Rick Steves' Tour by Lale Surmen Aran

Author:Lale Surmen Aran
Language: eng
Format: epub
Publisher: Avalon Travel
Published: 2012-02-21T16:00:00+00:00

As for the pool on the terrace, no one knows much about it. Tour guides love to spin tall tales of the wild fantasies enacted poolside by brahim the Mad and members of his harem, or how he would throw gold coins into the water to watch guards dive in after them.

• When you’re finished here, head back down the stairs into the...

Tulip Garden

Ahmet III, also known as the “Tulip Sultan,” had a short but sweet reign—an unusual time of peace, prosperity, and, of course, tulips (see sidebar). This is the private garden where Ahmet grew rare bulbs. Turks first brought tulips here from central Asia; in the late 16th century, they began shipping them to Holland. Tulip designs were a popular motif in Turkish art (such as on tiles or textiles) long before Ahmet III—but they became an obsession under his reign.

The first building on the left, just beyond the garden, is the late-17th-century Sofa Pavilion. Sultan Ahmet III spent a lot of time here, lounging on a sofa and gazing at his tulips after a long night spent enjoying worldly pleasures.

Behind the Sofa Pavilion is the tower-like Hekimbaı (heh-keem-bah-shuh; “Chief doctor’s chamber”). Dating all the way back to the 15th-century reign of Mehmet the Conqueror, this building was used by doctors as well as caretakers of the prince.

• At the far end of the courtyard is the...

Download

Copyright Disclaimer:
This site does not store any files on its server. We only index and link to content provided by other sites. Please contact the content providers to delete copyright contents if any and email us, we'll remove relevant links or contents immediately.