As I mentioned before, after six weeks in India and Ethiopia, I expected Istanbul to be a breath of fresh air. I'd heard so many nice things about the city prior to my arrival, and I found the previous praise well justified. However, as an unplanned connection point between Addis Ababa and Tel Aviv, I had only three days to enjoy Turkey’s top town, so it was imperative that I see and do as much as possible.
While the customs process at Ataturk Airport was needlessly slow, my trip into town via the commuter train (metro) and streetcar (tramway) was relatively painless, even in the rain. The first thing I noticed is how easy it is to walk the historic old city peninsula, where the bulk of the tourist sites are concentrated. Although I technically traversed a handful of neighborhoods, Sultanahmet, Sirkesci (where I stayed), Begoylu, Taksim, Cantankuran…they cumulatively covered an area smaller than one Beijing borough. On my first afternoon, I mindlessly breached the Galata Bridge, oblivious to the fact that I was crossing a continental boundary until I’d already reached Asia. Of course, the traditional borders between landmasses are just lines made up long ago by people smarter than me. The best part of being on the Galata Bridge is visiting one of the many fine seafood restaurants sitting on the water underneath the roadway, and watching the sunset over the beautiful Bosporus and the bountiful boats while imbibing a beer.
On my first evening, apart from getting to know my surroundings, I made an effort to familiarize myself with the food. During my 72-hour stay, I tried no less than five different types of kebabs. Here are my personal rankings, from least liked to most mouthwatering:
5. Doner Kebab: Identical to the mutton meat Americans know best from Greek Gyro Sandwiches, but sans tzatziki (cucumber sauce) sometimes accompanied by lavash, the Turkish equivalent of pita bread, topped with toasted sesame seeds.
4. Iskender Kebab: Doner Kebab meat drenched in tomato sauce and saturated lavash, with plain yogurt.
3. Kofte Kebab: This is softer, greasier and tastier, akin to a mutton meatball. However, the sparse seasoning leaves it somewhat bland.
2. Sheesh Kebab: The best quality meat, usually steak, lightly seasoned. Tastes like typical meat from the grill.
1. Adana Kebab: My favorite of them all. It’s similar to Kofte, but with more spice. It comes in a slightly flattened, tubular form.
Turkish sweets are quite tasty, typically implementing honey and nuts, usually hazelnuts and pistachios. I made sure to try Turkish Delight, which involves pistachios suspended in rosewater and fruit jelly (often made from pomegranate) and sometimes covered with chocolate. Very nice. Of course, I had to wash my delicious food down, and I tried a plethora of potables. Turkish coffee is famous for being strong. When I ordered it for the first time, I wondered why it was served with a tiny bottle of water. After taking my last swig, I understood why, as the bottom of the cup is coated with a viscous sludge of soggy grounds. In terms of taste, it paled in comparison to Ethiopian roast, but certainly served its utilitarian purpose as an alertness aid. I enjoyed the teas better, particularly the apple tea, which unlike a spiced cider, was more akin to a hot, tart apple juice. Speaking of fruit, Istanbul is inundated with juice stands, usually serving fresh-squeezed orange, carrot, watermelon, grapefruit, or pomegranate juice. I’m a sucker for these beverages, and every time I had one I thought, "Boy, I should buy a juicer when I get back home." Then I thought, “Eh, probably not, because I’ll just get tired of cleaning it.”
Other more mature libations include Efes Pilsen (the most popular local beer) Turkish wines, and Raki, a vodka-esque liquor that I remember trying years ago with my friend Raj’s old Turkish college roommate. If I (barely) recall correctly, I went temporarily deaf in one ear after killing most of a bottle. So, that experience taught me to remain reserved when it comes to Raki.
As one might presume, I overate a little while in Istanbul. But fortunately, I had a handful of amazing historic sites where I could burn off some of the calories.
Speaking of History, another memory I have of my History teacher Mr. Caldwell (whom I mention in my Axum entry) is of him coming up to the classroom chalkboard (yes, chalkboard, not dry-erase, which now gives away my age) and scrawling the words “HAGIA SOPHIA”. Called the Aya Sofya by the Turks, the “Church of God’s Wisdom” is one of the oldest architectural wonders of the world. It’s no surprise that Caldwell loved the building so much, as it is steeped in layer upon layer of history. Built by the Byzantine Emperor Justinian in 537 AD, the grandiose domed structure was the most impressive house of worship in its time. It was so impressive, in fact, that when the Muslims conquered Constantinople in 1453 (and renamed it Istanbul), instead of razing the church to the ground, they simply converted it into a mosque. Nowadays, the building serves as a museum, and the combination of Christian mosaics with Islamic additions is strangely stunning. Because of its beautiful design, but more because of its rich history, the Aya Sofya has been one of my favorite places to visit during this trip.
Across from the Aya Sofya lies arguably the most aesthetically pleasing structure in all of Istanbul, the picturesque Blue Mosque. Because I arrived during afternoon prayers (and because I am not Muslim) I was denied entry, but the outside of the building seems like it’s just as impressive as the inside, if not more so. After snapping a few photos and exploring the grounds, I went looking for the Basilica Cistern, an underground reservoir built to supply the Aya Sofya and surrounding citadels with fresh water. The entrance to the cistern sits in a small, squat, Spanish-tiled building that almost looks like the bathrooms at a highway rest stop. But once you descend the 50-some-odd stairs to the bottom, it’s like something straight out of Indiana Jones and the Temple of Doom. The Cistern is a giant, spooky, colonnaded pool of water only about a foot deep (with some pretty big fish swimming in it, no less) and even includes two mysterious Medusa head carvings, seemingly placed at random, one of them upside down and the other on its side (there are many theories as to why they sit in this fashion). The Basilica Cistern wasn’t in my original sightseeing plan, but I’m glad I decided to check it out.
That evening, it occurred to me that the sunset in Turkey was happening far later than it had in Ethiopia. Perhaps this was due to my northward shift in latitude. But, with plenty of daylight to spare, I made my way down to the ferry terminal for a twilight cruise across the Bosporus. For only four Turkish Lira, ($2.15) I enjoyed an hour-long roundtrip sail to Asia and back. I particularly fancied the after-dark return trip, view and illuminated Istanbul from the sea…a great end to a great day.
With one full day left, I decided to visit Topkapi Palace, which I’d been told wasn’t much to see after the Aya Sofya and Blue Mosque. However, I’m glad I didn’t skip it, as it was definitely worth the pricey admission charge and the tedious throngs of tourists. Topkapi was the primary residence of the Sultans of the vast Ottoman Empire for 400 years, from 1465 to 1856. The opulence of the Ottomans is without compare. Not only is it huge, and possesses the best views of Istanbul, but it is intricately decorated with artisan carvings and tile-work, and is full of priceless treasures secured as spoils for the Empire.
With my audio guide plugs in ear, I wandered the Harem pondering what it must have been like not only to have hundreds of wives, but over 300 concubines. (To paraphrase one of my favorite Mel Brooks films, “It’s good to be the Sultan.”) Then, I saw a long line snaking its way towards a small building. I queued up figuring there must be something worthwhile inside. Once I entered, I viewed a trove of artifacts, including personal objects from the Prophet Muhammad himself, including his sword, his caftan, and even hairs from his beard! They also displayed the “staff” of Moses (Moses is also revered in Islam, known to Muslims as the Prophet Musa), but I must say I have doubts as to its authenticity…I mean, it seems hard to believe that even with the greatest of care a stick survive for four millennia. In addition to the religious relics, there were untold riches of jewels and gems on display. One of my favorite items on display were two rain gutters made of solid gold from the rooftop of the Kaaba in Mecca.
Luckily, I was able to see all of the historic places in Istanbul of interest to me, but there was still one more thing on my list to do, and that was to experience a genuine Turkish bath. Honestly, I had no idea what to expect. I went to one of the oldest baths in town the Gedikpasa, which has been operating since 1475…that’s some 80 years before old Bill Shakespeare was even born. The Hamami (Bath) area was impressive, with centuries-old marble under geodesic domes. When you arrive, you leave your clothes in a locker and don a small towel, then shower and sit in a steam room and/or sauna until a fat hairy man comes for you. He then douses you with water, and proceeds to roughly scrub you with a coarse exfoliating glove. After that, he orders you to lie on the ancient marble slab, where he gives you a somewhat painful massage. Then, he takes something like a pillowcase full of soap, blows it up like a balloon, and deflates it against your body in order to whip up a sudsy froth. As I lay half-naked on the slab with the heavyset hirsute Turk lathering me, I thought about all of the men who’d bathed in that very spot before me for the last half-millennium…then I thought, “Boy, I hope someone cleans this slab every once in a while.”
So, now, I am in Israel, and I have seen and done so much in my first three days here that I fear I will have a big blog backup. But, I will do my best to catch up whenever I’m not busy, which isn’t very often. As I’ve mentioned before, I'd heard nothing but good things about Istanbul, and as expected, I really, really enjoyed the city. I think it’s the first town I’ve been to on my trip that I could see myself living in given the opportunity.
