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Byzantine Secrets of Istanbul is the book that tells the stories about a dozen of less-known historical structures located in Istanbul from the times when this city, as Constantinople, was the capital of the Eastern Roman Empire. The aim of this book is to take its readers on the journey of discovery and help them find the forgotten treasures of Byzantium, hidden among the narrow streets of the city. The chapters can be read separately, but they are arranged chronologically. The selection of the places was inspired by the wish of diversity, so you can read about churches, columns, cisterns, and palaces. If you happen to have a day or three to spend in the search of the Byzantine secrets of Turkey's largest city, this is just the beginning.
Lured by the glistening snow-white travertine terraces, thousands of tourists from all corners of the globe come to visit the famous World Heritage Site of Hierapolis-Pamukkale. For many of them, a walk along these terraces and a dip in the widely-advertised Ancient Pool are the highlights of the trip. However, the site has so much more to offer for all of the visitors who want to see and understand it more profoundly. The ruins of the ancient city known as Hierapolis are extensive, and their far-away corners are rarely seen by the tourists who hurry through the main sights. If you want to be sure that you did not overlook anything of interest during the time you spent at Hierapolis-Pamukkale site, this is the guidebook written for you. By using this book as a handy travel guide, you will be able to tour the whole site and see all the spectacular sights, such as a grand Roman theatre, a splendid Gate of Domitian, and a spacious agora. Moreover, the book will take you to the less-known but equally fascinating structures related with the cult of St. Philip the Apostle, who, according to one legend was martyred by beheading in the city of Hierapolis. The other locations worth visiting are the old Greek theatre, overlooking the city from the slope of a hill, and the broad Frontinus Street. You will visit the extensive Northern Necropolis of the city and a smaller Eastern Necropolis that offers excellent views over the whole site. Finally, the tour will also lead you to the sacred complex of the Apollo Temple with the mysterious Plutonium. The second part of this book offers an in-depth analysis of this complex and provides a wider background of Hierapolis history. It also gives some answers concerning the Plutonium and the cult of the underground deity known as Hades or Pluto. You will find out how Hierapolis has been a popular travel destination not for the last few decades but for hundreds of years. The travelogues written by the travellers of these past centuries are a fascinating read and enable us to glimpse not only into the past of the site but also into the minds of the early-modern era travellers. Finally, the guidebook offers you lots of tips about the practicalities involved in the sightseeing of Hierapolis. There are plans of the site, information concerning ticket prices and opening hours. Moreover, there are four suggested sightseeing routes, customised for the travellers with different expectations: from the people who want to bathe and relax in the thermal waters to the hardcore ancient history enthusiasts who need to see every corner of the site.
First published in 2005. Long acknowledged to be the 'best travel guide to Istanbul' (Times of London) this classic of travel literature is now available in a larger format in hardback binding. The work is both a useful and informative guide to the city with major useful monuments described in detail in terms of the history and architecture. Although the main emphasis of the book is on the Byzantine and Ottoman Antiquities, the city is not treated as a museum in the context of a living city. Itineraries are arranged so that each one takes the visitor to a different part of Istanbul.
Istanbul has long been a place where stories and histories collide, where perception is as potent as fact. From the Koran to Shakespeare, this city with three names--Byzantium, Constantinople, Istanbul -- resonates as an idea and a place, real and imagined. Standing as the gateway between East and West, North and South, it has been the capital city of the Roman, Byzantine, and Ottoman Empires. For much of its history it was the very center of the world, known simply as "The City," but, as Bettany Hughes reveals, Istanbul is not just a city, but a global story. In this epic new biography, Hughes takes us on a dazzling historical journey from the Neolithic to the present, through the many incarnations of one of the world's greatest cities--exploring the ways that Istanbul's influence has spun out to shape the wider world. Hughes investigates what it takes to make a city and tells the story not just of emperors, viziers, caliphs, and sultans, but of the poor and the voiceless, of the women and men whose aspirations and dreams have continuously reinvented Istanbul. Written with energy and animation, award-winning historian Bettany Hughes deftly guides readers through Istanbul's rich layers of history. Based on meticulous research and new archaeological evidence, this captivating portrait of the momentous life of Istanbul is visceral, immediate, and authoritative -- narrative history at its finest.
In the bestselling tradition of espionage novels by John LeCarre and Alan Furst, Istanbul Passage brilliantly illustrates why Edgar Award–winning author Joseph Kanon has been hailed as "the heir apparent to Graham Greene" (The Boston Globe). Istanbul survived the Second World War as a magnet for refugees and spies. Even expatriate American Leon Bauer was drawn into this shadow world, doing undercover odd jobs in support of the Allied war effort. Now as the espionage community begins to pack up and an apprehensive city prepares for the grim realities of postwar life, Leon is given one last routine assignment. But when the job goes fatally wrong—an exchange of gunfire, a body left in the street, and a potential war criminal on his hands—Leon is trapped in a tangle of shifting loyalties and moral uncertainty. Played out against the bazaars and mosques and faded mansions of this knowing, ancient Ottoman city, Istanbul Passage is the unforgettable story of a man swept up in the dawn of the Cold War, of an unexpected love affair, and of a city as deceptive as the calm surface waters of the Bosphorus that divides it.
Many travellers dream of visiting an ancient city that has been preserved not only in the form of modest ruins. Would it not be so much more exciting the see such a city in its glory or at least in the state that would echo the magnificent past of the place? While many experienced tourists can point to Pompeii in Italy as such a city, there is also another great location where history is still alive. Ephesus, the pearl of eastern Mediterranean, is a perfect demonstration of the ostentatious wealth of the Greek settlements on the shores of Asia Minor. While Pompeii was erected mainly of bricks, Ephesus shocks the visitors even today with the generous application of the best and most expensive construction materials, including many variations of marble.Naturally, such a splendid archaeological site as Ephesus receives thousands of visitors daily, and it may seem that it does not hold any secrets from them. Millions of photos are taken there every year and then appear in books, leaflets, websites, and social media channels. Can we hope to discover something not published on Facebook or Instagram there? Is it possible to find a peaceful and quiet corner or see the grand theatre and the lavishly decorated Library of Celsus without the crowds? This book has been prepared with the hope to assist all of the readers ready to find out more than can be learned about Ephesus from popular guidebooks and information boards.The aim of this book is not only to take the visitors from one location to another, but also to provide them with more information and question the truth of some commonly repeated statements. Was the small building on Curetes Street really the Temple of Hadrian? Did St. John write the Book of Revelation during his stay in Ephesus? Are the statues adorning the Library of Celsus the portraits of the four virtues of the founder? Who lived in the famous Terrace Houses? Finally, did Mary, the mother of Jesus, live her final years in the city? This book will provide the answers to these and many more questions.During the journey that this guidebook has planned for its readers, they will visit not only the archaeological site of Ephesus, but also other sights situated nearby. The necropoles of the city have been presented here, including the famous Grotto of Seven Sleepers and the cemetery of gladiators that revealed many details about the lives and deaths of these ancient entertainers. The travellers will also join the pilgrims who have arrived at Ephesus since the times unknown, first to worship the Anatolian Mother Goddess, and then her Hellenised version known as Artemis Ephesia whose sanctuary at Ephesus used to be one of the Seven Wonders of the World. The religious aura of Ephesus did not vanish with the end of antiquity, but has attracted Christian pilgrims for almost two millennia.The final part of this guidebook is devoted to the modest town of Selçuk that has inherited the rich history of ancient Ephesus. The treasures from the past are displayed in the Ephesus Museum located in the town, but it has its share of tourists attractions, too. Towering about the town, there is a hill called Ayasuluk with the imposing fortress that once protected the Basilica of St. John and the grave of this saint. Finally, the book will show you the Eastern Roman heritage of the town and its monuments from the first century of the Turkish rule. This period of history -- the 14th century -- was the last era of the city's great prosperity. Now, it is high time to re-discover Ephesus and walk off the beaten tourist trail, and this guidebook will assist you in this quest.
The 30 studies presented here are dedicated to Sophia Kalopissi-Verti, Emerita of Byzantine Archaeology at the National and Kapodistrian University of Athens. They cover a large variety of topics presenting unpublished archaeological material, suggesting new approaches to various aspects of Byzantine archaeology, material culture and art history.
Buried deep under Istanbul, a secret is about to resurface with explosive consequences...
Gallipoli Peninsula and the Troad. TAN Travel Guide has been prepared for the travellers who intend to spend active holidays exploring the northwestern part of Turkey, especially the Gallipoli Peninsula and the Troad. If you want not only to relax and sunbathe, but also to visit some historical buildings and archaeological sites, this is the book for you. It will help you to get acquainted with the most important information about Turkey and its northwestern part, to plan the entire trip and to select the places worth seeing. History lovers will be able to use it to locate rarely visited ruins of ancient cities, the seekers of beautiful landscapes will find tips on the most attractive viewpoints and the gourmets will get numerous suggestions for the best restaurants in the region.The guidebook is divided into four main sections, organized geographically. They represent, respectively, the areas of the Gallipoli Peninsula, the Northern Troad, the Southern Troad, and the Turkish islands in the Aegean Sea. In each section, you will find in-depth descriptions of main cities, smaller towns, historical sites, and natural treasures located in the area. The descriptions these places provide their exact location, and, where it is essential, the opening hours, ticket prices, and other practical information. In the case of the cities, there are the sections outlining the accommodation options, including hotels and campsites, as well as restaurants, shops and malls, and the issues related to public transport. These places are also represented on maps and plans.In addition to the main sections, the guidebook includes additional chapters, collected in the Appendices section. They are devoted to the most important issues related to travelling to Turkey. You will find out what you need to do before visiting the country, learn the main facts concerning its inhabitants, the geography, and cuisine. You will find advice on souvenirs and methods of payment as well as weather information. There are also chapters devoted to the history of Greek settlements in this area and the Battle of Gallipoli. The final part of this guidebook is a bibliography that provides suggestions for further reading about the Troad and the Gallipoli Peninsula.The second edition of this guidebook has been thoroughly revised and updated, including ticket prices and opening hours for 2019. Relevant information concerning renovations and reopenings has also been added. Moreover, this edition presents the newly opened Troy Museum and its fabulous collections.
Filled with unforgettable stories of emperors, generals, and religious patriarchs, as well as fascinating glimpses into the life of the ordinary citizen, Lost to the West reveals how much we owe to the Byzantine Empire that was the equal of any in its achievements, appetites, and enduring legacy. For more than a millennium, Byzantium reigned as the glittering seat of Christian civilization. When Europe fell into the Dark Ages, Byzantium held fast against Muslim expansion, keeping Christianity alive. Streams of wealth flowed into Constantinople, making possible unprecedented wonders of art and architecture. And the emperors who ruled Byzantium enacted a saga of political intrigue and conquest as astonishing as anything in recorded history. Lost to the West is replete with stories of assassination, mass mutilation and execution, sexual scheming, ruthless grasping for power, and clashing armies that soaked battlefields with the blood of slain warriors numbering in the tens of thousands.