These walls, which have undergone numerous additions and
modifications throughout history, represent the last great fortification
system of antiquity and one of the most complex and elaborate
systems ever constructed. Today, they stand in fragments, weathered
but defiant. Restoration cranes—what I jokingly called Turkey’s new
national bird—hovered overhead. My friend Margaret had named
them perfectly, the Yellow, Flightless, Featherless Turkish Crane. As I
was writing, I felt the tremors of an earthquake and realised that
preserving history is not only threatened by man but also by nature.
My sister postponed her visit, meaning I had a few extra days in
Istanbul. Fortunately, my budget hotel was well-located and within
walking distance to the Galata Tower, the Dolmabahçe Palace, the
Blue Mosque, the Grand Bazaar, and the Suleymaniye Mosque. I
spent quite some time at the Suleymaniye Mosque, which not only
offers a magnificent view over the city but is also an impressive
architectural landmark that serves as a powerful symbol of the
Ottoman Empire at its height. This magnificent structure was
commissioned by Sultan Suleyman the Magnificent, who ruled from
1520 to 1566.