Advertisement
Published: September 13th 2007
Edit Blog Post
Well here I am, Istanbul, last stop for my jaunt through Europe. A great place to end this trip, jampacked with history, colorful traditions, intoxicating sights and smells and a first-hand glimpse of Islam. Istanbul quite literally stradles Europe and Asia,with Bosphorus strait dividing the city. It's a huge city of 15 million but the sights are tightly packed in a manageable area. The Old town and most of the historical sights are in the western/ European part. I'm staying at the hotel
Hanedan just behind the Blue mosque and (would you believe it) just around the corner from the Istanbul 4 Seasons. It's the beginning of
Ramadan here. Turkey is a very secular country and it's not uncommon for people not to fast but I think most people do. The restaurants and the area around the mosque gets very festive at night when people go to eat.
I've been very busy getting to know this city. Again for the sake of convenience I will be listing the sights/ activities of the past few days.
*Topkapi Palace- Residence of the sultan, his wives, the harem and government officials. This sprawling palace is beautifully decorated with tile work and has an
impressive collection of treasures. We're talking major bling here, emeralds the size of a child's fist, an 84 carat diamond, solid gold candle sticks that weigh 100 pounds! Another highlight of the complex is the Harem (meaning forbidden). This where the wives, concubines and sons had to live. This is where they schemed and plotted to the extent of murder and mass fraticide (everytime a sultan is chosen his brothers were strangled). Oh, and they were kept company by African eunuchs, guarded by men who had to have their eardrums pierced and tougue's slit, and entertained by little people. If only we could be so lucky.
*
Hagia Sofia - For me this is up there with the Acropolis, Sistine Chapel and San Marco as one of the most magnificent, monumental places I've ever been to. Originally a church, then a mosque, now a museum. When you're inside you are awed by how they engineered and built this place in just 9 years and that was 1500 years ago! The central dome is over 100 feet wide and taller than the Statue of Liberty. The interior is decorated by Byzantine mosaics (the few that remain), tile work and Arabic caligraphy.
*The Blue Mosque-
I would here the call to prayer, 5 times a day from this mosque. Built in the 15th century. The domes are patterned after and the interior is decorated by a dizzying pattern of tile work in varying shade of blue.
*Basillica Cistern- Pretty much a huge well, with over 300 collumns. Built in the Byzantine era (around the 6th century) held tons of water. The collumns were recycled from much older Roman/ Greek Temples.
*Archeology Museum- I'm all museumed out after visiting this one. Best collection of ancient Sarchophagi, so-so Greek and Roman sculptures (did see a giant head of Sappho from the island of Lesbo), and more tiles/ ceramics. There was a small but interesting collection of ancient middle east artifacts (Messopotamian, Assyrian, Hittite, etc). It helped me understand the difference between these guys and who their descendants are.
*Grand Bazaar- With it's labyrinthine lanes, thousands of tchotchke loving /camera toting tourists and pushy merchants out to make the best sale possible, this place is on the verge of mayhem. Forget about following a guidebook, the best way to do this place is just wander around aimlessly, feast your eyes on the color and spectacle and when ready
to leave keep heading in one direction and you'll find an exit. If you intend to buy something always offer 1/3 the original price. I don't know about you but I prefer shopping with a clearly marked price tag so I went to....
*Istikal Cadesi- The shopping street in the "New District". Lined by 19th century and early 20th century buildings, this area feels very European. A lot of international and local shops. Still pretty touristy but most locals shop here as well. To go where the locals shop go to.....
*The Mall- Okay so malling is not really a suggested activity in the guidebooks but hey I should get points for going off the beaten path!
Istanbul like many cities has mall fever, bigger and better once keep coming up. I went to Metro city- nothing special,mostly midrange shops (Benetton, Zara, Marks & Spencer). I also checked out the award winning
Kanyon - newest poshest mall in town. Ingenious architecture, high end shops such as Harvey Nichols (carries Comme de Garcon, Balenciaga, D&G, etc).
*Spice Bazaar- A smaller version of the Grand Bazaar, also sells souvenirs aside from spices and sweets.
*Carpet Salemen-If you come to Istanbul without fail
you will be approached by carpet salesmen. These guys can be very persistent and (playfully) aggressive and while they are pretty harmless, it can be tiring trying to fend them off. Here are a few tips. You can either play along, get free tea, listen, then offer them $ 10 for something they're selling for $800. While this is time consuming it can be a fun cultural experience. Another way is to pretend you are deaf/mute (best time to practice your Marlee Matlin impression). Or you could just ignore them, no eye contact, no smile, while this may seem rude it's effective. However if you are really interested in a carpet this is the place to buy good quality relatively cheap.
*Bosphorus Cruise- If you plan to do this opt for the short version. I'm glad I did. While it is beautiful, it's really more of the same view over and over again. The guide books recommed doing the full 6-7 hour cruise! I would have jumped ship if I did.
*Turkish Food- I figured since this is my last stop before home I should try to seek out food I can't find in Chicago. Today I tried kokorec which
is chopped up sheep intestine with tomatoes and pepper, not bad but not as good as Mexican tripitas. I've also sampled midye tava, deep fried mussels with a yogurt and garlic souce, good for snacks. For dinner and lunch the stews and kebabs are good.
Istanbul can keep you occupied for weeks! Plan on atleast 4 days here when visiting.
While part of me feels sad that my holiday is at an end, a big part of me is ready to go HOME. I'm immensely grateful to have learned/ experienced so much but I'm also tired of constantly trying to get from place to place, keeping myself fed and sheltered and keeping my own company. I miss John, my sisters, my sistahs and CHICAGO. Even after being in so many great cities, I can't imagine living anywhere else (okay, maybe Paris).
Well, as the looney tunes say, that's all folks! I'm looking forward to seeing you all and thanks for reading!
Happy Travels,
Garret
Advertisement
Tot: 0.297s; Tpl: 0.012s; cc: 14; qc: 68; dbt: 0.0743s; 1; m:domysql w:travelblog (10.17.0.13); sld: 1;
; mem: 1.2mb
Hung
non-member comment
Happy Birthday!
I'd like to hear how you spend your birthday abroad. Happy Birthday.