select - Imperial Capitals
Written by Brian Johnston
If you’re the kind of traveller who looks for splendid architecture,museums crammed with thousands of years of cultural artefacts, and streets atmospheric with long tradition and layered stories, look no farther than some of the world’s former imperial capitals, where history comes alive at every turn.
ISTANBUL
The lilting call of a muezzin rises above the noise of street vendors selling candied seeds. Cars swerve past mosques of medieval Islamic splendour. Ranks of concrete apartment blocks undulate across hillsides whose summits are topped by exquisite minarets. The marble of bold palaces turns pink in the evening sun, while below, teenagers slouch and neon lighting gleams. Past and present collide in Istanbul, and what a splendid imperial past it is. The vast Topkapı Palace, once the pleasure ground of the Ottoman sultans, is crammed with priceless treasures, courtyard fountains, and exquisite decoration. Opposite, the Blue Mosque is decorated with breathtaking Iznik tiles and stained glass windows, rivalled only by the ancient Aya Sofya. Even the vast Grand Bazaar is testament to Istanbul’s imperial Ottoman past: shopping with a mighty dose of history.
WHERE
Located on the Bosphorus Strait, Istanbul famously straddles Europe and Asia.
WHY
The venerable city of Istanbul has a multi-layered history and is the former capital of not one but three empires: Greek, Byzantine, and Ottoman.
HOW TO GET THERE
Qatar Airways has daily flights from Doha to Istanbul.
HYDERABAD
Former capital of one of India’s richest princely states, Hyderabad’s powerful past is embodied in stone at Golconda Fort, once legendary for its diamonds, and at the Qutb Shahi Tombs, where its rulers lie in impressive state. Visit Salarjung Museum for a staggering collection of fine art, textiles, and paintings from this era of greatness; then get lost in the amazing Chowmahalla Palace complex.
WHY
Named after a 16th-century ruler’s wife, Hyderabad has a magnificent history associated with the imperial pretensions of its dynastic rulers.
WHERE
Hyderabad is the capital of Andhra Pradesh state and lies at over 530m above sea level on the Deccan Plateau.
HOW TO GET THERE
Qatar Airways has daily flights from Doha to Hyderabad.
