Seven hills of Istanbul
Encyclopedia
Istanbul
is known as the City on the Seven Hills . Whether Constantine the Great was actually aware of the fact that the new city was founded on seven hills is unknown.
, first appeared when the valleys of the Golden Horn
and the Bosphorus were opened up during the Secondary and Tertiary periods. In the Ottoman
, as in the earlier Byzantine
period, each hill was surmounted by monumental religious buildings.
The first hill on which the ancient city of Byzantium
was founded, begins from Seraglio Point and extends over the whole area containing Hagia Sophia
, the Sultan Ahmed Mosque
and Topkapı Palace
.
On the second hill are to be found the Nuruosmaniye Mosque
, Grand Bazaar
and Column of Constantine
. The second hill is divided from the first by a fairly deep valley running from Babiali on the east Eminönü
.
The third hill is now occupied by the main buildings of Istanbul University
, the Bayezid II Mosque to the south and the Süleymaniye Mosque to the north. The southern slopes of the hill descend to Kumkapi and Langa.
The fourth hill on which stood the Church of the Holy Apostles
and, subsequently, the Fatih Mosque
, slopes down rather steeply to the Golden Horn on the north and, rather more gently, to Aksaray on the south.
On the fifth hill we find the Mosque of Sultan Selim. The fifth and the sixth hills are separated by the valley running down on the west to Balat
on the shore of the Golden Horn
.
On the sixth hill are to be found the districts of Edirnekapı and Ayvansaray. Its gentle slopes run out beyond the line of the defense walls
.
The seventh hill extends from Aksaray to the city defense walls and the Marmara
. It is a broad hill with three summits producing a triangle with apices at Topkapı
, Aksaray, and Yedikule
.
Istanbul
Istanbul , historically known as Byzantium and Constantinople , is the largest city of Turkey. Istanbul metropolitan province had 13.26 million people living in it as of December, 2010, which is 18% of Turkey's population and the 3rd largest metropolitan area in Europe after London and...
is known as the City on the Seven Hills . Whether Constantine the Great was actually aware of the fact that the new city was founded on seven hills is unknown.
The seven hills of Istanbul
The seven hills, all located in the area within the wallsWalls of Constantinople
The Walls of Constantinople are a series of defensive stone walls that have surrounded and protected the city of Constantinople since its founding as the capital of the Eastern Roman Empire by Constantine the Great...
, first appeared when the valleys of the Golden Horn
Golden Horn
The Golden Horn is a historic inlet of the Bosphorus dividing the city of Istanbul and forming the natural harbor that has sheltered Greek, Roman, Byzantine, Ottoman and other ships for thousands of...
and the Bosphorus were opened up during the Secondary and Tertiary periods. In the Ottoman
Ottoman Empire
The Ottoman EmpireIt was usually referred to as the "Ottoman Empire", the "Turkish Empire", the "Ottoman Caliphate" or more commonly "Turkey" by its contemporaries...
, as in the earlier Byzantine
Byzantine
Byzantine usually refers to the Roman Empire during the Middle Ages.Byzantine may also refer to:* A citizen of the Byzantine Empire, or native Greek during the Middle Ages...
period, each hill was surmounted by monumental religious buildings.
The first hill on which the ancient city of Byzantium
Byzantium
Byzantium was an ancient Greek city, founded by Greek colonists from Megara in 667 BC and named after their king Byzas . The name Byzantium is a Latinization of the original name Byzantion...
was founded, begins from Seraglio Point and extends over the whole area containing Hagia Sophia
Hagia Sophia
Hagia Sophia is a former Orthodox patriarchal basilica, later a mosque, and now a museum in Istanbul, Turkey...
, the Sultan Ahmed Mosque
Sultan Ahmed Mosque
The Sultan Ahmed Mosque is a historical mosque in Istanbul, the largest city in Turkey and the capital of the Ottoman Empire . The mosque is popularly known as the Blue Mosque for the blue tiles adorning the walls of its interior....
and Topkapı Palace
Topkapi Palace
The Topkapı Palace is a large palace in Istanbul, Turkey, that was the primary residence of the Ottoman Sultans for approximately 400 years of their 624-year reign....
.
On the second hill are to be found the Nuruosmaniye Mosque
Nuruosmaniye Mosque
The Nuruosmaniye Mosque is an Ottoman mosque located in the Çemberlitaş neighbourhood of Fatih district in Istanbul, Turkey. It is considered one of the finest examples of mosques in Ottoman Baroque style. It was built by architects Mustafa Ağa and Simon Kalfa from the order of Sultan Mahmut I and...
, Grand Bazaar
Grand Bazaar, Istanbul
The Grand Bazaar in Istanbul is one of the largest and oldest covered markets in the world, with more than 58 covered streets and over 4,000 shops which attract between 250,000 and half a million visitors daily.- History :...
and Column of Constantine
Column of Constantine
The Column of Constantine is a Roman monumental column constructed on the orders of the Roman emperor Constantine the Great in 330 AD. It commemorates the declaration of Byzantium as the new capital city of the Roman Empire...
. The second hill is divided from the first by a fairly deep valley running from Babiali on the east Eminönü
Eminönü
Eminönü is a former district of Istanbul in Turkey, now a neighbourhood of Fatih district. This is the heart of the walled city of Constantine, the focus of a history of incredible richness. Eminönü covers the point on which the Byzantine capital was built. The Galata Bridge crosses the Golden Horn...
.
The third hill is now occupied by the main buildings of Istanbul University
Istanbul University
Istanbul University is a Turkish university located in Istanbul. The main campus is adjacent to Beyazıt Square.- Synopsis :A madrasa, a religious school, was established sometime in the 15th century after the Ottoman conquest of Constantinople. An institution of higher education named the...
, the Bayezid II Mosque to the south and the Süleymaniye Mosque to the north. The southern slopes of the hill descend to Kumkapi and Langa.
The fourth hill on which stood the Church of the Holy Apostles
Church of the Holy Apostles
The Church of the Holy Apostles , also known as the Imperial Polyandreion, was a Christian church built in Constantinople, capital of the Eastern Roman Empire, in 550. It was second only to the Church of the Holy Wisdom among the great churches of the capital...
and, subsequently, the Fatih Mosque
Fatih Mosque
The Fatih Mosque or Conqueror's Mosque in English) is an Ottoman imperial mosque located in the Fatih district of Istanbul, Turkey. It was one of the largest examples of Turkish-Islamic architecture in Istanbul and represented an important stage in the development of classic Turkish...
, slopes down rather steeply to the Golden Horn on the north and, rather more gently, to Aksaray on the south.
On the fifth hill we find the Mosque of Sultan Selim. The fifth and the sixth hills are separated by the valley running down on the west to Balat
Balat
Balat is the traditional Jewish quarter in the Fatih district of Istanbul. It is located on the European side of Istanbul, in the old city on the historic peninsula, on the western bank of the Golden Horn...
on the shore of the Golden Horn
Golden Horn
The Golden Horn is a historic inlet of the Bosphorus dividing the city of Istanbul and forming the natural harbor that has sheltered Greek, Roman, Byzantine, Ottoman and other ships for thousands of...
.
On the sixth hill are to be found the districts of Edirnekapı and Ayvansaray. Its gentle slopes run out beyond the line of the defense walls
Walls of Constantinople
The Walls of Constantinople are a series of defensive stone walls that have surrounded and protected the city of Constantinople since its founding as the capital of the Eastern Roman Empire by Constantine the Great...
.
The seventh hill extends from Aksaray to the city defense walls and the Marmara
Sea of Marmara
The Sea of Marmara , also known as the Sea of Marmora or the Marmara Sea, and in the context of classical antiquity as the Propontis , is the inland sea that connects the Black Sea to the Aegean Sea, thus separating Turkey's Asian and European parts. The Bosphorus strait connects it to the Black...
. It is a broad hill with three summits producing a triangle with apices at Topkapı
Topkapi
Topkapi or Topkapı can mean:* The Topkapı Palace in Istanbul, Turkey* Topkapı, a neighbourhood of Istanbul near the Roman city walls * Topkapi , a 1964 caper movie...
, Aksaray, and Yedikule
Yedikule
Yedikule or Heptapyrgion can refer to:* the Yedikule Fortress in Istanbul, Turkey.* the Yedikule neighborhood in Istanbul, Turkey, where the fortress is located, part of the district of Fatih....
.