"Now it's Istanbul, not Constantinople..." or "...by the banks of the mighty Bosphorus is a Japanese man in a business suit singing 'Smoke Gets in Your Eyes'..."

When I was in Paris, I met a couple of Australian honeymooners who had spent the first few days of their trip in Istanbul, Turkey. Istanbul has been on my “to visit” list for quite some time now, so I naturally asked them how they felt about it. The conversation went something like this:

“I’ll be spending about a week there pretty soon,” I said.

“A week?” the newlywed wife asked.

“Yeah, is that not enough?”

“I think it’s too much. You can do all of the main sights in Istanbul in a day or two.”

“Really? I feel like I’ll be able to spend a lot of time there.”

To this, she said: “Well, I guess it depends on your personality. If you’re the type of person who could spend all day in a café reading, smoking hookah, drinking apple tea, and playing backgammon, then you could probably never get bored.”

Little did she know: I am exactly the type of person who could spend a whole day in cafes reading, drinking tea, smoking hookah, and playing backgammon. After this conversation, I knew that Istanbul was going to be my kind of city.

Yes, from the old Looney Tunes music video.

I stayed in Sultanahmet, the old district of the city that houses all of Istanbul’s main sights. After a three minute walk, I could be in the heart of the historic buildings. I visited the Blue Mosque, which is one of the more beautiful mosques I’ve ever seen. Unlike most other mosques, which (for religious reasons) tend to have a simple aesthetic and not a lot of artwork, the Blue Mosque was as artistically impressive as any European cathedral. With its vaulted domes for ceilings and chandeliers everywhere, this sight was one of the best I have yet come across in my travels. I also walked around the outside of Aya Sofya, a huge Byzantine church turned mosque turned museum, which was equally as impressive. However, I did not actually enter Aya Sofya in silent protest of the 20 lira entrance fee. At night, the whole historic area of Sultanahmet comes alive with colored lights and street vendors. It’s really beautiful, and I enjoyed just walking around the area. Here are some photos:

The amazing Blue Mosque, as seen from the courtyard.

The domes of the Blue Mosque.

From inside, the domed ceiling of the Blue Mosque.

Awesome lighting inside the Blue Mosque.

My street in Sultanahmet at night.

Fountain in the park between Aya Sofya and Blue Mosque.

I still need to figure out my camera's shutter speed, but this is Aya Sofia at night.

Aya Sofya.

All of the East-meets-West clichés about Istanbul are accurate. The city boasts all of the luxury and style of Western Europe, all of the “exotic” allure of the Middle East, and all of the rugged charm of Asia. At different times in history, it has been part of the Roman Empire, the Byzantine (the later, Eastern Roman) Empire, and the Ottoman Empire. In its modern history, Mustafa Kamel “Ataturk” (which means “father of the Turks”) unified the nation into its modern state. There are international tourists and business travelers from all around the globe. A few times, I ventured into the more modernized, less touristy areas of the city, and it only testified to the rich history: there were old Ottoman and Byzantine buildings sandwiched between modern apartment complexes. All over, I saw old Turkish men smoking hookah and playing backgammon over afternoon tea. From the roof of my hostel, I had incredible views of the city. I could see across the famous Bosphorus River into the other side of Istanbul, which is technically Asia. The city literally straddles two continents, and this unique geography has helped make it one of the world’s truly global and great cities. Even the Grand Bazaar in Istanbul is like an old Middle Eastern souq that has been upgraded to a 21st century shopping mall. More photos:

Istanbul skyline.

Rug sellers at the Grand Bazaar.

The Bosphorus. Across is Asia.

After visiting all of the sights that I wanted to check out, I basically spent the rest of my time in Turkey hanging around the various cafes and restaurants in Sultanahmet, and it never got boring. In order to become the epitome of the tourist stereotype in Turkey, I could not help but keep listening to They Might Be Giants’ cover of “Istanbul, Not Constantinople,” which I love.

Cafe/Hookah bar... or, "How I Spent My Time in Turkey"

I really enjoyed Istanbul, and it’s definitely a place to which I would gladly return. It has a great number of tourists, and it is an extremely cosmopolitan city. There are karaoke bars, nightclubs, and fine restaurants. All of these things are enjoyable, especially because, in spite of them, the city still retains the mystique and adventure assigned it by centuries of Western travelers.

There really isn’t much to add, so I guess that’s all I have to say about Istanbul. I hope all is going well back in the States.

“Be well, do good work, and keep in touch.”


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