Laleli, Sarachane and Aksaray
THE VALENS AQUEDUCT, ORDU CADDESI, FATIH


Laleli is the neighbourhood around our hotel, to the west of the old town in Sultanahmet. Here you can find the busy avenue Ordu Caddesi with many fancy stores and de luxe hotels. It passes the Sarachane Park to the west, where you can find the historic Valens Acqueduct, built by the Romans. In Aksaray you find the busy metro stop, the first place where we arrived.

 

SARACHANE AND THE VALENS AQUEDUCT:

The Valens Aqueduct (Bozdogan Kemeri) is situated at the busy intersection of Sehzade Basi Caddesi and Atatürk Bulvari boulevard. A small park borders it to the south, Sarachane Park, that is located in the middle of the intersection. This neighbourhood is part of the Fatih district. It is a Roman aqueduct which was the major water-providing system of Constantinople, then the Eastern Roman capital. It was completed by Roman Emperor Valens in the late 4th century AD, hence the name.
Bozdogan Kemeri, or The Valens aqueduct, is 921 m long, 50 m less then the original. It is one of the most important landmarks in Istanbul.  

 



The cars drives right through the aqueduct, something the Romans would never think of in the 4th century!

The City Hall of Istanbul, built in grey modernist style in 1953, is situated in the intersection right next to Sarachane Park, part of the Fatih district.  

 

The aqueduct's East part, seen from Sarachane Park

Sarachane Park
Sarachane Parki and the Valens Aqueduct Fatih Sultan Mehmet Monument in Sarachane Park Bozdogan Kemeri

 

 

LALELI:
Ordu Caddesi with the typical yellow taxis of Istanbul. The beautiful building in the background is the Crowne Plaza Hotel.
The Sultan Hotel  

 

The view of Sehzade Basi Caddesi from our hotel room

Ordu Caddesi and the Laleli Mosque
Ordu Caddesi downhill, near the busy Lalei tram stop, where also many emergency vehicle passes Ordu Caddesi tram stop Sehzade Basi Mosque

 

Anka=duck in Swedish!


The neighbourhood around our hotel in Laleli

Funny walking traffic light near the Doubletree Hotel!
The Sehzade Mosque at Sehzade Basi Caddesi   Sehzade Basi Caddesi

 

AKSARAY:
White taxi buses outside Aksaray metro station, the first place we saw after arriving by metro train from the airport.