Reflections on Istanbul

Istanbul is the 5th largest city in the world with a population of 12.8 million. The city spans two continents, Europe and Asia, and two eras, BCE and CE. Istanbul is the old cities of Byzantium and Constantinople and a young modern-thinking city with an appreciation for all things western.

The people are predominately Muslim. Indeed, there are mosques visible in every direction and you can hear the call to prayer wherever you may be. But Istanbul is a secular city insuring freedom of worship to all. There are both Catholic and Orthodox churches in the city and even a few Protestant congregations.

Friendly and helpful,most Turks speak a little English. The language is taught in Turkish schools beginning in first grade. There is a presence of armed military, but not as prevalent as in Mexico. While the soldiers are not smiling and friendly, neither do you feel threatened by them.

Turks are very proud of their republic. Mustafa Kemal Atatürk fought first in the Ottoman military, working his way up through the ranks. Resigning from the Ottoman Army in 1919, because of his opposition to the partition of Turkey, he then went on to lead the war for independence against the allied armies of Great Britain, Italy, France, and Greece. He is revered as the Father of the Turkish Republic, in much the same way that George Washington is revered as the Father of our Country. The Republic of Turkey was officially established on October 29, 1923. There are numerous statues and portraits of Atatürk throughout the city of Istanbul.

The Turks are a merchant people. You can find everything under the sun for sale (except pork). No liquor stores on the corners, but hotels all have bars serving a wide variety of alcoholic choices. On our tour bus, we drove along a street in Istanbul, Fevzipasa Caddesi, with at least a hundred shops selling formals and wedding gowns. When we inquired of our guide, Mahmet, how there could be a market for so many gorgeous gowns, he explained that a Muslin bride also desires to be beautiful on her wedding day.

Cats! There are cats everywhere in Istanbul. Highly respected in Islam, cats are like holy animals in Turkey, much like cows in India. No single person’s pets, they breed indiscriminately, they receive no veterinary care, but they are friendly, inquisitive and always looking for a hand out. Only a few appear overfed, and indeed some are pathetically thin. Their primary duty is to keep the rodent population under control. We saw mostly teenagers and young adults, but occasionally a mature adult was to be seen basking in the sun.

I enjoyed my stay in Istanbul, much as I would enjoy a stay in New York or Paris. Big cities around the world have more in common than whatever differences might exist among them. Istanbul, the end of the line for the fabled Orient Express, has the mystery of the Middle East and many of the conveniences of the West.

Two days in Istanbul were too few; two weeks would be better.

Day 3

Istanbul, Sunday, June 20, 2010: We were up early, ate a Turkish continental breakfast: Watermelon, fruit, cheese, olives, tomatoes, yogurt, hard cooked eggs (I personally avoided eggs during the entire trip), coffee, and little pastries. This breakfast was what we were served throughout the entire trip. We were offered watermelon at virtually every meal in Turkey.

Instead of boring my readers to death with my description of all the sights we visited, I am attaching links to websites that provide detailed information and photographs.

After breakfast our group of 22 was out of the hotel and onto Turkish public transportation, the T1 Zeytinburnu- Kabataş (-Beşiktaş) tram, for our morning excursions. Our first stop was the Topkapi Palace, home of the Ottoman Sultans until 1856. The palace and grounds are a setting right out of Scheherazade. At one time the palace housed a population of 5,000. For detailed information on Topkapi Palace visit http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Topkapi_Palace.


The crown jewels were on display in the Treasury, a linear set of rooms, each with an armed Turkish soldier very visible. Taking pictures in the Treasury was not allowed to visitors, so to see pictures visit http://home-and-garden.webshots.com/photo/2896780070031751182HfUEMM. View pictures 180 through 190.

My very favorite place at the palace was a shaded terrace overlooking the Golden Horn and the Sea of Marmara.

From Topkapi Palace we walked to the Archaeological Museum. We could have spent days there but only had a couple of hours. Visit http://www.pbase.com/dosseman/archaeological_museum_istanbul to see far more pictures and of better quality than I could have taken during our brief visit.

Our last stop before lunch was Hagia Sophia http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=a--qpyX75Ik. This was the first of three lessons I learned about the need to keep your eyes where you are walking, not looking at all the interesting and exciting antiquities. Throughout our trip we walked on uneven surfaces, dangerous paths, and challenging stairs without railings. As I descended the dark tunneled stairway to the ground floor of Hagia Sophia I slipped and fell. Fortunately, I was at the last step before a landing and didn’t have far to fall. I did manage to turn my ankle and bruise my body. Only one of my traveling companions was with me at that moment, so my embarrassment was minimal. I safely descended the remainder of the stairs and walked it off.

After Hagia Sophia we were set free to do lunch on our own. I stayed with my daughter, her husband and his mother. Instead of following the recommendation of our guide to visit a food shop where we could view the offerings and point at what we wanted, we chose a real sit-down restaurant so we could be waited upon. I believe the name of the restaurant was the Sultan Pub. Service was slow, food was mediocre, and prices were high.

After lunch our tour bus met us at a nearby intersection and drove us to the site of the Hippodrome of Constantinople and the Blue Mosque http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Sultan_Ahmed_Mosquepedia.org/wiki/Sultan_Ahmed_Mosque. The Blue Mosque is an active place of worship for Muslims. So we behaved accordingly. We removed our shoes and placed them in plastic bags which we carried with us. The women in our group covered heads and shoulders with a hijab (scarf), and one young man whose shorts did not cover his knees was required to drape a wrap around his lower body. The sense of divine presence was as palpable as in a mighty cathedral. As infidels we were required to stay outside the prayer area. If we had been believers our men might have entered the prayer area, but Islamic women are relegated to a separate area behind the men’s prayer area.

The Hippodrome http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Hippodrome_of_Constantinople was a circus built for sporting events. Now only a few fragments of the original structures survive. The Obelisk of Thutmosis III is one of the few to remain intact.

Our last stop of the day was the Chora Church http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Chora_Church. The mosaics, plastered over when the church was converted to a mosque, have been uncovered. They are breathtaking http://eikonografos.com/album/ from the menu select BYZANTINE MOSAICS then select Chora Church, CONSTANTINOPOLE.

With the exception of the Blue Mosque all of the sites we visited are now public monuments or museums, most managed by the Turkey Ministry of Tourism.

We returned to the Kent Hotel for dinner and our last night in Istanbul.

Live long and prosper!