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Published: January 9th 2008
Starbucks
Cenker treated me to a Starbucks coffee in his work building lobby.On Thursday, I accompanied Cenker on his ride to work in his company car. Leaving his home around 6:30am we made it to his office by 7:15am - we flew over the Fatih Sultan Mehmet Brigde, aka the Second Bosphorous Bridge, in Turkish Fatih Sultan Mehmet Köprüsü. Cenker used his lunch card, loaded each month with a stipend for his mid-day meal, at the Starbucks in the Sun Plaza lobby. My mochino-latte-ya was 6 YTL - rent we paid to let me sit, sleep, and study Turkish in the restaurant for three hours, while hanging out, waiting for Cenker's cousin to arrive for my tour of the Bosphorous. Dilek arrived around 10:30. We headed to her dormitory to drop off her bag and for a brief tour of the campus. A new library was constructed with the donations from alumnae of the Istanbul Technical University - one of the most promiment educational institutions in Turkey. ITU is the world's second oldest technical university and consists of five campuses. Dilek lives on the suburban campus in Maslak, also called Ayazaga, which is across the highway from Cenker's office, about a 10 minute walk. Taking a bus and subway ride, Dilek gets to
Sun Plaza
Cenker's Office building from a distance - the tall green building. her classes at the Macka campus near Besiktas within 45 minutes. Our first stop was Dolmabahçe Palace, which we quickly found out as we approached the guard check was closed on Mondays and Thursdays. So instead of touring the palace we went for a Turkish coffee at Kahve Dunyasi - Coffee World aka Chocolate world. Warming from the cold, snowy day, I enjoyed a sahlep mixed with coffee. Venturing back out into the cold, we found a bus heading north along the Bosphorus to Ortaköy. A row between two women sitting behind us discussing their disfavor of the current government and an older gentleman of retirement age sitting in front of us was starting to erupt as we exited the bus.
The Ortaköy Mosque area is one of the most recognizable spots in Istanbul, if you have watched any Turkish films or television shows. The interior of the Mosque was effulgent with sunlight, radiating a comforting glow from the windy, snowy coldness. The glass chandeliers reflected the sun's natural sparkle. A few people engrossed in their prayers found transcendence in the peaceful spot. Dissolving back into reality, the haphazard cozy streets of Ortaköy, tempted with their come-ons of Kumpir -
Construction of Subway Line
Construction is going on all over the city as the government provides more services, especially transportation, for the growing, sprawling Istanbul population. baked potatoes stuffed with salads and vegetables and meats and cheeses - in a row of walk-up stands. Tasty morsels of crepes stuffed with sweets allured the senses. Trinkets gallore lined the nook and cranny streets. Meandering the maze of the area, we filtered our way back to the bus stop to head towards Rumeli Fortress. The road squeezes between the homes and shops built right on top of the way and the concrete walkway bordering the Bosphorus - so close, you can feel the waters' mysteries consuming you. Getting off the bus, we walked for about 20 minutes to the fortress, dodging a few construction sites along the way. 2 YTL got me into the ancient forum, where modern day concerts occasionally take place against the backdrop of the water and the bridge. The white snow delicately rested on the limbs of the trees creating a magical white kingdom - hard to imagine the war lookout going on in such a serene, quiet scene. Scaling the stone stairs to scamper across the walkways connecting the myriad towers, we scanned the waters of the Bosphorus in awe! Vertigo stopped me from exploring the fortress further, I'm no braveheart when it
Ortaköy Mosque
Ortaköy Mosque, officially the Büyük Mecidiye Camii, (Grand Imperial Mosque of Sultan Abdülmecid) poses as a famous backdrop in many Turkish films and television series. comes to heights and uneven surfaces without a guard rail. Going up the stairs which are a little more than one foot high was fine, but, oh man, coming down I was not a happy camper. Dilek was already at the bottom of the steps, while I was still figuring out how to get down the stairs which were almost 3 feet wide with an edge plunging to a good 45 feet to the ground below. Finally, I just crawled down the steps sitting on my bumm. I enjoyed the warmth of the next bus as my pants were soaked from the wet fortress steps. To kill some time along the way, we stopped for a Pide, similar to a pizza without tomato sauce, with cheese and sausage. Around 4PM we were back at Cenker's office.
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Joe
non-member comment
Beautiful
The mosque looks beautiful. And the Starbucks just like home. I am wondering how much a TYL is worth. Did you speak of this in a previous issue? OH well, Guess I'll Google it. CU SOON.