We arrived home this morning from our trip to Istanbul around 4:00 am. We had a wonderful time; every aspect of the trip was great. We flew on Turkish Air from Cairo to Istanbul and back. The service on the flight was outstanding. It is nearly 1 and ½ to 1 and ¾ hour flight. The plane was packed going and almost full coming back. Meals were served both ways.
We stayed at the Angel House Hotel located in the heart of the historical peninsula or “Sultanahmet” area of Istanbul. The hotel has a full service restaurant located about a block away. This is where we ate our breakfasts and a couple of other meals. It is identified as a “boutique” hotel and while a bit small, served our needs very well.
Most of what we wanted to visit was within a 5 to 10 minute walk from the hotel. We ate our remaining meals at the nearby restaurants located in the area.
Each restaurant has both an inside and outdoor eating area. A Matrie d' with menus greets people as they walk by on the cobblestone streets trying to entice them into their establishment. We had great meals throughout the vacation in this area. Most of the time we had authentic dishes served in a first class manner at very reasonable prices. The typical dish of Istanbul would consist of fish, chicken, lamb, mutton or veal, to which a variety of vegetables are added. Pilaf, potatoes and vegetables are used as side dishes. The usual way of starting a big meal is with mezzes, a selection of hot and cold dishes such as meat, fish, salads, vegetables and cheese, shared amongst the table and eaten with fresh bread. To finish your meal, baklava, kadayif and a whole host of sweets are available along with rice pudding and ice cream. Often apple tea is served at the end of the meal. Of course one could never really go hungry in the area as it seemed nearly every block has carts and stands selling corn on the cob, hazel nuts and pistachios, pretzels, and sweets.
A prime reason for many tourists to visit Istanbul is for the shopping. The Kapali Carsisi, or Covered Market, is the logical place to start as the area and variety is immense. This is the commercial centre of the old city. The “Grand Bazaar” as it is called is the original shopping “mall” with a vast selection of carpets, souvenirs, clothes, shoes, jewelry and handicrafts made from ceramics, copper and brass. The flyers say there are over 4,500 shops located in this covered area. It operates very similar to the Kahn in Cairo where negotiating for prices on items is expected. One couple we met who work in Jordan told us that they typically offer 1/3 of the asking price and rarely go higher unless it is something very unique. While we are not quite that bold, we have been more seasoned in our bargaining techniques and were able to purchase several items as gifts.
The area we stayed in (the Sultanahmet) has become another shopping mecca in the old city mainly because it has the highest concentration of tourist attractions. It is a thriving shopping arcade selling carpets, jewelry and a plethora of clothing and crafts. But it seems the most incessant sales people in this area are the carpet salesmen. They sit or stand outside their shops and seem to have built in radar for spotting tourists to greet and get into their store. Some will come up to you in other areas near tourist attractions and begin conversations which usually end with “I would like to take you to my store.” Many claim to have lived or are living in the US (or England if that is where you are from) and want to do you a favor and give you the inside scoop on what or how to buy. They reminded us of very aggressive car salesmen who know if they can get you into their store to start their presentation, they have a good chance of making a sale. We did buy one the first night we were there and in some respects that helped us to ward off the salesmen the rest of our stay as we could say “We already bought one.”
Our sales experience was probably typical with one little extra. We were shown dozens of carpets (some wool, some silk) of all sizes, told stories of how the salesperson once lived in Washington state, plied with hot apple tea and told we were really getting a bargain because not a single carpet was sold that day and they really wanted to give us a good deal so they wouldn’t be shut out. But the real extra was the salesperson’s assistant who rolled out the carpets and as an added feature, twirled them up in the air. He was the highlight of the entire presentation. We walked out with a beautiful silk one that we sure like. Probably the most insistent salesperson was one we met on Monday while walking back from the Sea. He walked with us for 10 minutes and then when we ducked into a coffee shop for about a half hour to lose him, found him waiting for us when we came out!!
The main reason we came to Istanbul was to see the sights of this beautiful old city which joins Eastern Europe with Western Asia – the crossroads of trade for thousands of years. It is a beautiful city and very easy to travel around in. We walked most every place we went and because it was the end of Ramadan, the city was packed with people (tourists and locals – as it is like a national holiday – except stores and eating places are open).
Our first site to visit was the Blue Mosque on Friday evening. The mosque was built around 1610 and features 6 minarets and over 260 stained glass windows and 20,000 Iznik tiles decorated in shades of blue and turquoise. We came back and visited the mosque on Tuesday morning as well to see it during the day – in the area around the mosque are marble areas for men to wash before they enter the mosque. Women have a separate washing area behind the mosque protected by a gate.
On Saturday, we visited the AyaSofya. This mosque was first built as a church by the Roman Emperor Constantine in 60 AD. It was burned, destroyed and then rebuilt by the Emperor Justinian to mark the unity between the eastern and western Roman empires in the mid-500’s. In 1453 it was converted into a Mosque and became a museum in 1934. It is a massive structure with many domes, pillars and windows. It is difficult to describe the beauty and size of this structure. Many of the gold frescoes and mosaics have and are being restored to their original look.
Between the AyaSofya and the Blue Mosque are beautiful gardens and the Hippodrome, an area featuring 3 columns, one from Egypt, one from Athens and one built here by the Emperor Constantine. The Hippodrome was once used for contests and chariot races. From this area, it is a short walk to the Underground Cistern. The Cistern was built by the Emperor Justinian to supply Istanbul with water. The roof is supported by 336 pillar arranged in 12 rows of 28 each.
Sunday we spent the whole day at Topkapi Palace. This was built around 1475 and added to by each Sultan as needed. During the time of the Sultans, this was the center of life for the royal family and their entourage as well as the government for over 400 years. The palace is located on the Seraglio Point between the Golden Horn and the Sea of Marmara in Istanbul, overlooking the Bosporus Sea. It consists of many smaller buildings built together and surrounded by four courts.
The First Court covers the entire Seraglio Point and is surrounded by high walls. The main gate is called the Imperial Gate. Along with the Palace, the First Court also contains the old imperial mint, a church, the Archeology Museum and various fountains and gardens. The huge Gate of Greeting leads into the palace and the Second Court. This court is a park surrounded by the palace hospital, bakery, Janissary (military corps) quarters, stables, the imperial Harem and the kitchens. Through the Gate of Felicity is the Third Court which is the heart of the palace, a lush garden surrounded by the Hall of the Privy Chamber occupied by the palace officials, the treasury (which contains some of the treasures of the Ottoman age, such as an 83k diamond and the arm and skull of John the Baptist!) the Harem and library of Ahmet III.. The Fourth Court a private garden of the Sultan.
Other places in the Topkapi Palace are the Tower of Justice, the Pavilion of the Holy Mantle containing relics of the Prophet Muhammad and the first caliphs, and the Throne Room in the Harem where the Sultan received his guests and envoys. It was in the Tower of Justice that contains two of the most interesting items contained in the palace, the sandals once worn by Muhammad and the stick that Moses used to part the Red Sea on his way out of Egypt!! This area was very emotional as one would expect as Muslims view items once belonging to the Prophet Muhammad. The palace also owns large collections of porcelain, robes, weapons, shields, armors, Ottoman miniatures, calligraphic manuscripts and mural decorations, as well a display of Ottoman treasures and jewelry.
Monday we walked down to the sea – the crowds of people were immense. As we were trying to decide what to do, we witnessed an unusual scene (for us anyway). Apparently a man was causing some sort of disturbance in a seaside shop or restaurant – we are not sure what happened but the police or security in the area were dragging him out and tossed him onto the sidewalk. He got up and began speaking loudly towards them when one officer decided either he had enough or didn’t like what he heard cause he went over to the man, grabbed him and hurled him to the sidewalk and began pounding on him and kicking him. Another officer pulled him off while someone attended to old man. Eventually, he got up and stumbled off holding a handkerchief to his head to stop the bleeding. After viewing this, we thought it would be wise to leave the area so we walked across the bridge to the Asian side of Istanbul for look at that part of the city. After spending a little time there, we ventured back across the bridge and took a 2 hour boat cruise along the Bosporus.
The ferry was packed with people enjoying the holiday and beautiful weather. While on the boat, we got an idea of the size of Istanbul. It a very large city covering a large land area on both sides of the sea on two continents. Istanbul is the only city situated on two continents and once served as the capital for three great empires (Holy Roman, Byzantine and Ottoman). Its population is nearly 10 million and is the 2nd largest city in Europe. It is called the “City of Seven Hills” and can trace its origins back to 667 BC. It is a colorful, vibrant city that even with its size and population seems very friendly and easy to get around in. Istanbul is more western than Egypt and this is also reflect in the Moslem population. A lower percentage of women are vieled -- they are scarfed although much more colorful than we find in Egypt. A higher percentage of men appear in public than women and almost all of the sales personnel are men. Smoking is very prevelant in Turkey especially among men and boys. We saw many more younger boys smoking on the streets than we see in Egypt. Cats also seem to hold a fascination for the Turks. They are all over, in hotels, eating places, museums and on the streets.
On our way back to our hotel, we stopped at the famous Cagaloglu Hamam Turkish Bath where Pat and I decided to get the “works”. This bath has been feature in the “1000 Places to See and Do Before You Die.” It is nearly 400 years old and considered one of the best for a real Turkish massage and steam bath. The attendants speak very little English so communication itself is an experience. After undressing, you are taken into a domed marbled room with a steam area, a massage area and a bathing area. In the men’s area, you begin with a steam, have the massage and then the soap massage bath followed by another steam. In the women’s area, you began with a steam around marble sinks that ran continually. The massage begin with a scraping of the skin, followed by a rinse, followed by a soap massage, another rinse, a regular massage, rinse, shampoo, rinse, face, head and neck massage, another rinse and then more relaxing in the steam room followed by a final rinse. All in all, it took between 1 ½ and 2 hours for the entire process.
Tuesday we hoped to be able to visit the Spice Market, built in 1663 but because of the holiday it was closed. We walked throughout the city enjoying the sites and sounds and then ventured to the Istanbul Archaeological Museum. This museum is really a complex of three museums: the Museum of Oriental Antiquities, the Archaeological Museum and the Tiled Pavilion. The museum features one of the world's richest collections of classical artifacts and pre-classical treasures. There are over 60,000 items, 760,000 coins and 70,000 clay tablets dating back 4,000+ years (Tigris-Euphrates, Troy, Egyptian, Greek, Roman, Byzantine and Ottoman periods). Many of the statures and portrait busts were very recognizable from the history texts that I once used (Zeus, Poseidon, Marcus Aurelius, Augustus, etc). After the museum we ventured back to the hotel area to eat and say goodbye to many of the shopkeepers we had met during our stay.
Istanbul was a wonderful place to visit. The people were friendly, the hospitality was warm and the climate (high 60’s, low 70’s) was ideal. There is so much to see and learn. The Ottomans were one of the great empires of the world lasting nearly 700 years with a rich and varied culture – one that is often overlooked in the West.
