Golden Horn - Istanbul

home : istanbul guide : golden horn

Established at time of the conquest, Eyup was Istanbul's first Ottoman Turkish settlement. The district is located beyond the city walls on the south bank of the Golden Horn and takes its name from the tomb of Eyyub al Ensari, a companion of the prophet Mohammed, who is believed to have died there during the Muslim siege of Istanbul in the 7th century.

Eyup began to develop shortly after the conquest. The first tangible sing of this were the tomb that Sultan Mehmed, the Conqueror, had built over the grave of Eyyub el-Ensari after his mentor, Aksemseddin, saw the place in a dream and beside it a mosque. The first settlers were from Bursa and the first eight neighborhoods given the names Cami-i Kebir, Kasim Cavus, Uluca Baba, Abdulvedud, Sofular, Otagcibasi, Fethi Celebi and Mehmed Bey.

The most intense period of development occurred during the Kanuni (sultan Süleyman) period in the 16th century. As well as the mosques, schools, fountains, tombs, hamam (turkish bath) and alms kitchen that suddenly appeared, a succession of mansions and pavilions began to line the shores. The Tomb of Eyup el-Ensari, commonly known as "Eyup Sultan Türbesi", has changed little over the years and occupies a central place in community life today, just as it did in the past.

Besides the ceremonies of the sultans, one of the most striking features of Ottoman times was the girding of swords at Eyup Sultan. The ceremony, which was performed to prayers, had a religious - spiritual quality and served to recall the significance of the new sultan's standing. However, the tradition probably dates from before the conquest. The power of the head priest at the Leon Makelos monastery which was sited here in the Byzantine period, included girding the emperor, military commander and nobles as they left for ward and consecrating the swords.

Another peculiarity that Eyup Sultan Türbesi brought to the settlement was that many Ottomans wished to be buried there in order to be close to the saint who lay entombed. The result was that a number of large cemeteries sprang up, which give the district its mystic quality. Eyup craftsmanship of the tombstones and the catalogue of inscriptions they bear are famous and good examples of the stone-carving art. At the same time, the cypress trees looming from among the graves seem to highlight the co-existence of life and death.

As well as the average man on the street, a large number of prominent public figures have chosen Eyup as their final resting place during both the Ottoman period and the days of the Republic.

Eyup Sultan Mosque, which is perhaps one of the most celebrated sites of Eyup, draws vast crowds on religious feast days and public holidays. It is also place of pilgrimage for newly-weds and circumcision parties. But Eyup was also famed for a host of other things: The fishermen who sell their bountiful catch from the Golden Horn, its florists and dairies, shoreline cafes, toy tambourines, drums and whistles; the toy makers of Eyup would have been kept busy under the spiritual leadership of Eyup Sultan, who is believed to have adored children.

However, the advent of the industrial age at the end of the 19th century and rapid spread of shanty towns after the 1960's has more or less destroyed the traditional character of the district.

The Golden Horn

The Golden Horn, a horn-shaped estuary, divides European side of Istanbul. One of the best natural harbors in the world, the Byzantine and Ottoman navies and commercial shipping interests were centered here. Today, lovely parks and promenades line the shores. In the setting sun, the water shines a golden color.

Golden Horn was an old trading point and popular shoreline residential area during the Byzantine period, it was largely inhabited by Jewish immigrants from Spain during the Ottoman period. The mixtures of Armenians, Greeks, Gypsies and Turks living along its shores reflected the city's colorful mosaic. Since 1880 the famed Cibali cigarette factory has been operating there, which today is renovated to house a private university.

During the Ottoman period, in the first half of 18th century, Golden Horn was very rich of tulip gardens and green parks where upscale people used to come to relax, and row with their boats at the romantic sunset.

With the neglect borne of a population explosion in the 1950's and ineffective zoning laws, the once pristine Golden Horn became a churning cesspool of grey city-sewage and industrial waste. Only in the 1980's did a much needed urban clean-up begin. Polluting factories were cleared and proper sewage needs met. Now, its shores green once again, lovely parks, promenades, and playgrounds greet visitors. The water glistens golden in the sun again, perhaps not as brightly as before, but one step nearer to what the poets once described as "Sadabad", or "place of bliss".

At Fener, a neighborhood midway up the Golden Horn, whole streets of old wooden houses and churches date from Byzantine times. The Orthodox Patriarchy resides here. Eyup, a little further up, reflects the Ottoman style of vernacular architecture. Cemeteries sprinkled with dark cypress trees cover the hillsides. It is always busy here with pilgrims coming to the tomb of Eyup in the hope that their prayers will be granted. The Pierre Loti Cafe atop the hill overlooking the shrine is a wonderful place to enjoy the tranquility of the view having a traditional Turkish coffee or tea.

There was no bridge over the Golden Horn before the 19th century. Small boats provided transportation between the two shores. The first Galata Bridge, which connects present day Karaköy to Eminonü, was built in 1836, rebuilt in 1845, again in 1912, and lastly in 1993. The Unkapani (Atatürk) Bridge further up the Horn handles the flow of traffic between Beyoglu and Saraçhane. The third one over the Horn is called the Haliç Bridge.

The Golden Horn,which is a natural harbour,played an important role in the development of the city of İstanbul.It is a narrow inlet dividing the European side into two.Opposite the ancient city is the Galata district.The Golden Horn is approximately 8 km. long and its enrance from the Bosphorus is quite wide.Two streams drain into this inlet at its deep end.There are no tides or currents in this unusually safe harbour which has been used since the establishment of the city.Due to the fertile lands around it,the great variety of fish in waters,the two streams draining into it and its shape,it was referred to as the Golden (meaning fertile) Horn.There are three bridges on the Golden Horn,There are threee bridges on the Golden Horn.The oldest one,the Galata bridge has been replaced by a new bridge which was opened to traffic in 1992.

During the Byzantine Empire a thick chain used to be streched across its entrance to keep enemy fleets out of the Golden Horn.Today,there is heavy traffic in the vicinity of Galata Bridge,which was built at the entrance to the Golden Horn.Ferry boats serving the Islands and the districts along the asian shores,and the big cruise ships that bring tourists use the docks the area.

The shipyards and the Sepetciler (Basket Weavers) Pavilion (serving as headquaerters of International Press Agencies) of Topkapi Palace, the railway station built in 1890, which is the last stop for trains arriving from Europe,the Valide Mosque and the Spice Bazaar linet he shore at the Golden Horn.

Galata Bridge and its vicinity is the most dynamic and colourful part of the city.During all hours of the day,there is heavy traffic of cars and pedestrians on the bridge which offers a magnificent view of the old city of Istanbul.

In the 1950s, many shipyards, and other businesses were established along the shores of the Golden Horn and they contributed heavily to the pullution of its waters and the deterioration of the once scenic area.Since 1983, pollution has been controlled and the area has started to recover.It the last few years,more than four thousand houses, businesses and factories along its shores have been torn down and replaced by parks.There is an interesting church on the shore along the edge of the historic city.Its moulding and steel parts were made in Vienna, brought here and mounted on the building.This buildings is part of the Bulgarian Church.Further down is the Orthodox Patriarchate in the Fener district located amid the remains of the city walls and old districts.Acrooss Fener, in the Kasimpasa district,there is a big 19th century pavalion which,today is the Navy