Let me explain. Istanbul, truly an East-meets-West city, is a spectacular combination of modernity's meeting with an impressive and rich cultural history. Flashy Ritz-Carlton buildings spring up from behind ancient mosques, and women in hijabs walk along the street next to girls in miniskirts. There is a posh, stylish, upscale side of the city right across the water from a section of old, winding cobblestone streets (this is very confusing when trying to navigate, so some patience is required. Well, my travel buddies needed patience, anyway, because I'm not sure I can count the number of times I stubbornly led everyone in the COMPLETELY WRONG direction. Sorry guys). Istanbul embodies juxtaposition, and it's the kind of place where one can while away the afternoon in a cafe drinking Turkish coffee admiring the Hagia Sophia then spend the night dancing in a nightclub on the shores of the Bosphorus. What an incredible city.
Since there is so much to say about our five days in Istanbul, most of it boring for those who weren't sharing our Sultanahmet flat, I'll stick to the highlights. Here goes:
1) Doner kebab. This shaved meat is prolific throughout the city in both stands and restaurants, and is DELICIOUS. We obviously had to commemorate our first kebab-eating, in the streets of Old Istanbul while on a Rick Steves' guided walk. (Note: if you find yourself in Istanbul, buy his book.)
2) Hagia Sophia ("Ayasofya" in Turkish). This amazing church-turned-mosque is impressive in size from the outside, if a little unsightly. The inside, however is absolutely breathtaking. All of the interior artwork is done in mosaic, as opposed to paint, and the combination of Christian idolatry and Muslim decor is pretty incredible. While the photos won't do it justice, I'll at least give you a little snapshot of what we spent an hour exploring:
3) Bosphorus Cruise. A public ferry whisks passengers up the beautiful, hill-lined Bosphorus for 25 Turkish Lira ($13) to a tiny little fishing village on the edge of the Black Sea (complete with castle). The cruise offers incredible views of the sights and geography of Istanbul and its surrounding waterways, and the fishing village, Anadolu Kavagi, offers incredible fried mussels.
Views:
Mussels:
4) Basilica Cistern. This cistern, located underneath the site of a former church (hence the name), was rebuilt by Emperor Justinian in AD 532 to hold water for Istanbul residents. The architecture is spectacular (fun fact: the cistern provided a backdrop for the James Bond movie "From Russia with Love"), the history is fascinating, and it's fun to imagine how FREAKING CREEPY it would be down there if the power went out.
5) Dinner at Hamdi Restaurant. This was a fabulous end to our first sightseeing day in Istanbul. Hamdi offers amazing views of some of Istanbul's best sights, including Suleyman mosque and the Golden Horn, and the meze (Turkish small plates...think pita with tzatziki, hummus, eggplant, etc) were top-notch. Also delicious: Turkish wine. Who knew?
6) Turkish Bath. Emily and I took a day off of sightseeing to visit the Ayasofya Hammam, which has been used intermittently as a Turkish Bath since 1558, and offers one of the best spa experiences in the city. You ain't seen nothing yet if you haven't been completely nude in a room full of strangers (the baths are sex-segregated, luckily...or not, if you prefer) while a middle-aged Turkish lady washes you down with bubbles. I do not have a photo of this. Feel free to use your imagination...or not, if you prefer.
7) Cooking Alaturka. My six travel companions and I decided to spend one or our evenings at a cooking school, and ended up at this place. Dutch expat and Cordon Bleu grad Eveline runs a lovely kitchen in Istanbul's Old Town, and we learned to make a variety of Turkish dishes including lentil soup, zucchini pancakes, stuffed eggplant (Imam Bayildi - literally translated as "the Imam fainted" - as legend has it, the first Imam who tried this dish passed out because it was so delicious. I did not pass out, but it was a close call), vine leaves stuffed with lamb, and sponge cakes with hazelnuts. The entire experience was enhanced by the school's hilarious chef, Feyzi, who liked to make likenesses of animals out of piles of raw meat.
Raw meat monkey:
Imam Bayildi:
8) Mosque visits. While covering up head-to-toe to enter the mosques respectfully proved to be a bit of a challenge in Istanbul's summer heat, it was definitely worth it. Istanbul's mosques are numerous, and beautifully constructed. While idolatry is forbidden in Islam, the mosques are still elaborately decorated with striking tile patterns. Not only was this trip the first time I had been in a mosque, it was also the first time I had seen Muslim prayer, which is an incredible ritual to witness. The call to prayer rings out from the city's mosques five times a day (we finally learned to sleep through the 5AM one), reminding Western travelers that we're pretty darn far away from home. Awesome.
Mosque-visiting outfits (mismatched scarves):
The Blue Mosque's elaborate ceiling tile:
9) Stray cats. There are stray cats ALL OVER ISTANBUL. Again, no pictures. I do not want rabies.
10) Ortakoy. This posh neighborhood along the Bosphorus, a short drive / ferry from the center of the new section of Istanbul, was a great way to end our visit to the city and another reminder of the contrasts Istanbul embodies. Dave, Emily and I enjoyed a delicious meal (albeit at NYC prices) at House Cafe on the banks of the strait, enjoying the sounds of the mix of American techno music and the evening prayer calls. Fantastic.
When it came time to leave, I felt as though I could spend another week exploring Istanbul's treasures - easily. The city is definitely a worthwhile destination if you have some money to spend (meaning I'll have to come back, since I'm not sure my student loan providers would be too pleased if I considered my grad school advances "money to spend"). We'll have two more days in the city en route back to the States, and will likely use the time to explore the new European side and Asian Istanbul, but first we need to see Anatolia (Cappadocia) and the beach towns of Guzelcamli, Selcuk, and Bodrum. Obviously.
Thanks to Ali, Erin, Christina, Keira, Dave & Emily for an awesome week.
- Posted using BlogPress from my iPad from some awesome, fabulous, amazing, dangerous international location
Since there is so much to say about our five days in Istanbul, most of it boring for those who weren't sharing our Sultanahmet flat, I'll stick to the highlights. Here goes:
1) Doner kebab. This shaved meat is prolific throughout the city in both stands and restaurants, and is DELICIOUS. We obviously had to commemorate our first kebab-eating, in the streets of Old Istanbul while on a Rick Steves' guided walk. (Note: if you find yourself in Istanbul, buy his book.)
2) Hagia Sophia ("Ayasofya" in Turkish). This amazing church-turned-mosque is impressive in size from the outside, if a little unsightly. The inside, however is absolutely breathtaking. All of the interior artwork is done in mosaic, as opposed to paint, and the combination of Christian idolatry and Muslim decor is pretty incredible. While the photos won't do it justice, I'll at least give you a little snapshot of what we spent an hour exploring:
3) Bosphorus Cruise. A public ferry whisks passengers up the beautiful, hill-lined Bosphorus for 25 Turkish Lira ($13) to a tiny little fishing village on the edge of the Black Sea (complete with castle). The cruise offers incredible views of the sights and geography of Istanbul and its surrounding waterways, and the fishing village, Anadolu Kavagi, offers incredible fried mussels.
Views:
Mussels:
4) Basilica Cistern. This cistern, located underneath the site of a former church (hence the name), was rebuilt by Emperor Justinian in AD 532 to hold water for Istanbul residents. The architecture is spectacular (fun fact: the cistern provided a backdrop for the James Bond movie "From Russia with Love"), the history is fascinating, and it's fun to imagine how FREAKING CREEPY it would be down there if the power went out.
5) Dinner at Hamdi Restaurant. This was a fabulous end to our first sightseeing day in Istanbul. Hamdi offers amazing views of some of Istanbul's best sights, including Suleyman mosque and the Golden Horn, and the meze (Turkish small plates...think pita with tzatziki, hummus, eggplant, etc) were top-notch. Also delicious: Turkish wine. Who knew?
6) Turkish Bath. Emily and I took a day off of sightseeing to visit the Ayasofya Hammam, which has been used intermittently as a Turkish Bath since 1558, and offers one of the best spa experiences in the city. You ain't seen nothing yet if you haven't been completely nude in a room full of strangers (the baths are sex-segregated, luckily...or not, if you prefer) while a middle-aged Turkish lady washes you down with bubbles. I do not have a photo of this. Feel free to use your imagination...or not, if you prefer.
7) Cooking Alaturka. My six travel companions and I decided to spend one or our evenings at a cooking school, and ended up at this place. Dutch expat and Cordon Bleu grad Eveline runs a lovely kitchen in Istanbul's Old Town, and we learned to make a variety of Turkish dishes including lentil soup, zucchini pancakes, stuffed eggplant (Imam Bayildi - literally translated as "the Imam fainted" - as legend has it, the first Imam who tried this dish passed out because it was so delicious. I did not pass out, but it was a close call), vine leaves stuffed with lamb, and sponge cakes with hazelnuts. The entire experience was enhanced by the school's hilarious chef, Feyzi, who liked to make likenesses of animals out of piles of raw meat.
Raw meat monkey:
Imam Bayildi:
8) Mosque visits. While covering up head-to-toe to enter the mosques respectfully proved to be a bit of a challenge in Istanbul's summer heat, it was definitely worth it. Istanbul's mosques are numerous, and beautifully constructed. While idolatry is forbidden in Islam, the mosques are still elaborately decorated with striking tile patterns. Not only was this trip the first time I had been in a mosque, it was also the first time I had seen Muslim prayer, which is an incredible ritual to witness. The call to prayer rings out from the city's mosques five times a day (we finally learned to sleep through the 5AM one), reminding Western travelers that we're pretty darn far away from home. Awesome.
Mosque-visiting outfits (mismatched scarves):
The Blue Mosque's elaborate ceiling tile:
9) Stray cats. There are stray cats ALL OVER ISTANBUL. Again, no pictures. I do not want rabies.
10) Ortakoy. This posh neighborhood along the Bosphorus, a short drive / ferry from the center of the new section of Istanbul, was a great way to end our visit to the city and another reminder of the contrasts Istanbul embodies. Dave, Emily and I enjoyed a delicious meal (albeit at NYC prices) at House Cafe on the banks of the strait, enjoying the sounds of the mix of American techno music and the evening prayer calls. Fantastic.
When it came time to leave, I felt as though I could spend another week exploring Istanbul's treasures - easily. The city is definitely a worthwhile destination if you have some money to spend (meaning I'll have to come back, since I'm not sure my student loan providers would be too pleased if I considered my grad school advances "money to spend"). We'll have two more days in the city en route back to the States, and will likely use the time to explore the new European side and Asian Istanbul, but first we need to see Anatolia (Cappadocia) and the beach towns of Guzelcamli, Selcuk, and Bodrum. Obviously.
Thanks to Ali, Erin, Christina, Keira, Dave & Emily for an awesome week.
- Posted using BlogPress from my iPad from some awesome, fabulous, amazing, dangerous international location
Location:Istanbul, Turkey
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