On the flight to Istanbul, there was an extremely old lady sitting next to me who (a) was stinking of meat, and (b) decided that I was Turkish and, despite my verbal and non-verbal protestations, carried on a one-sided conversation with me throughout the 4 hour journey from London to Istanbul. I had no idea what our ‘conversations’ were about.
Most tourists spend about 3-4 days in Istanbul. I ended up for 7 days there and was not bored for a single minute – it is a bustling metropolis of 13 million people that is alive at every corner. The city is divided by the Strait of Bosphorus (that links the sea of Marmara with the Black Sea) into the Asian and European parts (each part of Istanbul refers to those across the strait as ‘the other side’). The European part is divided into old town and the new town by the Golden Horn (halic). Like a good tourist boy I went on a cruise of the Bosphorus that gave beautiful views of the Istanbul skyline with its domes and minarets.
When I was figuring out how to say ‘Thank You’ in Turkish, someone suggested saying ‘Tea Sugar’ with a Turkish accent would do the trick (It’s actually te-sukkar). Though most people I met would immediately assume that I was from Turkey and start a conversation with me in Turkish. When disabused of this belief, they would throw a ‘Where are you from, brother?’ Responses to my reply would range from ‘Ah Hindistan’ to ‘I know Lajpat Nagar’. One shopkeeper responded in perfect Hindi ‘Meri dukan mein sab kuch achha aur sasta hai’. Another particularly aggressive shopkeeper in Spice Market tried to sell me a brand of tea by telling me that Shahrukh Khan also drinks it. When he saw I was not impressed, he offered another brand which, apparently, Aamir Khan drinks!
Patriotism seems to be really high in Turkey. Wherever you go you see the Turkish flag fluttering in the breeze or there is a statue / painting of Kemal Ataturk (‘Father of the Turks’). There is a painting of Ataturk to be seen in every office / shop.
Speaking of shops, the Grand Bazaar is really grand (4000 shops spread over 60'streets’) but I was not too impressed. With its football t-shirt shops and souvenir shops, it had a very Palika Bazaar like atmosphere and is meant only for tourists. In comparison, I liked the Spice Bazaar (Misir Carsisi – Egyptian Market), which was much smaller and more intimate, and was more fun to wander around in. I, however, enjoyed the other bazaars where the locals do their shopping. What was interesting was that these markets are ALL geographically segregated – watches and clocks shops in one area, underwear/linen shops in another area, camera shops in a third area…But wherever one went there was a bustle (which was not overwhelming) with people milling around and peddling their wares on carts.
OK some history now - the Aya Sofya is one of the most fascinating buildings in Istanbul – for over 1000 years it was the largest cathedral in the world. It was initially build in 325 AD, destroyed in fires in 404 and 532. The current structure was built between 532-7. In 1453, after the fall of Constantinople, it was converted into a mosque and remained so till 1931. In 1938 it was converted into a museum. It is really fascinating to see Christian and Islamic motifs side by side in the same building (but then that is the very story of Istanbul).
The Sultan Ahmet Mosque, built in the early 17th century, is one of the most important mosques of Islam-dom. Also known as the Blue Mosque (because of the blue Iznik tiles that line it), it has 6 minarets (one less than in Mecca). There were a number of other lovely mosques – Suleymaneyi Mosque, New Mosque, and Kucuk Aya Sofya Mosque. I was really moved when I visited Kariye (formerly the Church of Chora, now a museum). The byzantine frescoes and mosaics there are really amazing - I spent a great deal of time there admiring these (at a tremendous cost to my neck!).
Topkapı Palace (Topkapi Sarayi) was the palace (more of a city in itself) of the Sultans. The most interesting bit here was the chamber of sacred relics that houses relics such as Prophet Joseph’s turban, David’s Sword, Moses’ staff, Prophet Mohammed’s sword, cloak, tooth, and hair. These are considered to be the most holy relics in the Islamic world. The most popular part of this palace complex is the Harem (which, as all guide books take pains to point out, was not the ‘den of debauchery’ as most people believe it to be!). The Topkapı palace fell into disuse after the Dolmabahçe Palace was built. As can be expected, the Dolmabahçe palace is opulent beyond belief - with rich carpets, chaises, and chandeliers - this palace has the world’s heaviest crystal chandelier (weighing a solid four and a half tonnes!).
I have always been wary of photographing people in Europe (as they don’t like it) but in Turkey (I would consider it to be more Asian than European) people were glad to be photographed. Whenever I would ask someone to be photographed they would jokingly say ‘Five Dollars’ or ‘Two Euros’ (which actually happens in some countries where people charge to be photographed!). When I asked for permission from one guy, he smiled and after I photographed him he said ‘send me photo’. Obviously he had no email account or anything so he went to the nearby café and asked for their permission to receive a letter and gave me the address of that café.
I also visited the Sirkeci Train station – This was where the Orient Express used to terminate (on its trip from Paris). Sadly the Orient express stopped running in the late 70s but the train station still retains the connection (an Orient Express restaurant). One can imagine Graham Greene or Agatha Christie stepping off the train with their suitcases and hatboxes.
The Basilica Cistern (Yerebatan Sarniçi) is a fascinating 6th century underground reservoir. What makes this cistern stand apart from your usual everyday cistern were the more than 300 ionic and Corinthian columns arranged in neat rows. For the film buffs – parts of From Russia with Love were shot here.
Istanbul felt safe (unlike some parts of Europe) and I fortunately had no incidents except for a minor one when a not so officious looking guy approached me on New Mosque square and surreptitiously showed me a ‘Police’ badge. He tried to say something to me - to scare me into giving him money perhaps – but I never found out what he wanted (or whether he was actually a policeman) as I shooed him away with a confidence that surprised even me (with a flourish of my hands – much in the manner of a local who’s been there done that!).
I can go on and on but I’ll stop here. Cappadocia, Efes, Pamukkale in my next post.
