City of Minarets

Istanbul was a real surprise, especially after a few weeks in India. Istanbul is large, busy, modern and wealthy. It felt strange to see modern cars again; luxury German brands like Mercedes, BMW, Audi and VW. And clean, the streets were so clean. People dress smartly, yet conservatively and the shoes (especially the men) are smart pointy Italian leather shoes. Elegant spires of mosque minarets add to the fantasy landscape of the urban centre surrounded by water - it seems that there’s one mosque at least every few blocks. They lend (to my ears) an otherworldly soundtrack to the city as calls to prayer ring out several times a day simultaneously from these mosques. My taxi dropped me off in the old city suburb of Sultanahmet which is on the Western side of the Bosphoros Strait and close to many of Istanbul’s famous sites. The taxi fare was a shock - $60 from the airport but the hotel I’d checked into was even more of a shock. $40 for a sad looking room with flaking paint, a window that wouldn’t close and pipe work sticking out from the walls, boy I’d been spoiled during my travels through Asia where accommodation for a good private room averaged $10 - $15. The next day I checked out of that hotel and found one that offered dorm rooms for $20, looks like it’s back to shared accommodation from here on. I think my European leg of this trip may be shorter than I expected. The Turkish Lira is stronger than the New Zealand Dollar too so it’s a lose-lose situation. One thing that bugs me is the abbreviation used for the Lira on price lists. They use the symbols YTL and no matter how I try, my brain always interprets this as Yettel instead of Lira. Perhaps they should change the name to Turkish Yettel and be done with it.

I spent the first day visiting the Topkapi Palace and the Grand Bazaar. The palace is where the Sultans used to live so it’s understandably quite grand, although not on the same opulent scale of some of the Indian palaces I’d seen. Apparently the Sultans thought so too and there are several more modern palaces dotted around the city. What interested me most about this place were the similar decoration and designs I’d seen in India. This of course is the origin of the Islamic/Persian influence I’d seen throughout Northern India with Constantinople (present day Istanbul) previously the seat of power and centre of the world. One of the differences is that the people of this region used ceramic tiles extensively in their decoration of rooms. There were several large courtyards, a harem, a series of large kitchens, a library and various meeting rooms for conducting the affairs of the state. Most impressive were displays in the palace treasury with emeralds a big as golf balls, jewel incrusted daggers and swords and an 86 carat diamond (5th largest diamond in the world). Another curious section was a place that housed religious relics like Moses’ staff and John the Baptist’s skull and forearm, while verses from what I think was the Koran were read out live via the P.A. system.

The Grand Bazaar was not what I expected. I anticipated seeing a large open air flee market (I suppose it must have started that way) but instead it was all enclosed with bright decoration on the ceilings, more like a very large single storey mall with narrow paths spreading in every direction. Different sections were dedicated to different goods such as jewelry, carpets, clothes, spices, pottery and ornaments. As the world’s most reluctant shopper I only spent a few minutes there – it was enough for me. I next made my way to a large mosque which sounded interesting from the description on my map, however when I arrived I discovered that it was closed due to structural safety concerns, a mass of scaffolding covered the entrance and completely surrounded its minarets. In many places alongside the road there are small graveyards and often a larger building which serves to house the coffins of important rulers. I initially thought they were small mosques as the design is similar and the same protocols are observed when you enter (shoes off and maintain silence).

The food here is really good. Meals are always served with baskets of fresh chunky sliced bread rolls (breakfast, lunch and dinner) and many dishes contain purple lumps of egg-plant. I know my mother would approve, perhaps she has some Turkish ancestry. Turkish breakfast consists of fresh bread, cheese, olives, sliced tomato, cucumber, fresh fruit and some jam or honey. Shish kebabs (meat on a skewer) or Doner kebabs (meat on bread) are also good for a quick cheap meal. Vegetarian options seem more limited – after the vegetarian diet in India my stomach reacted peculiarly to the reintroduction of meat (I really enjoyed the meals in India, simple with Chapati or Naan bread and curry gravy but so tasty and every meal was different). Vegetarianism is not a bad option if you have the right ingredients. The fruit at veggie shops in Istanbul is fantastic. Big juicy peaches and nectarines larger than my fist, and dried apricots and figs. The fruit is so sweet it makes your mouth squirm. I also visited a Turkish baklava shop and collected a box full of fresh assorted varieties of sweet baklava and Turkish Delight flavoured with pistachio or coconut or hazelnut or almond, yum (a sticky, satisfied, slightly guilty “Winnie the Pooh” yum).

The next day I visited the Aya Sofya museum. As far as I can remember from the introduction at the site, it has been rebuilt at least three times, was a church before being converted into a mosque and is now a museum. Although large, it’s not much to look at from the outside. Unfortunately, as I had discovered with a number of the old buildings in Turkey, there was a mass of scaffolding covering the large central dome inside the building. The scaffolding appeared to be more suspended animation rather than active restoration, preventing anything from falling down. Perhaps insufficient funding or motivation prevents the maintenance of these ancient buildings, or perhaps it’s the bus loads of tourists who parade through these monuments all day long. This building feels very old; the marble steps at the entrance are worn down in the middle where countless feet must have stepped on them through the centuries. The main hall is enormous. It’s probably the oldest building I’ve ever been in. Some walls have frescoes or mosaics depicting biblical scenes and the walls appear to be made of many different kinds of stone giving the walls an attractive pattern. The ceilings are decorated with warm yellow colours. It is impressive and it’s difficult to imagine how a structure of like this was constructed around 500 AD. Some people describe this as the most beautiful building in the world; I left feeling a little underwhelmed but can appreciate its historical importance.

Across the park is an Islamic rival to Aya Sofya, the Blue Mosque. Impressive from the outside with its 6 minarets and multiple domes, the inside is fairly simple with carpets and some wooden benches. Large pillars supporting the dome are carefully decorated with blue patterned tiles and the ceilings are also very colourful. This building is still an active mosque so you can only visit outside of prayer times, but it was noticeable that it was in excellent condition. Nearby there’s the Museum of Turkish and Islamic Arts with a collection of old carpets, pottery and bronze work.

Next a longish walk took me across the bridge to the Eastern side of the Bosphoros Strait to the suburb of Beyoglu (the trendy side of town). Along the bridge were at least 100 fishermen dangling their lines hopefully into the waters below. It seemed to be an established fishing spot as every few metres there were tempory salesmen selling fish hooks and bait. While I’m on the subject of fishing, I’m reminded that Istanbul appears to have the largest population of domestic cats I’ve ever seen. They are everywhere; in doorways, in the street, on walls, in window boxes, in magazine racks and naturally outside restaurants. I’ve seen only a handful of dogs, but hundreds of cats and at night you often hear them caterwaling. Perhaps they keep the rats away. The suburb of Beyoglu has a long road packed with fashion shops, cafes, pubs and night clubs. I made my way up this road till I reached Taksim Park. There were a few old timers sitting around tables playing backgammon or checkers at the park café. I decided to rest my aching feet and lie down on one of the shady grassy banks. It didn’t seem to be the done thing however and I got a couple of curious looks. I then noticed another person lying on the bank on the other side of the park receiving some unwelcome attention from some uniformed policemen, so thought it best to shuffle off discreetly.

I caught the Tram back to Sultanahmet and that evening enjoyed the festival atmosphere in the gardens between Aya Sofya and the Blue Mosque. I’m not sure whether this activity is only here during the Muslim holiday period of Ramadan but there seemed to be thousands of people here every evening. Street stalls sold fresh food, candy floss, sweets and fruit while others sold scarves, ceramic wares and cheap toys; all shouting out for customers, competing with one another. This would be my final evening in Istanbul, next on the agenda – a trip South.

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