East Meets West

One of the first food things Amanda and I bought was baklava. Turkey so far has the best.
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If I asked which continent Turkey is on, what would you answer?  The Lonely Planet includes it in their "Europe on a Shoestring" guidebook, yet it shares borders with Syria, Iran, and Iraq.  Many of its citizens live traditional, devout Muslim lives, yet its biggest city is becoming known for a hip bar and club scene.  There is simultaneously a growing population of immigrants from the former USSR and a bid on the table to join the European Union.  Is this Asia or Europe?  With just one week and one city as my sole evidence, I can confidentally say it is both.  Geographically and culturally, Turkey is where modern Western comforts and ideas have fused with timeless Eastern tradition and values.

One of my first shots of Sultanahmet Camii (the Blue Mosque).
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I had grand plans to tour Turkey thoroughly: Bodrum and Ephesus along the southwest Aegean coast, Nemrut National Park near the Kurdish east, and Cappadocia right in the middle.  However, it seems I couldn't have my Greece and eat my Turkey, too.  The timelines I needed to keep for my traveling companion as well as soon-to-be hosts dictated that one week was all I could afford in this expansive country.  So, deviating from my usual see-it-all nature, I spent the entire week in the country's largest and most famous city, but also its most dynamic, most historic, and most diverse - Istanbul.

I doubt anyone has truly 'done' Istanbul, but that doesn't mean you shouldn't try.

Early morning kitty activity.
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Thankfully, my Turkish experience was not a solo one.  Amanda, my dear friend from California and travel partner through Greece had decided her adventure aligned with mine for a couple more weeks.  Upon arriving in Istanbul, we situated ourselves in the most historic section of the city, Sultanahmet.  Our guesthouse was just minutes from two of the most famous sites, Hagia Sofia, and Sultanahmet Camii (the Blue Mosque).  We only went inside each once but were repeatedly thrilled to pass by them whenever we left or returned home.  Only in the day's different moods and from the infinite humbling perspectives was it possible to recognize these buildings for what they were - two of the most spectacular places of worship Christendom and Islam have ever seen.

The interesting pairing of cafe and mosque on the Bosphorus Strait embodies the city's dynamic blend of new and old.
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Sultanahmet's sites are different in theme and appearance, but share the common trait of size.  They are vast.  Topkapi Sarayi (palace) peeks into the wealth and might of the Ottoman Sultans.  It spans an area the size of an amusement park and has all the splendor of five of them.  It demonstrates a standard of luxury most of us can hardly fathom and boasts a treasury over which any royal house of Europe would drool.  The Basilica Cistern was no palace, but no less grand.  10,000 square meters of underground water storage.  Designed to hold the city's water supply during droughts or while under siege, this subterranean lake needs a rowboat, lantern and luck to navigate.  And the words "large" and "Istanbul" could not be uttered in the same breath without mentioning the Kapali Carsi.  Officially the world's largest market, the Grand Bazaar houses 4,000 shops and employs a small town's population of 30,000.  It covers several city blocks and sells anything conjurable by your local genie.  Guidebooks suggest an entire day to explore it, but I recommend two.  It may just take that long to find an exit.

A bread vendor transports his goods to his salespoint.
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Outside of Sultanahmet, there is plenty of Istanbul left to explore.  Mosque-lovers can visit what locals deem "the most beautiful" in the city, Suleymaniye Camii.  Historians wishing to travel back in time should amble along the fortified walls once defining the ancient city of Byzantium.  Fast-forwarding to the Common Era, the Bozdogan Su Kemeri, or Roman-built aqueduct is a wonderful kilometer-long testament to the adage "if it ain't broke, don't fix it".  The Ottoman Turks incorporated this aqueduct into their water engineering well into the 19th century.

The Basilica Cistern, an ancient massive underground water storage tank.
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Crossing the Golden Horn reveals more of the city still.  The city's most popular baklavaci, Gulluoglu, is situated directly across the Crystal Bridge in the fishing district of Karakoy.  For juice and music lovers like myself, wandering around the Galata Kulesi tower searching for the tallest glass of pomegranate-orange juice while listening to music shops tout their best is a worthwhile way to spend an evening.  Missing these areas may be forgivable, but omitting a stroll on the pedestrian-only Istiklal Caddesi (Independence Avenue) would be ignoring the heartbeat of modern-day Istanbul.  Teeming with cafes, clothing stores, and the city's vibrant youth, Istiklal is attractive entertainment for everyone.

One of the oddities in the Cistern, a column base with the face of the Gorgon, Medusa, on her side.
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Among the many things Turks love is food.  A restauranteur in California told me only French cuisine has a larger variety than Turkish.  From the street eats of simit (sesame) bread, boat-shaped pizzas called pides, and endless kebap choices to the century-old koftecis (meatball joints), ravioli houses, and kumpir (baked potato) bars, we tasted a small sampling of this true fusion cuisine.  Couple taste-bud tickling with the visual feast of football, and you'd have one happy Turk...not to mention me.  Amanda had not been to a professional game before, and my tally chart read only one, so we bought tickets for a Besiktas match.  Despite the socks we donned in support, the local team faltered against their opponent from Ankara.  But as we weren't tied to an outcome, only an experience, the Turkish football fans provided the victory.

There is no real way to capture this place. It is too large for any camera and too fun to stay behind one.
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This list of things Amanda and I saw and did may sound impressive, but those who have visited Istanbul know the following truth:  there is too much for just a single week.  The city is 2000 years old, has been known by three names, spans two continents, and is bordered by two major seas.  I doubt anyone has truly "done" Istanbul, but that doesn't mean you shouldn't try.