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Published: March 3rd 2007
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Well we're back at home and inspired for new things and other travels, but not for a while we need to earn money now to be able to leave again, still the memories of cold Istanbul will keep us going for a while.
First coming to mind are the birds and the cats, the sky of Istanbul was full of birds, from storks in the Gulhane Park that belongs to the Topkapi Palace to the flight of seaguls lit at night over the spires of the blue mosque! to sparrows, asian doves, comorans and ibyses all part of the scenario.
At dusk the sky would fill with the flight of birds, not exagerating, in their thousands over the hills, mosques and waterways of the city, what an amazing image that was!
The mosques, city filled with spires reaching to the sky, the sound of prayers 5 times a day, giving you the feeling of being so far away yet only a few hours flight away from home.
The people gentle, smiling and the men gorgeous! women too, but obviously that is not for us! hehehe.
The food...well, not really great! kebab after kebab, not much else
or very expensive restaurants, with international cuisine which we didn't really want.
Nice restaurants, the choice of fish very restricted and again just grilled or BBQ'ed, with no sauces, the pancakes filled with cheeseand spinach were good, but for a middle eastern mediteranean country very dissapointing really! it seemed to be all carbohydrates and meat. But a great discovery was the fresh granateappel juices pressed there and then, so tasty and good for you!
A never ending feeling of people wanting to charge you double for your food and really having to agree prices and what was included for that price at every single place just to avoid getting over charged and still the did add something or another, either disguised in a service charge when there had not been any service, or a little bit of chilli sauce and 2 salad leaves that added 2 Euro to the costs. that got really tiring.
Our hotel "magical" an ambience of being at home, with nice people. The owners, who have several businesses and hang around the hotel playing games all day, entertaining their guests, whilst their staff take good care of service, cleanliness and fun. the decor,
warm full with antiques, lamps and carpets all part of the main income of this wealthy family and to whom it seems logic to turn to if one wants quality Turkish furnishing with the price tag to go with it, but at least not getting robbed.
The Beyoglu and Taksim part of the city, very modern, students hanging out in bars, decadent and trendy, with the whole feel of a 21st century city whilst embracing secular society in acceptance of all religions, whilst honoring a charming form of Islam.
Paradox to think that the media so want us in the West to fear Islam, whilst over and over again when visiting Mulim countries, I feel embraced by the gentleness of its people, their respect for one another, the social and non agresive spirit that has disapeared in our society.
The lack of alcohol abuse seeming the main reason for that, which allows to walk in the streets and not feel threatened, people not getting agresive on the streets, women keeping their self-respect (with or without a veil, as it all is accepted in Istanbul) not showing all their bits vulgarly or vomiting in the streets due to
alcohol abuse!
Makes me wonder what are we so afraid of in the West? as we seem to have lost that self respect through that sexualising and alcoholising our livestyles, here that abandonment seems to have dissapeared or even better, to never have risen. It obviously must exist, when one knows the intrails of society better, but when visiting for a week, the confrontation with drugs and social problems that we encounter in our suburbs, just by visiting London on a week end, we didn't seem to find! at least not in our face!
So for me Islam is no threat, but rather something I respect! when it is done int the way that the Turkish people seem to have embraced.
Yet, we do know about the difficulties of the Armenians and the Kurds, it isn't all roses when it comes to the political attitudes, when reading the pappers, with the possible fall of Iraq, it seems that Turkey feels threatened by the birth of a new country for the Kurds, even threatening to go into war with them.
I am not so naive as not to be aware that the balance found in Istanbul, is
very much a fantasy world for the tourists, a Disney Land of Islam!
We came across a peaceful demonstration against the war in Iraq and the ill treatment of women in that war! Istanbul seems to embrace democracy and freedom of speach, on the 28th of february 1997, the military theatened with a coup when the people seemed to have chosen for a PM that was too religeous!
So it is obvious that they want to embrace both cultures, belong to Europe whilst maintaing its religeous soul. whether that will be possible to maintain, I don't know?, as Europe does not want countries that threaten war to minorities and has been known to sacrifice their human rights...Not all is gold that shines!.
Nevertheless I feel richer for having gotten closer to this society.
Thank you Istanbul!
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Oya
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Istanbul
I am glad to see people like Istanbul. I am so happy that I live here. It's been over 20 years but, still I discover new things.... Greetings, Oya Istanbul Daily Photo