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Today is my 3rd day in Turkey. All of my time was dedicated to discover this mysterious city and to overcome my sickness. The flexible Turkish healthcare system definitely helped with the latter: I walked out of a pharmacy with antibiotics that would have required a prescription back in the states. Piecing together random thoughts that surfaced during my numerous tea breaks, I decided to describe Istanbul as a city that one can never get lost in.
Brief description of the city layout: it is separated into west and east side by the Bosphorus strait, west lies in the Europe continent and east lies in Asia. I spent half a day covering the typical touristy spots in the older European side of Istanbul, site seeing ancient monuments and artifacts. Then I spent half a day with my friend (also future classmate) getting to know Istanbul from the locals' perspective. This entailed walking in the more modern European side of the city, as well as a very personalized and educational driving tour (Tesekkur ederim Ela!) on both shores of Bosphorus. Lastly, I spent 2 days walking aimlessly through local neighborhoods. My goal was, and still will be when I return
to Istanbul in 10 days, to get lost in local neighborhoods (literally) and immerse myself in people's everyday lives.
I succeeded in that I walked to some places that most tourists (and to a degree some locals) have not been. This includes the conservative Muslim neighborhoods of Fatih and Uskudar, as well as one of the holiest places in Islam (Eyup, which contains the tomb of Prophet Mohammed's standard bearer). This provided me with very different perspectives about the city, which might also point to the state of the country as a whole. It was entrancing to sit in a mosque and listen to the prayers from locals with traditionally Muslim outfit. It was relaxing to sit by the Bosphorus and sip tea among locals with fashion trends rivals that of Paris and New York. Both episodes occurred back to back within the same hour. One the other hand, I could not get lost, even after hours of walking in unmarked cobble stone back streets. 2 reasons why you can't get lost in Istanbul: geography and culture.
Geography: with the immense Blue Mosque, you can always orient yourself by following its uncompromising minarets (all 6 of them, erecting
high above the skyline.) Also, with the city on 7 hills, the Bosphorus cutting through in the middle, and uniquely designed bridges connecting each part of Istanbul, you can always walk down hill towards the water and mark your spot. Although you can't get lost walking, it is some what perilous in some section of the city. When crossing the Galata bridge, which connects the two European sections of city, one has to dodge a barrage of flying fishing hooks discharged by scores of locals fishing on the bridge.
Culture: Istanbul has a rare history. It was the heart of multiple dominant and widely different cultures. Borrowing my friend's words, as "the only secular Muslim state," diverse religions and customs are all accommodated for. Furthermore, they are well integrated and balanced. There is a Sephardic restaurant catering kosher food for local Jews, and its owned by a Muslim. Where ever you turn, people will likely find practices and familiarities close to home. Although I couldn't precisely related my Chinese heritage here, I definitely felt like home after crossing busy streets by evading fast moving cars.
I'll be heading out of Istanbul in a few hours to visit rest
of Turkey. Next stops are the Aegean coast, the Mediterranean coast, natural stone formations in the middle of the country, and back to Istanbul. More to come in a few days.
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Sohrab
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photos
Wow these photos are wonderful! Really great. I bet you're having a wonderful time. Keep the posts coming and I hope you feel better.