This past week I traveled to Istanbul, Turkey, visiting both the European and Asian sectors. Turkey and its accession to the European Union has been a hot topic in many of my classes and current European news. Less than 10% of the country flanks Europe, but the country is strategically important for developing relationships with Middle Eastern countries. The main issue is that the country is far from “European.” The country’s complex, layered past, where the East meets the West, is absolutely fascinating! Istanbul is so intriguing because it is the most eastern part of the West and the most western part of the East. The fast-growing city of Istanbul with 17 million inhabitants is divided into the “Old District” and “New District.” Foreigners and tourists, like me, are drawn to the Old District for the Grand Bazaar, Underground Cistern, Hagia Sohpia, Blue Mosque and more. The Turks are drawn to the New District with is international influence. Mosques crowded one another in the Old District and were fewer and far between in the New District. The call to prayer blaring from the minarets in the Old District clashed with the upbeat, loud American music played in the New District. The people also dressed differently. In the Old District, the women dressed more modestly with headscarves, long coats, and dark clothing. But, in the New District, you’d find more women in hip, trendy, and tight-fitting clothes. The people seemed reluctant to leave behind their identity, although the city is moving westward.
After arriving to the Asian side of Istanbul, we took a shuttle to our hotel in the Old District. Our accommodations at Sultan’s Eye were comfortable and a little above average. It was though, pretty tacky with bold colors of gold, green, navy blue, and red covering the fabric walls, plush comforters, and painted ceiling. The breakfast room was even worse with silver glittery walls (really, there was silver glitter on the walls) contrasting with traditional, painted titles. The hotel décor clashed more harshly than the Old and New Districts of Istanbul!
The next morning, we set out to explore the historic core of Istanbul. During its long history, Istanbul was the capital of the Roman Empire, Byzantine Empire, Latin Empire, and Ottoman Empire. We visited the Hagia Sophia, dating back to 537.
It was Constantinople 's Great Church that was later turned into a mosque during the Ottoman Empire. In Islam, portrayals of human are prohibited, so many of the converted churches covered the images with plaster.
The mosques were decorated with calligraphy and floral and geometric designs displayed on titles. Hagia Sophia's Nave can fit Paris' Notre Dame within its dome.
It’s so grand and magnificent!
Next we visited the Divan Yulu and the Golden Milestone that was the main transportation artery in the Byzantine times, as well as the Underground Cistern. I wasn’t sure what to expect with an underground reservoir that dates back to the 6th century; it was a little underwhelming.
The coolest part about it was the large fat fish swimming in the bottom and the fact that the Cistern was the setting for James Bond’s movie From Russia with Love.
The dome is modeled after the Hagia Sophia’s and is called the Blue Mosque for the rich blue that dominates the title work inside.
The architectural details and the large scale of the mosque overwhelmed me. Because everything we saw was so grand, the long lines into the sites were not a bad wait!
The Hippodrome, built in the 4th century was Constantinople’s pace for chariot races. It is next to the courtyard of the Blue Mosque, but has long been in ruins. In the Hippodrome, you now see the Egyptian Obelisk, Column of Constantine, Column of the Serpent, Turkish and Islamic Arts Museum and the German Fountain.
Our second day was just was as exciting! We visited the Grand Bazaar, Mosque of Suleyman the Magnificent, New Mosque, Pet and Plant Market, and the Spice Market. The Grand Bazaar was the first shopping mall ever built. During the Byzantine times, it was the site of a bustling market and is now a commercial hub for everyone. You can wind your way through the Grand Bazaar in over 4,000 shops. Scarves, tiles, Burberry knockoffs, and jewelry dominate the stores.
I saved much of my shopping for gifts for the Grand Bazaar. The best part was getting to use my bargaining skills—thank you mamma for teaching me! In the Grand Bazaar, the Turks would take any currency- US dollars, Euros, and more. The New Turkish Lira is constant, but history of an unstable currency is reason for shopkeepers and businessmen to barter and exchange in other currencies. So, I usually paid with hard cash to get the best deals. I emerged with 4 scarves, 11 bracelets, and 4 necklaces. Next, we visited the Mosque of Suleyman the Magnificent. It was very tranquil.
There are no bright tiles like the Blue Mosque. Then, we made our way to the Pet and Plant Market, next to the Spice Market. It had everything you’d want to buy… and more. This market sold dog collars, cat food, tulips bulbs, ducks, turtles, and anything else you can think of that fits in the pet and plat category. I was definitely surprised by the leeches that were in a big plastic container!
It was very different and exciting to see! Inside the bustling Spice Market, you could find spice shops, natural sponges, beans, dried vegetables, dried fruits, sweets, and Turkish delights!
I bought some pomegranate tea for my sister. The Spice Market was overwhelming with the number of people crowded in the small alleyways. We were fast to get out! All of the shopping had worn me out!
The next day was easy breezy with a day cruise along the Bosporus Strait into Asia! Cruising the Bosporus allowed us to see the massive size of Istanbul and was a convenient way of seeing some of its best landmarks. The 19-mile Bosporus Strait connects to the Black Sea. Along the way, we viewed the Dolmabahce Palace complex, Ortakoy Mosque, the Esma Sultan Yalisi mansion, Bosporus Bridge, and Rumeli Fortress, just to name a few!
We had a spectacular day of great weather and tried to keep as warm as we could during the cruise!
It was nice that they sold Turkish coffee, tea, and yogurt! We docked at the Asian fishing village of Anadolu Kavagi.
There, we ate fresh mackerel sandwiches and climbed up to the Yoros Castle to view the Black Sea.
You can’t ask for a better day!
Wednesday’s visit the Topkapi Palace, Harem, Istanbul Archeological Museum and Gulhane Park was… out of the ordinary! The Harem of the Topkapi Palace is the residence of the wives, "favorites," and concubines of the sultan.
The tile work, mostly Iznik, was impressive! The gorgeous mother of pearl, ivory, and tortoise shell inlaid cabinets and doors also stunned me.
We saw them later in the Islamic and Turkish Arts Museum. The Topkapi Palace was impressive, especially the 86-carat diamond exhibited in the Treasury. But, it was hard to take some of the Holy relics seriously, since there were beard hairs of the prophet exhibited. The Palace was also extremely crowded, so we grabbed a doner (one of many we ate) for lunch and went to the Archeological museum. I tried to entertain myself at the Archeological Museum. Broken statues that are pieced together are not really “my thing,” so I stood behind the statues to give them a head, an arm or two arms, and other body parts.
I hate to admit that I was a little bored and even took a catnap during a video played in the movie room. Gulhane Park was more exciting with the thousands of tulips that lined the walkway.
I loved every minute!
The Chora Church Museum on Thursday was hands-down one of the most incredible places on the trip. It was worth riding the crowded public bus out there!
The museum is underrated and modest in size. It has some of the best Byzantine mosaics preserved from the 14th century. This church was converted into a mosque during the Ottoman times and the mosaics were covered with plaster. Today, you can still see the biblical mosaics, depicting St. Peter holding the keys to heaven, the ancestors of Mary, the genealogy of Christ, the multiplication of loaves, and more.
There are more than 40 biblical scenes depicted in the narthex and nave. I was so impressed by the works! We also incorporated the old city walls into our tour that day and climbed the walls to overlook the city.
Afterwards, we visited the Turkish and Islamic Arts Museum. We saw many carpets, Islamic calligraphy, and pieces inlaid with pearl, ivory, and tortoise shell.
After admiring all the beautiful tile work in the mosques, museums, and Topkapi Palace, I splurged and bought two Iznik tiles, one for myself and one for my sister. The 85% quartz Iznik tiles have been made the same way, since the 13th century.
The tiles are hand painted and triple glazed. It takes about 70 days for a master to complete one tile. I bought my titles at the same store where Oprah and Bill Clinton bought their pieces. I still bargained!
On our last day, we visited the New District of Istanbul, including Istiklal Street and the Military Museum. We made our way from the Sirkeci Train Station that was part of the Orient Express, over the Galata Bridge, and up to the Galata Tower. The fishermen dotting the Galatta Bridge catch mostly mackerel or anchovies.
The sandwiches with mackerel are so good! The walk along Istiklal Street reminded me of Europe. The street buildings have an art nouveau flare and exhibit more western items, including the only NBA store located outside the United States.
There were even Catholic and Protestant churches off the street that held services in English. With a population that is over 98% Muslim, the New District is the place where Western-oriented minorities settled. The Military museum was more than I expected—it was much bigger. I’m also not that interested in Military Museums, so I took another nap. It was a nice break! Our last meal in Istanbul was wonderful- we dined a nicer restaurant (thankfully not another doner stand), the Medusa. The dessert was my favorite- dried sweet apricot stuffed with heltiva, sweet figs stuffed with walnuts, raspberry sauce, and Turkish ice-cream. Dessert was accompanied by apple tea, a Turkish favorite!
Fattening ourselves and lying on the plush cushion pillows, I reminisced about our Istanbul experience. It was truly an amazing opportunity to visit! Istanbul is an intriguing place of the future that has much to offer.
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