The Story of the Seven Hills

Rediscover the seven hills that Istanbul is built on.

Istanbul was founded on seven hills. The residents of Istanbul are aware of this, but none of them can quickly name these seven hills. It’s time to solve the puzzle of the hills with which sometimes grandfathers quiz their grandchildren, and sometimes sweethearts test each other’s knowledge.

Iobserve the panorama of Istanbul; the skies have turned crimson at sunset. The waves of the Bosphorus have turned from purple to dark blue, and are hitting the shores. The first veil of the evening darkness is descending upon Istanbul, the city of minarets. Every time I try to count these hands of the city extending up to the skies, I always miss one out. But this is a reality known to all who love Istanbul. Istanbul, like Rome, was founded on seven hills, and there is a mosque sitting on each of them. The next day, I waste no time in getting on the ÜsküdarEminönü ship as this is the route where I will be able to see the hills and mosques together more clearly. I am connecting the hills on a triangular route in the region known as the “Walled

City” (Suriçi) or “Historical Peninsula” on the European side of Istanbul. I am determined: this time I will solve this Istanbul puzzle, beginning from the first hill.

According to legend, Roman Emperor Constantine founded the city on seven hills in a way that these represent the sun, the moon, and five planets. The Ottoman state also founded its city on seven hills and had majestic mosques built on each one of them. Today, these hills, located more or less in walking distance of one another, cover a triangle extending from Sarayburnu to Edirnekapı and Aksaray.

As always, Sarayburnu is bustling. The voices shouting “Balık Ekmek!” (Fish sandwich!) are rising from the boats. Clouds of smoke spread the smell of fish cooked on a charcoal grill above the district. Sarayburnu Hill, 45 meters above sea level, was the heart of the city in both the Roman and Ottoman periods. The Topkapı Palace, Sultanahmet Mosque, and Hagia Sophia are

the leaders among the historical monuments that determine the city’s appearance. The Sultanahmet Mosque is the symbol of this hill spanning from Sirkeci in the north to the Kadırga Port in the south. This 400-year-old mosque was built by architect Sedefkâr Mehmet Agha upon the order of Sultan Ahmed I and was Istanbul’s first mosque boasting six minarets. The Sultanahmet Mosque is also called “Blue Mosque” because the interior is decorated with more than 20,000 Iznik tiles.

The Sultanahmet-Çemberlitaş route is one of Istanbul’s most enjoyable places to walk. Owing to the bakeries and sweetshops, each offering equally delicious flavors, and the glittering display windows of shops selling jewelry and souvenirs, the distance of around 10 minutes by foot takes much longer. As the Column of Constantine (Çemberlitaş), erected in honor of Emperor Constantine I in AD 330, begins to appear on the horizon, I realize that I have reached the second hill. The Grand Bazaar, the largest covered market in the world whose foundation was laid in 1460, is also here. The Ottoman tradition “a mosque on each hill” was strengthened even further in Çemberlitaş with the Nuruosmaniye Complex. The Nuruosmaniye Mosque was built in 1755 by architect Mustafa Agha and his apprentice Simon Kalfa on the request of Sultan Mahmud I and Osman III. This was the first mosque in Istanbul to be built in the Baroque style.

Getting lost among the extremely colorful and noisy shops of the Grand Bazaar is a tradition in Istanbul. Leaving behind the glass lamps, silver jewelry, coffee sets, fabrics, rugs, and leather bags hanging in the narrow streets of the bazaar, I head towards the third hill. The legend of the East related by the Grand Bazaar ends in front of the central campus of Istanbul University. The