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Published: March 13th 2007
So there we were in Istanbul, a strange country at the crossroads of the European and Asian continents, straddling two cultures, eating Mexican food.
Yes, you read that right. Globalization has left its mark strongly on Istanbul, from the McDonalds' to the Starbucks to the Mexican-food chains that are visible throughout the city. FYI, the Mexican was DEFINITELY not up to Kennett Square standards, but it's interesting that you can get Latin-American food in Turkey so easily. All of the big music store, clothing, and other Western product chains are very prominent, most especially in the northern part of the European side of Istanbul, which is the more modern and "Europeanized" side called Beyoglu. In addition to the conveniences (or inconveniences) of these "modern amenities", increasing global interaction has negatively marked Turkish culture in significant ways. While talking with a young Turkish merchant in the Grand Bazaar (who was a gemologist working at his brother's stall while debating whether to take a job in New York City), we learned that the catcalls and suggestive comments we'd been attracting all week would never have been an issue just a mere 10 years ago. Istanbul has changed a lot since the mid-1990s,
In front of the Blue Mosque
Growing minarets from my head.when most of the big pro-European Union reforms started being enacted. And unfortunately, in addition to increased political freedoms and such, the bad aspect is that Turkish men have picked up our Western habit of objectifying women. They consider female European tourists to be loose or easy, looking for two things: fun and one-night-stands. I suspect this reputation has been acquired partly from Hollywood and Western media, but also from increased tourism: as Turkey becomes more industrialized, it becomes a more luxurious & welcoming travel destination. Sadly, this very popularity is causing it to loose some of the cultural characteristics that gave it a reputation as a very friendly, safe, and welcoming place.
There is another effect of Turkey's rapid development. Istanbul is the economic center of the country and therefore attracts huge numbers immigrants who move into the city from the rural regions. The city's population has ballooned in recent years, bringing with it all the usual demographic and social pressures that stress the infrastructure and foster exploitative behavior. People are getting more aggressive and hard-edged (according to our friend Mersan the merchant) because there are so many people competing for the same limited resources. So if the
bazaar merchants are sometimes harassing (and we had some unpleasant experiences) you can at least understand where they are coming from. Everyone wants to get ahead. And Americans are all rich...they can afford to get ripped off by canny merchants!!!
Most Turks are very friendly though. The very afternoon we arrived, we took the light rail from the airport to the tramway, and the tram to our hotel. A really nice guy in the airport tourism-office helped us find our hotel's address (silly Robyn forgot to print it out!!!) and then a total stranger helped us negotiate the exchange from the train to the tram station. He was really nice...and not even a native of Istanbul!
So the first night Bryony and I were alone and totally exhausted, so all we did was take a quick walk to see the Blue Mosque and the Hagia Sophia by night (very impressive) and then we ate at the Mexican restaurant. Yes, I know...it was a moment of weakness. We were punished with weird miniature double-decker nachos that resembled little chip & cheese sandwiches. Not at all satisfying! Bedtime at 8:30 pm. Literally.
The next morning we got up and
The Street Market
Wandering the residential streets of Sultanahmet. out by 10 am, though, and began our "grand exploration" of the city. First we walked randomly through the streets of Sultanahmet, which is the poorer quarter between our street (Piyerloti) and the waterfront of the Marmara Sea. It was pretty deserted and we were practically the only women in the streets, but nobody bothered us...we just got stared at. The weather was absolutely gorgeous, warm and sunny, so we soaked in the local atmosphere as well as some rays. Very nice. Next we meandered north of the tramway street, managing to loose ourselves and come out eventually down near the Hagia Sophia. So we took that opportunity to visit the Basilica Cistern right next to it, which was awesome, and then we took a bunch of pictures of the Sultanahmet Camii, the Hagia Sophia, and the Hippodrome. That was really beautiful. Then, since it was barely past noon, we decided to stroll down to the waterfront and walk along the sea. That was a bit more difficult than we predicted, trying to wind our way through the backstreets, but on the way we saw a cool outdoor produce market and eventually made it to the sea. Ringing the southern
edge of the old city are the Theodosian Walls, dating back to Roman times (I think) and they are in remarkably good shape. We walked along the water for a good hour or so, drinking in the sights of the Bosporus, the villas and minarets of the Asian shoreline across the water, the deep blue of the water sparkling in the sunlight and the luster of the sky. Away up the Strait we could see the Bosporus Bridge, and the expanse of water was punctuated by small fishing boats and large cargo ships all sharing the same stretch of water. We took the time to bask in the sun on the rocks and paused to watch old men fishing while young boys watched curiously or played with a soccer ball. On the hill to our left rose the imposing Topkapi Palace, home of the Ottomans, which would be our entertainment for Saturday morning. But for this first day we just kept on walking until we rounded the Golden Horn and arrived in the northern part of the Old City (Eminonu) and reached the Galata Bridge. Before walking across it to the northern, modern part of the European side of the
Fishermen on the Marmara Sea
Seen from the Kennedy Caddesi (Boulevard?) during our long walk around the Old City on day 1. city, we grabbed some lunch...paid about 3.00 euro for a really good durum doner. Yummy. After that we went to the Egyptian (Spice) Bazaar, passing by the Yeni Camii (New Mosque) which is also quite imposing and dominates the waterfront and bridge area. We both loved the Spice Bazaar, both for its sights, exotic smells, cheap dried fruits and nuts (yay figs!!!), free lokum samples (Turkish delight) and numerous souvenir-type stands. It was our first foray into a bazaar, so it held an exotic charm that American shopping malls no longer possess for me...
After that, we crossed over the Golden Horn on the Galata Bridge to the north side of the city. The sidewalks of the bridge are packed with dozens and dozens of fishermen, all pulling up lines with numerous little silver fish on them flashing in the sunlight. I took a picture of a whole bucket of them which really grossed Bryony out. On the other side (called Karakoy) we took the oldest (and shortest) metro in the world up the really steep hill to the base of the Istiklak Caddesi. It only takes 90 seconds to ride up, but it goes at about a 30
Old Man with Cat
Both of these creatures are very common sights in the Eminonu. These two are taking advantage of the gorgeous weather by soaking up the sun on the rocks. degree angle...much better than walking!!! From the top we walked to the Galata Tower, from which we got SPECTACULAR views of the whole city and the Bosporus, and at the base of which we got our first cup of Turkish tea. (Very good, and cheap!!!) From there, we walked by the Monastery of the Whirling Dervishes and took the Istiklal Caddesi all the way up to Taksim Square, roughly 2 km up a long, sloping hill at the heart of the modern city. The Istiklak Caddesi looks just like any main boulevard in Europe, with all the Western stores you might expect, including Pizza Hut and Virgin Megastore. It was packed with people who looked much more well-off and westernized than those in the Old City, and there were a lot more women in the road. We saw a Catholic church, the "Flower Passage" which is a small pedestrian road of cafes and restaurants like the Quartier Latin in Paris, and lastly saw the elite private high school that has educated many of the nation's leaders. By the time we got to Taksim Square it was almost 5pm, and since we had to meet Chris back at our hotel at
6pm, we didn't dawdle. It wasn't too impressive anyway...basically a big traffic circle with modern buildings. I much preferred the more traditional and historic Old City, even with the constant male attention we got there. So that was really our only experience with Karkaroy, although if I ever go back I've been advised to visited the Disquarium. (something like that). It's apparently one of the biggest and best of the numerous clubs and discotheques in the area (which in that respect is just as European as Paris!) But Bryony and I decided to book it home that night, and flew back across town, rapidly descending the super-steep hill, hurrying across the bridge, and hopping on the super-convenient tram. Back in under one hour...and it had taken us 8 hours over the day to get there. LOL. But it was an awesome day. I figure we walked at least 8 miles...
We met Chris without any problems back at the Golden Crown and spent a nice evening together over dinner and a stroll around the quarter. He had flown in from Milan, where he is studying for the semester, and had already been very industrious by exploring the Sultanahmet area.
Topkapi Palace
Seen from the waterfront through the Theodosian walls. The statue was of a former Ottoman sultan, I believe. Thursday morning we all got up and out of the hotel by 9am (wow!) and went strolling over towards the Great Bazaar. We we loitering alongside the grounds of Istanbul University (surprisingly American-like) when all of a sudden this strange man started talking to us, and then just wouldn't go away! His name was Ismail, and although he was nice, he was a kind of leach-like, and we ended up spending the next three hours with him. To give him credit, he wanted to "work on his english" (which he had learned independently) and spoke very well, and he gave us a tour through the Sulimaniye Camii (mosque). We actually learned a lot from him. Once Chris stopped worrying that he was going to mug us, we all enjoyed his company, even sitting down at a cafe he recommended and having a cup of tea. Afterwards he led us over to the aqueduct of Valencia (English name??), the three of us following blindly as he led us through shabby little backstreets. I wasn't really worried, since it was full daylight, he was harmless, and there were plenty of people around, but still....hmmm...
The aqueduct was nice, and we duly
Time-out on the Rocks!
It was so beautiful we just HAD to sit down for 20 minutes and enjoy the view, the sun, and the water. took our touristy pictures in front of it (see Ismail in photo!!!) but when I saw Ismail glance once too often at Bryony's chest and my ass I decided it was time to say goodbye. We "disengaged" ourselves without too much difficulty. By that time it was afternoon and time for a baklava snack, which we enjoyed in a park under a statue of Ataturk. Then we walked back towards our hotel, stopping to by Chris some artwork in the really neat Antique Book Market (the Sahaflar Carsisi) and detouring through the Grand Bazaar. As soon as Bryony and I got into the Bazaar we KNEW we were going to need at least solid hours there, so we promised Chris we would just walk through and come back on Saturday afternoon. Which we pretty much did...after purchasing a couple pashminas each. I had fun bargaining with the merchant, much to Bryony and Chris' discomfort...apparently I am "too tough!" Haha. As if those merchants didn't deserve it...they double-price everything in order to rip off the tourists, and for Americans they make it even higher, because they think we're all rich! I generally settled for half of the quoted price, which was
Bryony on the Waterfront
I stopped counting the number of times we got honked at by passing cars on the highway...all 'cause of her! still pretty good for them. If you're really NOT interested in something they'll come down 2/3, as I learned later on when we went back on Saturday...
Two quick rules, however:
1) Don't start bargaining unless you are actually planning to buy it.
2) Never quote a price you aren't ready to pay. If they meet it, you are expected to honor it.
Chris learned the first rule the hard way and got chased down an alley by a nasty, disgruntled merchant. I had a similar experience, getting harangued by a belligerent young man trying to sell me a backgammon board. In my case, however, I had repeatedly told him I was NOT ready to buy and wasn't prepared to offer him any price, only to have him significantly lower his price to try to convince me. He was pretty pissed when he finally realized I really WASN'T ready to buy it, however (as opposed to just being cagey), and followed me down the alley to yell insults at me. So that was fairly unpleasant...but it gave me a good conversation-starter when we met another merchant later on who had witnessed our encounter and told me that
More Old Men on the Waterfront
Fishing is a big pasttime in Istanbul. Wait till you see the pictures of all the fisherman on the Galata Bridge! the other guy was a jerk and had no right to do/say those things. I agreed with him...and we proceeded to talk for the next 45 minutes! This was Mersan from Blog #1...the gemologist who works temporarily at his brother's stand. He was really nice, and we had a long discussion about the cultural changes in Istanbul, the impact of globalization, and the attitude of men towards women. It restored my faith and goodwill towards the Turkish people.
Anyway, back to Thursday...we spent the afternoon at the Hagia Sophia, which was amazing, and then went to the Blue Mosque at dusk just before it closed for evening prayer. Both were gorgeous. Then we took a walk up to the northern part of the Old City and spent some time at a tea store and the Spice Bazaar. That was nice.
That evening we had arranged to go to a dinner/dance show, so at 7:30 we were picked up at our hotel and driven to a place that hosts nightly dinners for hundreds of people and presents a series of traditional Turkish dances and belly dancers onstage that you watch during dinner. It was all very touristy, and the
The New Mosque
Located right next to the Egyptian Bazaar, this mosque dominates the northern shore of Eminonu and marks the location of the Galata Bridge. food was just OK, but we had an fabulous time and really enjoyed the dancing. The belly dancers were totally cool, as were the other dances, and we shared a table with a South African, an Austrian, and two Turks who were on a business trip and had a really great sense of humor. Once the wine started flowing the mood was very jolly, and the men really enjoyed the belly dancer in the white outfit...lol. The highlight of the night, however, was when Chris and the Austrian tablemate got dragged up onstage by one of the belly dancers to participate in her little "belly-dancing workshop." We got to watch Chris' attempts at bellydancing (to give him credit, he was pretty good) and watched them all make fools of themselves. I practically fell out of my chair I was laughing so hard...
Revenge came later when Bryony dragged me up to dance (in front of dozens and dozens of people). This was during the act of a singer who managed to sing one famous song in each of about 7 languages, all the while picking out people in the audience who were from that country. It was pretty impressive,
and a fun end to the night. I definitely recommend doing something like that dinner if you go to Istanbul.
Friday morning came REALLY early because we went to bed after midnight and had to wake up at 6:30am... We had arranged to take a city tour all day long, and the tour bus picked us up at 7:30am. Ugh. By the time I woke up fully we were in the Spice Bazaar and it was 9am, and after that we went across to Karakoy and got on a boat for a Bosporus cruise. Unfortunately it was very cloudy and foggy that day (the temperature started plummeting later on) but the cruise was fun anyway. We went by the Dolmabahce Palace and several other Ottoman residences; the Rumeli Fortress, which was built to defend the chokepoint of the Strait; and we went under both the Bosporus Bridge and one further upriver. I imagine that on a clear, sunny day it must be absolutely breathtaking. As it was, we really enjoyed it and it would be worth doing again in better conditions. The Asian side of the river is very well-off, being dotted with many upper-class villas and apartment buildings
Figs!!!
This was a theme of the trip too, along with tea and turkish delight and baklava... that descend the hill towards the water.
After getting off the boat we were taken to a nice restaurant on the southern waterfront of the Old City for lunch, and then we drove back across town to the Dolmabahce Palace. We had a guided tour there and the palace was pretty spectacular, but it could have been any other overly-opulent European baroque palace. It was pretty much the Versailles of Istanbul. Beautiful, but not very “Turkish.” After that we wound up our tour with a drive across the bridge to the Asian bank of Istanbul, where we basically hopped out of the bus, took a couple pictures, and then went into a restaurant for more tea. (Tea was a major theme of the trip). I mean, it was about 30 degrees, and gray with a strong wind. Brr. Not conducive to dawdling and taking artistic photos. A shame, but there is not much to do on the Asian side anyway. It’s mostly middle/upper-class residential housing. Good place to live though! Ferries link it to the European side, so traveling back and forth is convenient.
After “returning to Europe” we finished the day with a visit to Storks’ Jewelry
Store. It was obviously a not-so-subtle attempt to get the loaded tourists to lighten their purses by enriching the local economy, but it certainly backfired with us. It was there that the creepy salesman hit on Bryony and me. We skedaddled out of there pretty fast!
Hmm, what did we do Thursday night? Can't remember. Probably ate some more really good, ridiculously cheap Turkish food. Oh yeah! I remember now. That was the night I ordered my eggplant kebab three times, and STILL didn't manage to get the order through. Sometimes language barriers are insurmountable. I can laugh about it now, but at the time I was pretty petulant...I REALLY wanted that kebab!!! (I got it the next night...and it was THAT good).
Saturday dawned FREEZING cold (well ok, like, 40 degrees) and we were happy to have saved Topkapi Palace and the Grand Bazaar (visit #2!) for our last day in Istanbul. We spent a bare minimum of time outside, practically running through the streets and rushing by any vendor stupid enough to try to slow us down. I even saw some snowflakes falling!!! Istanbul is NOT a tropical paradise, people...it gets COLD in the winter! We
Karakoy
Looking across the Golden Horn to Karakoy, and the Galata Tower on the hilltop. were lucky to have had two gorgeous days at the beginning.
Topkapi Palace was really cool. It was the home of the Ottoman sultans for about 1000 years, until it was abandoned for Dolmabahce Palace in the 1800s. It is huge, and within it you can visit the harem (living quarters of the royal family and their personal servants), the armory, the sacred relics, an exhibition of Asian ceramics (strongly influenced the Ottoman artists), and the royal treasury. Now THAT was amazing...gold, diamonds, silver, emeralds galore!!! I was drooling...
My favorite aspect of Topkapi Palace was the decorative tiles covering practically every surface. Since it is forbidden to depict the figure of God, or the prophet Mohammed, Muslims typically decorate the interior of their mosques and fancy buildings with floral tiles and mosaics. The colors are beautiful, and the overall effect is very light and delicate. See pictures.
The afternoon was spent at the Grand Bazaar after a yummy lunch (my eggplant kebab, finally!) and I was able to bargain and haggle down a backgammon board, a couple pillows, a silver spoon, some tacky little carpet/evil-eye amulets, and some Turkish tea. It was fun, and we spent
a good 3 1/2 hours there. It's almost like a big, square underground mall, with large alleys running around the exterior and bisecting it and smaller alleys crisscrossing in between. Except it's way cooler than a mall!
We somehow got separated from Chris soon after getting to the Bazaar, and quickly realized it would be impossible to find him. So instead we met up later that evening back in the hotel and went out to spend our last night at a hooka cafe. (My idea). I had never smoked a hooka before (a shisha in other languages) but Bryony was the expert...so we had a fun time smoking an apple-flavored hooka in a small room filled with carpets and a bunch of Turkish men. (Who were, no doubt, highly amused by our inept attempts to smoke a hooka without looking idiotic!) It was enjoyable, and I am really glad we did it, but I can't say that I necessarily needed the hooka to have fun. It's relaxing but not THAT relaxing...hot apple tea was just as good as the hooka! It was fun though.
We said goodbye to Chris that night, and the next morning Bryony and I
got up early and went back to the airport, this time navigating the tram/train system like pros. The flights back were smooth and uneventful, and we spent that night out on the town in Paris and all of Monday walking for hours across the city before Bryony took the Eurostar back to London. All in all...a FABULOUS trip, one which will remain vividly in my memory for a long time. And if I ever start to forget, I'll just read this blog...'cause I think I wrote down every frickin' thing we said or did! LOL. Hope you enjoyed the experience vicariously.
Yours from Paris,
Robyn
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Robin Boone
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thanks for the info!
Greetings ladies, I will be following in your footsteps in April. I am thrilled to have such a detailed description of Istanbul sights. It gives me a better understanding of where I will be with my teenaged daughters form someone who was there so recently. Blessings on your journey