From top: A view of Topkapi Palace from the Bosphorous Strait. Parts of the Byzantine defensive wall are visible at the bottom of the photo; a sample of the gardens in the palace; the waterway which divides Istanbul between Europe and Asia is visible from the palace gardens.
An example of Islamic sayings posted around the palace: "The height of wisdom is the fear of Allah."
Day 1
O n the drive from our hotel to the Uthmani Khilafa's imperial headquarters known as Topkapi Palace, our first tour stop, Brother Safi Khan taught us the dua for travel and extracted some beautiful lessons from it. Our group -- about 20 American Muslims mostly from Maryland and Virginia -- asked Allah for “birr” and “taqwa” – righteousness and piety – from this journey of ours. We had traveled over 5,000 miles, and from whatever we would see, learn, and experience, we hoped to get closer to Allah. We renewed this intention every morning on the bus, each day of the trip.
Brother Safi Khan, the Imam of Dar-us-Salaam in College Park, Maryland, served as our religious guide on the tour. This was his second tour of Istanbul's historic sites. He had studied the history of the Uthmani khilafa from Arabic sources and was able to help us reflect Islamically on what we saw and learned during the trip; his knowledge of Arabic was also very useful in deciphering the beautiful but complex calligraphy at many of the sites we visited.
Our local Turkish guide was critical to the success of our trip. He had a college degree in Turkish tourism and had a deep knowledge of all the sites we visited. He would "wow" our group by pointing out amazing facts and features of the structures we were in; learning was continuous and essential on this journey. Being a part of a tour group also allowed us to by-pass long entrance lines.
We disembarked on a steep, cobblestone path leading to the palace and came across an ornate white marble fountain decorated with gold calligraphy. One of the Uthmani sultans had this fountain built so he could gain the reward of providing water to passersby. It was a gift to society, to please Allah, so it had to be exquisite.
Topkapi Palace was power center of the Uthmani Khilafa for 400 years. From here they ruled Turkey, Greece, the Balkans, much of Central Asia and North Africa, and most of the Middle East including Makkah and Madinah. The Sultanate moved to a new palace for the final two hundred years of Uthamni rule, which ended after World War I, in 1922.
The 172 acre complex is located on one of Istanbul's highest points overlooking the Bosphorus Strait, the waterway which divides the European continent from Asia. The Palace was built by Sultan Muhammad Al-Fatih after he used massive, specially built cannons to defeat the legendary, impregnable walls which protected Constantinople, the capital of the Eastern Roman Empire. On May 29, 1453, the walls were breeched, and the "City of Constantine" was renamed “Islambul”, or the “City of Islam”, which later came to be known as “Istanbul.” The cannons were placed at the entrance of the palace to remind Sultan Muhammad Al-Fatih and the Muslim community of the great victory granted to them, and so the palace came to be known as “Topkapi” or “Cannon Ball Gate.”
From top: The Sultan Ahmet masjid is iconic and its six slender minarets are visible from the Bosphorous Strait. Sultan Suleiman built it in the 16th Century to rival the Haiga Sophia, the Byzantine church next to Topkapi Palace built in the sixth century which for centuries was the largest and most magnificent religious strucutre on Earth; Parts of the Byzantine walls which kept invaders out of Constantinopol (now Istanbul) for centuries still remains. The triple layer wall had a moat and many towers and is still considered a marvel of military and defense structures; gold tiled mosaics inside the Haiga Sophia.
Everywhere inside the palace we saw similar reminders, from the main gates where the sultan and foreign dignitaries passed under the kalima, to the Qur'anic ayaat posted throughout the palace, to the masajid used by the 4,000 family members, officials, soldiers, and workers for the daily salah, to the enchanting gardens, courtyards, and fountains reminiscent of the Qur'an's descriptions of Jannah. It seemed odd that such an opulent, imperial complex would be filled with reminders about Allah and Islam. But then again, the 21-year old Sultan Muhammad Al-Fatih who built it was a hafiz of the Qur'an, and – in his spare time – translated the tafseer of Ibn Katheer from Arabic into Turkish.
The Palace is structured around 4 lush courtyards with views of the sea, tall trees, flowers, and fountains breaking up the walking paths. All of the rooms and buildings enclosed the gardens, and the innermost garden was the exclusive domain of the Sultan and his family.
Today, Topkapi Palace holds not only a history of Uthmani governance and the lavish imperial lifestyle, but it also holds Islamic relics like the dress of Fatima the daughter of the Prophet Sallallahu 'alyhi wa sallam (Allah be pleased with her), swords belonging to the first four khulafaa to lead the ummah after the Prophet Sallallahu 'alyhi wa sallam, and some of the hair of the Prophet Sallallahu 'alyhi wa sallam. The Uthamni Sultans honored these relics -- passed down from preceeding ruling dynasties -- and in particular they revered the hair of the Prophet Sallallahu 'alyhi wa sallam, and they would ask that dust from the special room where it was kept under guard be added to their graves. From the time of the Uthmani khulafaa till today, a hafiz recites Qur'an in that special room 24 hours a day, 7 days a week. We passed by the reciter, sitting behind a plexiglass, and he paid no attention to the stream of onlookers from all over the world, Muslims and non-Muslims, looking and listening as he recited the same words revealed to the Prophet Muhammad Sallallahu 'alyhi wa sallam fourteen centuries ago, letter for letter.
LEFT: The coarse dress of Fatimah,the daughter of Prophet Muhammad Sallallahu 'alyhi wa sallam (may Allah be pleased with her) on display in the Islamic relics museum located at Topkapi Palace; the swords of Abu Bakr, Umar, Uthman, and Ali (Allah be pleased with them) seemed to match their personalities. The sword of Uthman was the smallest while Ali's was the largest; a sample of the incredibly intricate tile work inside the "Blue Masjid." The master artist who created the tiles went blind from the intense, detailed work he put into each tile.
After visiting Topkapi Palace, we made the short trip to beautiful Sultan Ahment Imperial Masjid, famously known as the "Blue Mosque" due to the 20,000 dazzling blue iznik tiles in 50 different tulip designs which decorate its interior . The masjid was built by Sultan Suleiman -- known in the West as "Suleiman the Magnificnet" -- in the 16th century. The Uthmani khilafa had some military setbacks, and the sultan thought he needed to gain the help of Allah, so he had the masjid built. It is unique in that it has six minarets instead of the traditional two or four. Controversy also erupted over the minarets because the Haram in Makkah had fewer minarets.
Directly opposite the Blue Masjid is the enormous "Haiga Sophia", Greek for "Holy Wisdom". Haiga Sophia was an East Roman church built in the sixth century and at the time was the largest religious structure in the world. When Sultan Muhammad Fatih conquered Constantinopol, Haiga Sophia was converted into a masjid, and its gold and silver mosaics of 'Isa, Maryam, and the angels (Allah be pleased with all of them) were painted over. The Muslims hung huge calligraphic plates and canvases from the massive domed celing. Sultan Fatih left other churches in Constantinopol intact, and allowed Christians the freedom worship and limited self-governance. Today, Haiga Sophia is a museum, and both the Islamic and the ancient Byzantine artwork inside its walls exist side by side.
Day 2
On the second day of our tour we took in the beauty of Istanbul from the water. The skyline viewed from the water is punctutaed with minarets and domes, and the remains of ancient Greek and Roman buildings and columns appear close to shore. We passed the point where the Byzantines installed massive underwater and overwater chains to block the Uthmani naval forces from entering the inlet and attacking Constantinopol, and the point where Sultan Muhammad Al-Fatih's army dragged their ships over a stretch of land to circumvent the chains and then back into the water. Our ferry took us from the European side of Istanbul to the Asia side; the city has always been literally at the crossroads of civilizations. Close to where we boarded the ferry we visited the famed Spice Bazaar, built centuries ago by a Uthamani princess to provide operating revenue for one of the imperial masajid built by her family. The air inside the covered bazaar was filled with the enticing aromas of cinnamon, caraway, saffron, mint, thyme and every other conceivable herb and spice.
LEFT: From top: The masjid of the companion of the Prophet Sallallahu 'alyhi wa sallam Abu Ayyub Al-Ansari (Allah be pleased with him). The entrance to his tomb is on the far left of the photo; Brother Safi Khan praying tahiyat-tulmasjid in the cave masjid we visited in Cappadocia; A view of the inside of the Suleymaniye masjid. Master imperial architect Sinan built amazing features into this masjid which are still being discovered. The chandelier shown in the photo used candles. Sinan studied the airflow of the masjid and how the black soot would rise from the candles. He built a capture device into an upper area below the dome where the soot would settle, mix with water, and then scholars would use that blackened water as ink when writing their books.
Day 3
After walking through the famed Istiqlal Avenue which houses modern day exclusive shops and restaurants, we visited the Galacta Tower, a medieval Byzantine stone tower which offers a panoramic vista of old Istanbul and its environs. The tower was used by the Uthmani government to watch for fires in Istanbul and for defense purposes.
We also connected our trip directly and dramtically to the time of the Prophet Sallallahu 'alyhi wassallam, who said in an authentic hadith:
"Verily you [Muslims] will conquer Constantinople. What a wonderful leader will her leader be, and what a wonderful army will that army be."
The masjid of the companion of the Prophet Sallallahu 'alyhi wa sallam Abu Ayyub Al-Ansari (Allah be pleased with him). The entrance to his tomb is on the far left of the photo.
Because of this hadith, the famous companion Abu Ayyub Ansari joined an army attempting to conquer the city. He was 100 years old. The city did not fall, and Abu Ayyub asked the Muslims to bury him at the walls of Constantinople so he might be raised with the "wonderful army" mentioned by the Prophet Sallallahu 'alyhi wa sallam. Despite many attempts to take the city, it was not until almsot 800 years later that Sultan Muhammad Al-Fatih conquered its walls using a specially made cannon and brilliant military strategy. The Uthmani army found the grave of Abu Ayyub Ansari and made the first masjid Uthamni there in his honor. We visited the masjid, and unfortunately many people seek "blessings" from the grave of Abu Ayyub (Allah be pleased with him), and newlyweds came throughout the day in their wedding cloths to seek the "blessings" on their marriage.
We prayed asr Salaah in the incredible Süleymaniye Masjid, a massive complex built by genius architect Sinan. The complex served the spiritual, social, and educational needs to the community and housed not only an architectural wonder of a masjid but also four Quran schools, a school for hadith, a medical college, a hospital, a free travelers Inn, and a kitchen and cafeteria which served free food to about 10,000 poor people every day. It was a motivating lesson for all of us in what a Muslim community should be, and how our masajid should be the literal and figurative hub of the community.
Day 4
We took a relaxing two hour ferry to the city of Bursa, the first capital of the Uthmani Khilafa before Constantinople was conquered. The city is rich and fertile, and we could pick apricots, peaches, grapes, and blueberries on the side of the road. The grand masjid in Bursa is known for the massive, varied calligraphy which hangs on the walls, donated by Muslim master calligraphers from around the world over the last several centuries. The masjid is unique in that it features a skylit, white marble fountain in the center for making wudu. .
The wudu fountain and calligraphy in the Grand Masjid in Bursa.
Day 5-6
On the fifth day of our tour we took a flight to Turkey's natural wonderland -- Cappadocia. The region is known for the surreal, martian like rock formations made over hundreds of thousands of years by repeated volcanic eruptions, lava flows, and erosion. The volcanic rock is soft enough to carve using handtools, so ancient peoples from before the time of 'Isa 'alyhissalam through the early 20th century lived in homes carved into the rock. We explored these homes, and our hotel was a remodeled cave complex! Seeing these cave dwellings -- some high on top of the mountains and others several stories deep below ground -- reminded us of the companions of the cave from Surah Al-Kahf. We even had the chance to pray in a cave masjid, established for the Muslims who lived in the surrounding caves. Today, very few families still live in caves, most having moved into the valley. Tourism is a major part of Cappadocia's economy, and we took an unforgettable hot air balloon ride to take in the amazing rock formations. We also toured the Goreme Open Air Museum -- a UNESCO Heritage site -- and crawled through dark and narrow cave complexes four levels deep.
Day 7
To close out our tour of this land of the last khilafa, we visited the Turkish and Islamic Art Museum. Some of the earliest manuscripts of the Qur'an and scholarly works are on display in this award winning museum. There were recreations of historic scenes from throughout Islamic history, weapons from bygone eras, and also riches and luxurious items taken straight from our imaginations of the imperial lifestyles of old.
We also spent a part of the day shopping at the Grand Bazaar, with 4,000 shops the largest covered bazaar in the world. It was built by Sultan Muhammad Al-Faith in the 15th century to provide revenue for the masajid and other social service projects he put in place.
Our trip to Turkey ended too soon, but all of us agreed that the short journey reconnected us to a glorious, spiritual history that every Muslim owns. If only we knew the legacy each of us carries. Maybe then we would not hesitiate to be optimistic about our collective future.
[A second Dar-us-Salaam trip to Turkey is planned for this November's Thanksgiving break. For information, visit http://www.travelighttours.com/rwt/view/536 ]