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The famous Blue Mosque.
So named because of the prominent blue tiles inside.From the moment you step off the plane in
Istanbul, you notice immediately that this vibrant city is all about business and making money. Thanks to the over 30
million of us who now visit Turkey in a year, especially this burgeoning metropolis of Istanbul, coping with such crowds, in my opinion, is a huge challenge that has the potential to derail some of the pleasure, especially when visiting the major sites of interest.
That having being said, it was certainly very much worth the time we spent there, lodged as we were, in the heart of the city and walking distance to everything that we wanted to see and do.
Our hotel, and full credit to Jeanette who changed to it from the one that I initially found, was excellent. The owners were excellent hosts. While we were checking in there was a family of four waiting to leave who were very high in their praise for the Basileus. Beautifully appointed, very quiet especially considering our location, it was clean and spacious with coffee, tea and a variety of fresh pastries always available just outside our door.
Of course, once checked in, we immediately set off
Grand Bazaar Main Street.
It really is all about business and business of every kind. Smooth sales people first beckon you in then get to work plying their trade. to explore. It was quite hot and at
45c it seemed a cauldron compared to the 30c in Greece. We had to have the famed fish off the boats moored at the pier on the Bosphorus so we made our way by foot across the city. The streets teamed with people and we eventually found ourselves near the sea, asking directions periodically to ensure that we were on the right track.
As we got closer to the pier we could see two large boats moored there, bobbing slightly with the gentle swell. Getting nearer we began to feel the energy and discern the noise of the crowd as hungry people pushed forward towards the vendors. Steam and the aroma of cooking fish filled the air and Jeanette joined the mass of buyers that inched forward to their boat of choice. It was quite the scene and our introduction to Istanbul's daily life began. Wow! Wasn't the fish sandwich ever good!
It pays well to research and Jeanette does a masterful job of it. And so, we had arranged a tour that included
dinner with a local family that evening and whose home turned out to be just about
The main thoroughfares had no shortage of vendors.
There is no shortage of customers for a variety of food. three blocks away from our hotel. Joined by four others (a couple from Ireland and a lawyer and his son from the US) we were made very welcome by a friendly lady, her two children and her sister. The complete language barrier made little difference; hospitality and great food cross any hurdle. It was a fabulous meal which started with a
dish of yogurt and cucumber followed by a glorious soup that was so tasty we had to have seconds. The main dish topped it all for taste as we all sat on cushions while the meal was laid out before us on the "table" cloth on the floor. We were constantly implored by our hosts to "have more, have more". There was so much food, none of which you would usually get in a restaurant. We ended with the traditional tea, had some pictures taken with the family, bade them farewell then merged into the Istanbul evening.
Then we got a surprise that demonstrated how one culture can cross an ocean and influence another. Not far away we entered an oddly decorated bar with wall hangings, large photographs and the brightest greens, reds and blues for colour. And
to take us even further away from what we expected of Turkish culture,
Bob Marley's haunting reggae sound and familiar pulsating beat grabbed us as we took our seats. Wow! Then we got served by a locks bearing Turkish guy and his lady. I checked the name and it was The Reggae Cafe. Can it get any better than that?
And of course, the
Nargile. I always wondered what smoking one was like and I didn't have to wait long. Jeanette ventured first, not surprisingly as she is more adventurous than she lets on. After all, she climbed the Gros Piton in St. Lucia while I stayed home and was first over the side of the boat in Grand Cayman to swim with wild stingrays! Back to the Nargile (see the pictures). We each had our personal mouthpiece and the contraption was passed from one to the other for a puff or two. None of us inhaled but it was so amusing to watch my wife at her age literally have her first smoke, halfway around the world. Priceless! Of course being in a Marley influenced bar one would have thought that we were smoking the product that he
helped make famous but no, it was just plain apple. But it was certainly a great cultural experience. And, I had a great Mojito while Jeanette enjoyed Long Island Ice Tea.
The next day continued the theme of being hectic as we took the guided tour of the sites millions come to see. First we entered the
The Sultan Ahmed Mosque (the Blue Mosque) which I believe is the second largest in the world. It is an active mosque and we all had to remove shoes and ladies cover their heads with the traditional scarf. The floor is fully carpeted, comfortable and clean. It was an important place of worship for Muslims. It was no doubt a very impressive structure and was worth visiting although we have visited mosques in other countries.
We then visited the
Topkapi Palace once used by the ruling sultan. It had extensive grounds and our guide explained how things worked within that Ottoman structure. It was very interesting. While the sultan had supreme power, he set his kingdom up in such a way (typical of most rulers at the time, yet in a way unique I found) as to ensure all the odds
for his survival were in his corner because treachery was a constant threat in those days and perhaps still is. Fear of assassination whether by poison or other means was always real. And so he seized several male babies from his vast conquered empire, had them raised and educated under special tuteledge then after eventual maturity he selected the best based on his criteria and made them governors over various territories (except where they were originally taken from) and part of his advisory council. I thought that was genius in practise as they became totally indebted and loyal to him.
The volume of treasured items on display is beyond description, including items claimed to have belonged to Moses as well as John the Baptist's skull (no doubt plundered from the Byzantines). I was also tremendously impressed with the array of weaponry used by the Ottomans, their armour etc., which must have been most fearsome for their enemies.
We then visited the
Hagia Sophia, the most important and largest church in Christiandom before the Vatican in Rome was built. When the Ottomans conquered the land and drove out the Christians, they covered up the icons and used it as
a mosque, eventually turning it into the museum that it is today. It was a most impressive structure and the iconic eyes of Jesus would follow you around as you stared at them.
Lastly, no visitor should ever miss the
Grand Bazaar. It seemed that the entire population was in there. With several streets branching off its main enclosed avenue and hundreds of shops offering every conceivable merchandise, the humdrum of business was exciting. I was highly impressed by the many stores whose displays projected a surprising array of elegantly designed gold and silver jewelery. Of course we succumbed to the lure and taste of Turkish Delight and its endless variety and purchased some for ourselves. There is certainly a persuasive charm that is common among the shopkeepers. We were surprised at the number of high end items for sale like designer shoes, hand bags etc. We also got the best rate of exchange there too, without deducting any commission. Having loaded ourselves up with Turkish Delight, we had a good laugh at ourselves when we discovered the same products in a little shop right next to our hotel at less than half the price we paid.
Near
our hotel we found a wonderful barber who cut my hair with such meticulous care, even shampooing and blow drying it and giving me a stimulating head massage. How can you top that for just US$10?
Time did not permit but my original plan was to have included a visit to the centre of the Greek Orthodox Church for which an appointment has to be made. I find it revelatory that the Turkish government closed down all the Church's places of learning and has virtually penned in the Patriach Bartholomew into a very small enclave while shutting off any possibility for assention to that office by a Greek since they require that it be held by a Turk. Sad, but that conflict has its roots in antiquity and plays itself out today in the continuing scepticism and conflict between Islam and Christianity.
The one area of Turkey that we would love to have visited was the cave dwellings of Capadocea but that will have to wait.
By the way, among the many pleasant surprises we got was our experience with Turkish Airlines. Great service and even hot meals on both relatively short flights, including wine.
We
are also excited about the next leg - the Cinque Terre in Italy!
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D MJ Binkley
Dave and Merry Jo Binkley
Grand Bazaar
We hope to get to this market one day soon. Looks fantastic