Maybe, Istanbul is surprisingly relaxing, or the people who lived here all lacked imagination – those who built anything here, seem to have been rather lazy. I have already told that Romans had used marble plates taken from Greek temples, and Byzantines had used Roman columns to support their churches. Turks-Seljuk’s were an exception. They did not damage or alter inscriptions, icons, and paintings of their predecessors, they simply covered them with wooden plates on which Koran sayings had been written, instead. Historicists and archaeologists are thankful to Seljuk’s for that. Well, not that difficult – to transform a church into a mosque, like this. Maximum what they did was to put a new layer of paint over the old frescoes. Again, this very method is even better, because the early Middle Ages frescoes are almost intact even now only due to the latter paint laid. Ottomans generally behaved very carefully to cultures of their predecessors. Remember, to see the contrast situation, European crusaders who used to capture new lands slowly, yet so assiduously that both locals and anything belonging to them got completely annihilated. Ottomans like many Eastern people were too lazy to do anything to the conquered. Did the enemy give up? Well, let them live where they did, and do whatever they like once they keep paying the tribute...
You want examples? Here you are. Once upon a time, Slav tribes had been the lords of Eastern Germany and Prussia lands. The biggest tribe had been that of Prusses. To-day, we know it only from ancient manuscripts. During 100-150 years of colonization, Germans slaughtered all those Slavs completely. Ottomans never did so. That Empire, like to-days USA, was a huge blender of nations, and all these nations retained their culture and customs. Regarding this, Turkey is just like Russia or Japan – its culture ensued from all the nations who once had dwelled its territory. Among national Turkish dishes are Armenian clotted milk, Greek salads, Russian pancakes, among kitchen utensils – Russian samovar, among soldiers – Slavs, among merchants – Armenians, Greeks, and Jews.
A funny fact: when Hagia Sophia was being transformed into a mosque (it is worth to note that the mosque became one of the most beautiful on Earth), 5.000 workers were employed. And the majority of them were... Christians! Moreover, these were not slaves forced to work, but usual workers. They were paid for their work, and paid so good that the renewed temple was almost as beautiful as its ancestor.
The reason is simple. In those times, there had been relatively few Muslims in Istanbul. Most of the citizens had been the conquered Christians, whereas Turks mainly comprised military positions...
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To imagine what Hagia Sophia is like, remember St. Isaac’s Temple in St. Petersburg, or St. Paul’s, or St. Peter’s in London and Rome, respectively. Well, here you are: Hagia Sophia is much higher and much more magnificent. Amazingly, it had been built by people who had no technologies that as it seems simply had to be used. The miracle of St. Sophia’s construction is as great as that of the Pyramids’.
Hagia Sophia had been built without using scaffoldings!
Exactly! Without those wooden constructions standing on which workers can put new piling layers with ease. So, how did they manage to do without? Simply! First, this church had been buried in the ground, and then it was dug out of it. Let me explain how that worked. Firstly, Byzantines piled huge soil hills around construction area. The temple was growing – so were the hills. Standing of them, workers could put new layers without any problem. So, at the end of the construction, the temple was completely covered with soil, and there appeared a big mountain in the middle of Constantinople. But when the ground was removed the magnificent Hagia Sophia Temple started shining over the Bosphorous. Literally, in shone, because there was so much gold spent on it – more than some countries’ treasuries ever had. Hence, St. Sophia’s became the symbol of dignity of Byzantine Christianity. Slav barbarians, who came to Byzantium armed, and left it with a cross, were extremely impressed by the temple. Hagia Sophia steps were the place where Russia Christianity originated. Princess Olga – the first Russian Christian – was baptized here.
The baptismal font where Olga was baptized is still in the church...
Visit to Hagia Sophia is indispensable when one is in Istanbul. Having entered, immediately look left. That big bowl, with a diameter of 1,5 m, is that very baptismal font where shivering from cold water, Olga stood. Touch the bowl and get in. These small pits in the floor near the enormous Emperor gate (plebeians could only enter Hagia Sophia through the side gates) are not the result of workers’ negligence.
Stand by the gate for about twenty minutes. Do you feel yourself tired? That’s right. Well, now remember what you do when you are tired of standing on one place, and there is no possibility of moving anywhere? Right again, you start stepping from one foot to another. Emperor guards were all tall, heavy men, "gorillas", like we would call them to-day, and they used to stand here this way, for about thousand years. Hence the small pits in the stone floor.
By the way, before moving on into the centre of the temple, look right. You see an empty tomb? That was the tomb for Empress Theodora. That very Theodora about whom Byzantines used to say,
"This lady is as beautiful as Cleopatra, and as depraved as Messalina"...
Well-known for her perverseness, vice, and cruelty – namely being a direct opposition of Olga – Theodora was a very religious woman. That was usual, for those times, to be religious. And again, being usual for those times, her belief was completely practical. Therefore, she ordered to bury her... in a church. According to a Middle Ages person’s view, it was absolutely wise. Here, a church is a place where Devil can never enter. However, it happened to be so that that wisdom did not help Theodora very much because when her tomb was opened much later, nothing but shells of snake eggs was found...
Well, everybody defines his fate. So, take your last glance at the odd Empress’ tomb, and go on. The temple is so high and spacious that you will not see its ceiling, at once. Only later will you appreciate this building’s size. To note, now you see the temple as Byzantine women used to see it. Women, according to the law, had to stand on the balconies right behind you, separately from men.
"Discrimination", a tourist will think, "Poor Middle Age ignorant people"...
Well, he will be wrong! Women were on the balconies because their status was HIGHER than that of men. In the past, Eastern Christianity worshipped Virgin Mary the most; therefore women patronized by her were shown special respect. Now, enough watching these nice huge jugs cut from Greek marble columns, as you might have conjectured, and brought here by Ottomans. Go straight ahead and then take a little left. You see a narrow passage with a cobble-stone floor? Stroll up the passage, and feel the solemnity of the moment, for you are going by the way of Byzantine Emperors!
Having entered the balcony, many tourists hurry to watch the side niches adorned by mosaic and frescoes. Wrong decision! At the centre of the first floor is the place where guests used to look at the divine service activities. My word, were impressing! Byzantines were experts in using light effects and other things. For instance, when foreign ambassadors were present, the huge golden throne with Emperor sitting on it was slowly lowered from under the dome... Yes, Byzantines were great engineers and psychologists. Many barbarian princes, having sees the power, wealth, and dignity of this temple, eventually became Christians.
XXX
Now, as you have seen the church like Emperors and princes used to see it, go to the side niches to enjoy frescoes and mosaics. In Ottoman times these were covered with paint, but now they reappear, being born for the second time. Let’s hope that their second life will be as long as the first – many of them are more that thousand years old...
Look at the mosaic where a young girls and a mature man are visualized. These are Empress Zoia and her husband, holding churched in their hands. The churches were built in reality, and the painting shows that the Emperor family gives all they built to God. By the time that mosaic was finished, Zoia was 70 years old. The man was her third husband. The first variant of this mosaic was made when Zoia was married to her first husband. The Empress, being an extremely gay and good-intended lady, used to change her husbands easily and with a great joy. to avoid overloading the architects, after each new marriage she ordered,
"Change the face on the fresco".
Hence, the man’s figure stayed untouched, whereas the face was constantly changed. "Well, since thing go like this", thought Zoia, "let them make my face younger each time, too". Hence, by her death Zoia on the mosaic became a young girlie.
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"Imagine yourself on streets of a typical Turkish town. Cosy narrow streets all appeared without any plan, good-intended passers-by. Turkish people are always pleased to meet tourists, of course if it is the tourist who is interested in Turkey’s culture rather than just in spending his bucks. Well, many things will impress you in Turkey, but in some cases these impressions will not be pleasant. A Turkish worker does not know what 8-hour long working day means. He works from dawn till dusk. Often, he will humiliate himself to earn a few liras in front of a rich man from the capitalist West who came to colonize this Third world country...
Most Turks live in horrid conditions. Only in Ankara where government officials and the rich live can one see new houses. The second capital Istanbul is erupted. This is a symptom of a severy disease called capitalism.
One will be amazed by what Turks do just to earn a lira or two. Newspaper and bun sellers almost beg you to buy something. Weavers have to put their carpets right onto the cobblestone of the streets to advertise their wonderful products, for nobody can sell anything here without advertising it. The carpets lie on streets, and cabs of the rich Turks who exploit their compatriots roll over them. Water sellers and hawkers who have to spend the whole day under the burning sun look at the cabs with hidden anger..."
Maybe, thirty years ago, a journalist from a Warsaw Pact country would have written something like this in his newspaper. Well, partly, he would have been right, but in general – no. Turkey is more than you can see, a lot of it lies beneath.
Let’s start with the carpets. It is right that they lie right on streets. They must look... old, that’s the thing! Turks believe that the older a carpet is the more valuable it becomes. Therefore, people stepping and cars rolling on a hand-made carpet will make it look even better.
For a Turkish lower-middle-class woman to put her carpet in the middle of the street in the evening is a usual thing. One more thing. Turks are very controversial like so much Turkey itself. On one hand, Turks are really diligent. Many of them work for 10-15 years without having one single day on leave! On the other hand, like any other Eastern people, they do not like overloading themselves with work. Till recent time, retirement age in Turkey had been 50. Since 2007, it is 60 for men, and 58 for women. In spite of these rather unpopular reforms, Turkey is a very social country. A man, who was fired from his job, earns about 400 USD to get by during one month while he must get a new job – quite sufficient a sum. Medicines cost almost nothing to them, for the government covers nearly 70 per cent of their cost.
If a Turk is getting retired, his employer pays him about 10.000 USD. Usually, the employee, officially retired, applies for the governmental pension, and... returns back to his old job. In Turkey, it is allowed to earn a pension, and work legally.
Obtrusiveness of Turkish sellers is a legend that happens to be adequate. Yet, there is nothing ill in it. Since ancient times, Turkish people understood that stimulation of direct sales is a necessary thing. Therefore, Turkish seller’s income directly depends on how much he sells. Shopping in Turkey is always a presentation. In leather factories, they hire models to organize shows for tourist groups. Your actual fashion show! Depending on what factory you come, it can be a real fashion show – with real couturier models.
As for the cars and cabs passing by – nobody looks at them. The point is that in Turkey nobody cares about the cars passing by at all. Neither anybody cares about traffic light. Therefore, I was strongly surprised that during those weeks I spent in Turkey, I barely witnessed only two or three accidents. Car drivers here are very careful. They ALWAYS stop to let a pedestrian cross the road, even if the former crosses it despite the red light. A usual scene – an MB going with 100-120 km/h speed, is stopping to let a chestnut-seller cross the road. Note that pedestrians are prohibited to cross there.
Every evening, there are unbelievable traffic jams, in Istanbul...
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