Instanbul Military Museum

The Instanbul Military Museum held a lot of history. There were the weapons of armour used through the years but also large depictions of the various pivotal battles in the Ottoman Empire. I finally understood the layout of the Gallipoli battle thanks to the models.  The Mehter Military Band performance was sensational.

Mehmet II conquered Constantinople

Horse armour.

China’s Great Wall built to keep Turks out.

Mail turkish shield. Other shields from India.  Then a room with reconstruction of the military college where Ataturk attended.

They had Canada’s Ross Rifle on display along with other famous rifles.


Canons and mortars and machine guns and reconstruction of the hamman in the military college.

Reconstrustion of the assassination..

Roman Aquaduct, Mosque, Mehmet II Statue, Wedding Dresses and walk on the Wall of the City, Istanbul

My guide Mehmet Tetik (www.turkishguides.org\tetik took me on quite an adventure one morning.  We were there to see the Aqueduct and a little mosque but also stopped for coffee in the area. It’s a place with markets and shops.  Mehmed told me a famous food writer had once stopped here and wrote up a great piece on the food he’d eaten such that overnight one of the restaurants became famous.
There was also a whole street we passed the had wedding dress shops on wedding dress shops.
The sculpture was of Mehmett II who conquered Istanbul
We climbed up on the wall of the city. There was one further out.  In between there was a moat. When Mehmett II conquered Constantinople he had over 30,000 men whereas there were only 7000 defenders at the time. The Crusaders had overthrown Constantinople with help from inside. Mehmett II’s success was by siege and cunning.  Nonetheless Constantinople lasted months before it collapsed.
There was a lovely view from the top of the wall of the Golden Horn especially.


A marker on the corner of the mosque indicated the centre of the city.




A tower in part of the mosque complex was left over from the Roman aqueduct system. To adjust pressure of the flow of the aqueduct so pipes wouldn’t burst this flute was created.









The Roman Aquaduct was the next site on our morning adventure.






Mehmet II and his advisors.




Shops and coffee



Testicles.



Wedding dresses




Mosque






The significance of the Cami Serifi mosque according to my guide was that the great architect Sinan built this only supported by 4 pillars.
Great view of the city and great view of the the Golden Horn from the top of the city wall.