The train station in Istanbul

Train stations are the places most commonly associated with missed connections or delayed trains. Probably everyone has, at least once in his or her lifetime, complained about the long time spent on waiting for the train to come. Wouldn’t it be great to spend that time in a very special way? Interestingly, there are some railway stations in the world that provide the passengers with a unique and memorable experience. One of them is undoubtedly the Haydarpaşa Station in Istanbul, the place that is worth taking a closer look at.

Built as a gift to Sultan Abdulhamidu II from the German Kaiser Wilhelm II in 1908, the Haydarpaşa Station now serves as one of the major tourist attractions in Istanbul. It is remarkable in two ways. Firstly, with carved pillars, textured sandstone and stained glass windows, it resembles a castle. Secondly, it  is surrounded by water on three of its sides and, therefore, built on wooden piles.

CASTLE-LIKE DESIGN

Designed by two German architects, Otto Ritter and Helmut Conu, the station merges traditional German and Neo-Renaissance architectural styles in its U-shaped, sandstone-textured form. The elements that especially catch the eye of tourists are: the slated, steep pitched roof, circular towers on the two corner points of the building, as well as the impressive marble steps that lead one in, thereby allowing him or her to explore an equally interesting interior space. Wide hallways and high ceilings both create an airy and spacious feel.

In addition, the walls ornamented with various geometric figures and flower patterns make for an exceptional atmosphere.

WATER ALL AROUND

Undoubtedly, a unique feature of the Haydarpaşa Station is that it is built on the base of 1100 timber piles, each 21 meters long, driven deep into the seabed by a steam hammer. The construction is said to be very strong and stable, and consequently resistant to damages caused by various natural disasters, such as earthquakes. At the same time, it offers spectacular views of the surrounding water. 

© serdarerenlere - Fotolia.com

FIRES AND EXPLOSIONS

Unfortunately, this splendid building was substantially damaged during three dreadful events. First, in 1917, as a result of sabotage during World War I, the ammunitions stocked in the building exploded, destroying the roof and several sections of the station. In 1979, due to an explosion of an oil tanker just off the mole in front of the station, the historical stained glass windows were broken. Finally, in 2010, a fire swept through the building, again destroying much of the roof and rendering it in dire need of restoration.

RESTORING THE STATION TO ITS FORMER GLORY

Currently, the Haydarpaşa Station, a famous landmark in Istanbul, is slowly being restored to its former glory. It is clear that it means much more than just another terminus for the train.

Magdalena Marcinkowska

GLOSSARY:

miss one’s connection –nie zdążyć się przesiąść

delayed train – opóźniony pociąg

to complain – narzekać

railway station, train station – dworzec kolejowy

memorable – niezapomniany

gift – prezent, dar

remarkable – niezwykły

carved – wydrążony, rzeźbiony

textured sandstone – o fakturze piaskowca

stained glass – szkło witrażowe

surrounded by – otoczony

pile – tu: pal

to merge – łączyć

to catch one’s eye – przykuwać uwagę, wzrok

slated –łupkowy

steep-pitched – stromy

circular – okrągły

marble – marmurowy

interior, interior space – wnętrze

hallway – korytarz

ceiling – sufit

airy – przestronny i widny

pattern – wzór

undoubtedly – niewątpliwie, bez wątpienia

to drive into sth (syn. to hammer into sth) – wbijać

seabed – dno morskie

steam hammer – młot parowy

stable – trwały, stabilny

resistant to – odporny na

earthquake – trzęsienie ziemi

substantially – znacznie

stocked – składowany, magazynowany

mole (syn. breakwater) –tu: falochron

to sweep through – ogarniać

dire need of – pilna potrzeba

to restore sth to its former glory – przywrócić czemuś dawną świetność

terminus – stacja końcowa