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This time, I would like to talk about one of my favourite neighbourhoods in Istanbul, Vefa and Zeyrek. Among the oldest parts of Istanbul, these two areas boast monuments from different eras of the city, from the Byzantine Empire to the Republic of Turkey.
Starting the Journey: Vefa and Its Treasures
To create a meaningful route, I would suggest starting from Vefa, and the first stop should be Istanbul Manifaturacılar Çarşısı or commonly known by the initials İMÇ, which would translate as Istanbul Linen Draper Market. İMÇ was built in 1967, at the request of the members of the co-op of linen and drapers that had shops around the neighbourhood, to have a gathered space for their shops. The architects who won the competition in 1960, Doğan Tekeli, Sami Sisa, and Metin Hepgüler, later became important figures in Turkish architecture. The structure consists of six blocks with courtyards and has a total of 1,117 shops, common areas, and restaurants. İMÇ became an important monument of the city not only because of its architecture but also due to the artworks of eight artists that are spread all over the blocks. Kuzgun Acar, Sadi Diren, Bedri Rahmi Eyüboğlu, Eren Eyüboğlu, Teoman Germaner, Yavuz Görey, Nedim Günsür, and Füreya Koral created sculptures, ceramic panels, and installations for İMÇ. These prolific artists of 1950s Turkey were inspired by Istanbul or by trade, as İMÇ is considered one of the first shopping malls in the city. I would personally suggest taking a walk around the blocks of İMÇ and not to miss the ceramic panels of Bedri Rahmi Eyüpoğlu, Eren Eyüpoğlu, and Füreya Koral and the sculptures by Kuzgun Acar and Yavuz Görey.
Vefa Bozacısı: A Taste of Tradition
When you arrive at the first block of İMÇ, it is now time to take a turn to the left and walk towards the famous Vefa Bozacısı. Boza, which is a thick, slightly fermented millet drink that the Turkish people enjoy drinking especially during wintertime, became famous in Vefa neighbourhood due to Hacı Sadık Bey, an Albanian who came to Istanbul in 1870 and introduced a new method of making the drink which became a trademark. To make boza more delicious, it is recommended to drink it with roasted chickpeas and a pinch of cinnamon on top.
Crossing Paths with History: The Byzantine Aqueduct
It is now time to cross the boulevard by saluting the Byzantine Aqueduct of Valens, built in 375. The aqueduct was part of a water-supply system, which collected the water coming from various streams and lakes outside the city, mainly from the Belgrade Forest in the north of Istanbul and was then collected in the underground cisterns that could be found all around the old city. Istanbul, a city famous for having seven hills, was suffering from a lack of water supplies during summertime, and the aqueduct was built to carry the water across the deep valley that divides the fourth and the third hills. The length of the aqueduct was originally about a kilometre, of which about 900 metres remain, and the maximum height reached almost 20 metres.
Siirt Pazarı: A Culinary Stop
Leaving the aqueduct on our left and continuing straight ahead, we arrive at Siirt Pazarı, the marketplace where you can find the freshest meat in the city. There are various meat restaurants to try in this area, time to take a break and have lunch.
Relaxation and History: Zeyrek Çinili Hamam
After lunch, the afternoon could be used for relaxation. One important place to visit in the neighbourhood is Zeyrek Çinili Hamam, the Turkish bath built by Architect Sinan in 1545 for the grand admiral of the Ottoman Navy, Barbaros Hayrettin Paşa, also known as Hayreddin Barbarossa. The bath, which originally had beautiful tile work coming from İznik, is a double bath that can serve women and men at the same time. The women’s and men’s sections lie side by side and have two separate entrances on the same façade, which is very unusual. After a very long restoration, the bath reopened in September 2023 and is now a fully functioning Turkish bath with a museum to visit as well, where you could find details about the history of the monument and see some of the artefacts that have been saved.
The Final Stop: Zeyrek Camii
The last stop of the tour would be the glorious Zeyrek Camii, the mosque which was the former Byzantine monastery, church of the Pantocrator. The Pantocrator is a composite building consisting of two churches and a chapel between them; the whole complex was built within a period of a few years, between 1120 and 1136. The south church and the monastery complex, consisting of a library and a hospital, was built at the request of Empress Eirene, and it was dedicated to St. Saviour Pantocrator, Christ the Almighty. After the death of Empress Eirene, her husband Emperor John II Comnenus decided to erect another church a few metres north of hers, and this church was dedicated to the Virgin Eleousa, the Merciful. Once the second church was finished, the idea of joining the two churches with a chapel evolved, and the middle section of the modern-day monument was built. Unfortunately, the hospital, the asylum, and the library of the Monastery complex have long disappeared, which can be understood from the ruins around the monument.
The church had a central dome that was supported by four columns, a triple apse, and a narthex with a gallery overlooking the nave. After the conquest of Istanbul, the monastery was used as a medrese for Ottoman pupils, and Molla Zeyrek Efendi, who was one of the first professors of the Medrese, gave the mosque its name; Molla Zeyrek Camii. Today, what used to be the chapel that connected the two churches is used as the praying section of the mosque. To this day, the church preserved the majority of its original decoration, including the marble pavement, the doorknobs, and the mosaic floor that was discovered after the removal of the wooden floor panels in 1953. While you are visiting, please look around for the scrolled carpet to be able to see these mosaic panels.
