentre.com

The Kılıç Ali Paşa mosque stands at
the point where Karaköy blends into
Tophane, a neighbourhood so called
after the arsenal that still stands across
the road from the mosque. A short stroll
along the road past a tempting line-up
of cafés where students come to puff
on nargiles stands the Istanbul
Modern, a contemporary art gallery
that catapulted İstanbul onto the
international art scene when it opened
in disused warehouses in 2004. A new
gallery due to open beside it will show
off the 19th-century paintings that used
to hang in the Istanbul Painting and
Sculpture Museum and that offered
inspiration to Nobel prize-winning
novelist Orhan Pamuk in his youth.

The number of mosques
designed by Sinan, the greatest
Ottoman architect.
Jumlah masjid hasil
rancangan Sinan, arsitek besar
di masa penguasa Ottoman.