CREDIT TITLE PHOTO: Galata Bridge / Wikimeda Commons = Bjorn Christian Torrisen |
Turkey is slightly larger than the size of Texas and equal to the size of Spain and Portugal combined. Straddling West and East, Istanbul and Turkey are exciting, contradictory and enchanting. |
 Arriving in Istanbul is much like arriving in Miami. They have a large modern airport that functions efficiently; and you depart from the airport by way of beautifully landscaped boulevards that skirt the shores of the Marmara Sea. Once you arrive in Istanbul, any resemblance to other cities vanishes and you are immersed in another world filled with color, history, confusion and beauty. |
| The sounds of Istanbul are reminiscent of other large cities with the addition of the call to worship five times per day. The melody is Aramaic and varies slightly at each call and with each chanter. It is not unlike the chant of the soulful Kol Nidre on Yom Kippur. |
Internationally acclaimed film "MUEZZIN" by Sebastian Brameshuber covers a recent phenomenon, the Turkish call to prayer contests. Each year the country's muezzins compete and display their powerful expressivity as a special kind of artists. (http://www.muezzindocumentary.com/?lang=en/ ) |
Another memorable sound I heard on my visit to Turkey's capital city was, "Please don't break my plastic heart". As a well-traveled Western woman I must admit this is the best line that I have ever heard, and it came from a shamelessly flirtatious Turkish man. They are all shameless flirts, and the Italians need to take lessons.
Noisy Istanbul is hilly with narrow, crowded, cobblestone streets and shops that are ablaze in every color imaginable. Taxi rides are an adventure, and more than once I was obliged to walk since the drivers could not travel the roads to my destination because of the overwhelming congestion of cars gone wild. There are no street names, and drivers are traveling in both directions on streets barely wide enough for one average car let alone a mix of trucks and buses.
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PHOTO CREDIT: Istikla Avenue / Wikimedia Commons |
| I quickly learned to travel with a map in order to show the driver where it was that I wanted to go. Even then, they always stopped at least once to ask someone on the street how to get to where it was that I wanted to go. All of this may sound daunting, but it was really quite exciting and more often than not humorous. I believe that this was in part because the Turkish people are generally gentle. "Road Rage" was just not seen in Istanbul, as it sometimes flares up in Rome or New York. |
PHOTO CREDIT: Topkapi Palace / Wikimedia Commnons = Gryffindor |
| PHOTO CREDIT: Wikimedia = Gryffindor |
PHOTO CREDIT: Wikimedia = Gryffindor |
After settling in at the Alaaddin Hotel, my first stop was the Topkapi Palace. Why? It was because I am a fan of the 1964 heist film, Topkapi, with Melina Mercouri, Peter Ustinov and Maximilian Schell. The plot concerned the jewel theft of the famed Topkapi dagger from an Istanbul museum.
The Topkapi jewels were exhibited at the Corcoran Gallery of Art in Washington D.C. in the year 2000. It was a magnificent show entitled "Palace of Gold & Light: Treasures from the Topkapi". Actually going to the museum and seeing the jewels in Istanbul took the experience to another dimension.
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| PHOTO CREDITS: Wikimedia Commons / Lower Wikimedia=GaviaCollins |
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PHOTO CREDIT: Wikipedia=BilentUniversity |
The Topkapi Palace was constructed in 1478 by Fatih Sultan Mehmet, who was the conqueror of Byzantine Constantinople. It was at that time that Istanbul became the center of the Ottoman Empire and the residence of the Sultans for the next 380 years. The palace consists of 300 rooms, 9 Turkish baths, 2 mosques and 1 hospital in the Harem. The palace is an extensive complex of interconnecting galleries, rooms, gardens, water fountains and passages covering up to 700,000 square meters.
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After Topkapi, it is an easy stroll to the Hagia Sopia Museum and the Blue Mosque. All three are facing where the Marmara Sea and Bosphorus merge together.
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| PHOTO CREDIT: Exterior / Wiktionary = Powermaniak |
| PHOTO CREDIT: WikiCommons = Radomil_talk |
Hagia Sophia comes from the latin Sancta Sophia and means holy wisdom. This grand dame started as an Orthodox patriarchal basilica; then it became a mosque and now it is a museum. From its dedication in 360 until 1453 the Hagia Sophia served as the cathedral of Constantinople and remained as the largest cathedral built until completion of the cathedral in Seville, Spain one thousand years later.
It was after Constantinople was conquered by the Ottoman Turks under Sultan Mehmed II, that the Hagia Sophia was converted to a mosque. The building served as a mosque from 1453 until the year 1934. Then, in February 1935, it was opened as a museum. The Hagia Sophia is best known for its massive dome and it is considered the epitome of Byzantine architecture. There is much written about the innovations in constructing the dome and when you are actually there the play of light within the cathedral creates a wonderful sense that the dome is floating above you. |
PHOTO CREDIT: Wikimedia Commons = Dersaadet |
PHOTO CREDIT: WikiCommons=Classical Geographer |
PHOTO CREDIT: WikiCommons=Radomil_talk |
| The Blue Mosque is a popular name for the Sultan Ahmed Mosque because of the blue tiles adorning the interior walls. It was constructed between the years 1606 and 1616 and it is still used as a place of worship. The mosque is easily discernable from other royal buildings by its six minarets piercing the sky. Until recently the muezzin, or prayer-caller, had to climb a narrow, long spiral staircase five times per day to announce the call to prayer. Today, the call is made electronically and the chanting from the Blue Mosque blends with the other muezzins throughout the city. |
After a warm day of touring these enormous open structures the Yerebatan Cistern is a welcome stop. There are several hundred cisterns that lie beneath Istanbul and the Yerebatan Cistern (or Basilica Cistern) is the largest. The cistern is an underground chamber approximately 105,000 square feet in size and capable of holding 80,000 cubic meters of water. The ceiling is supported by 336 marble columns that are arranged in twelve rows. According to ancient documentation, it was built during the reign of Emperor Constantine and rebuilt and enlarged by Emperor Justinian in 532. This enlarged cistern provided a water filtration system for the Great Palace of Constantinople as well as other buildings to include the Topkapi Palace.
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PHOTO CREDIT: Wikimedia Commons = Dpnuevo |
PHOTO CREDIT: Wiki Commons = Bjorn Christian Torrisen |
In the cistern you find yourself immersed within a dark forest of individually lit columns. The result is an eerie shimmer that reflects across the water that surrounds the raised walkway on which you stand. Once your eyes adjust to the light you will see swarms of carp swimming in the dark waters. If you go, be sure to walk the entire length so as to see the two Medusa heads in silent repose that are at the base of two columns. When the heat is oppressive on the streets of Istanbul, you can stay down under in the cool of the cistern and enjoy their small café. I kept thinking what a great place for a Halloween party while humming Michael Jackson's hit song, "Thriller".
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The Hamami (Turkish Bath) |
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To balance so many days immersed in this hectic city a cruise on the Bosphorus was the perfect outing. There are many options including private cruises and ferries. You can choose an hour or a day cruising the sea, exploring ports and nearby islands or just relaxing and watching the shore and breathtaking views. The ferries offer Turkish tea and light food. |
PHOTO CREDIT: Wikipedia = AlSubway |
| Speaking of food, the Turkish people pride themselves on using the freshest ingredients. Even their fast food versions are remarkable and offer a host of delicious options. An interesting choice is a popular yoghurt drink (Ayran), which is healthy and great for re-hydrating in a hot dry climate |
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PHOTO CREDIT: Wikimedia Commons = Dmgultekin |
| The conclusion of my stay in Istanbul was to explore the bazaars. First, I explored the Grand Bazaar, then the Pandelli Eqyption Bazaar and finally the Spice Bazaar. You don't have to love to shop, but if you do, it is a amazing journey. Good quality goods are available at fair prices. It reminded me of the value that one found in Italy and Spain in years past. The Grand Bazaar is a maze of color, action, light and sparkle. A real "bling-bling" heaven for jewelry lovers, especially silver. If you get tired, there are lovely tea cafés. In addition, vendors are happy to offer you refreshments at every twist and turn of the maze. |
There's Much More To Explore in Turkey: |
From Istanbul, I flew to Izmir, an excellent spot to rent a car and explore the mountains and coastline of southwestern Turkey. The roads in this section are well marked and maintained which was contrary to some publications that I had read.
I may have broken that Turk's plastic heart, but Turkey did not break mine. It left me very pleased with all aspects of my trip: the people, the food, the weather, the culture, the sights and the haunting sound of the muezzins. With its blend of cultures and its historic position as the gateway between West and East, Turkey provides an overwhelming and abundant source of exploration and learning for any traveler. Memnun oldum translates as "pleased to meet you", and I was truly pleased to meet the Turkish people. |
FOR ADDITIONAL INFORMATION:
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The following website will answer most questions and gives excellent background information, history, maps and many helpful facts on traveling in Turkey:
http://www.turkeytravelplanner.com/index.html
Pegasus Airlines is the cheapest and best way to travel from Europe to Istanbul and within Turkey. Their website is:
http://www.flypgs.com/en/default.aspx
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PHOTO CREDITS: Loui Franke / Plus: Special thanks to Wikipedia and Wikimedia Commons and their contributors for photos published here under their Creative Commons licenses. |
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