Extracts from the following book – Places not on Google Maps
Medium Haghia Sofia
This charming mosque is midway between the Haghia Sofia mosque and the Little Haghia Sofia mosque and is often overlooked by tourists rushing to the Hippodrome. The interior is square and measures 30 metres on each side. The central area is defined by four large piers which are the main support for the dome. On the sides and rear of the central area are colonnades of slender marble columns connected by arches in a variety of styles. The dome is 13.5 meters in diameter and has a height of 31 metres. Like many other Ottoman imperial mosques, on the 4 corners where the dome meets the pillars holding it up, are calligraphic plates with the names of the first four caliphs, Abu Bakr, Umar, Uthman, and Ali.
“My Name is Red” Museum
Another museum based on a book by Orhan Pamuk. This museum shows typical rooms and objects such as would have been seen during the reign of Ottoman Sultan Murat III in 1591. This museum is connected to The Museum of Innocence also found in Istanbul. A combined ticket for both museums is available.
Eyup House
This large building, made from Yorkshire grit, is a home from home for Yorkshiremen in Istanbul. A picture of Geoffrey Boycott adorns the front door with the words “3,906,940 acres” on the lintel. The restaurant serves either Whitby Fish & Chips or Yorkshire Puddings with roast beef and mashed potatoes, with a Sally Lunn teacake to follow. The bar has just John Smith’s, Black Sheep, and Theakstons on tap – none of your foreign lager rubbish. The library contains multiple copies of works by the Bronte Sisters, JB Priestley, Ted Hughes, and Michael Parkinson. In the grounds there is a cricket pitch and a bowls green, which Lancastrians can’t use.
The Obelisk of Mehmet the Conqueror
Made from stone, this magnificent obelisk used to stand outside the harem at the Topkapi Palace. It was a purely selfish act to raise this obelisk as a reminder of his sexual prowess. Subsequent sultans built obelisks just that bit bigger than Mehmet’s obelisk, but these were made of metal and corroded over time.
The Spartacus Museum
Museum dedicated to the memory of Sir Peter Ustinov and his acting career in which he won two Oscars, one for Spartacus and the other for Topkapi. Ustinov was the winner of numerous other awards over his life, including Emmy Awards, Golden Globes and BAFTA Awards plus a Grammy Award for best recording for children, as well as the recipient of governmental honours from the UK, France, and Germany. All these awards are replicated here.
Julian Worker Fiction Writing 