Despite the suicide bombing that took place in istanbul a few weeks ago, targeting German tourists in the popular Sultanahmet square, we decided to maintain our plan to visit.
The easy thing to do would have been to cancel and go somewhere else. Somewhere warm, we even thought. I personally never wanted to change plans. To me, getting caught up in a tragedy, whether in an "exotic" place like Istanbul, on a routine domestic flight, at work or at a party comes down largely to bad luck. These random occurances have very low statistical probability of happening. It's bad luck. Period.
In light of the zika virus shit storm that has errupted, I'm actually feeling vindication for not making a rash decision and heading somewhere warm. By opting not to change plans and visit (with my pregnant wife) a "safe" place such as mexico, the Caribbean or south east asia, all "plan B" options that we (thankfully!) scuttled, we avoided a quantifiable threat.
We got to Istanbul around midnight. Originally the plan was to arrive mid day, but our turkish airlines flight was rescheduled, probably to consolidate. We decided to book a hotel room for the first two nights because we wanted to avoid the potential arrival hassle that we commonly experience with airbnb. On top of that we were arriving so late. Wandering the streets of a big unknown city in the middle of the night with our luggage didn't seem prudent. So, we booked a hotel and paid the extra to have a driver waiting for us at the airport. Normally something we wouldn't do, but for 25 euro, it was a reasonable price to pay for peace of mind.
The hotel was modest and inexpensive, but it included breakfast and the staff was very nice. There are millions of hotels in Istanbul, competition is on the side of the consumer.
We both slept really hard that night. Our bed in Greece was very narrow making it difficult to sleep there. It was nice to be in a full queen.
If you look at an Istanbul map (and you should),you'll see that the old city with many iconic sights (sultanahmet square, ayasofya, blue mosque etc) is separated from the more modern bustling area of taksim and istiklal street by a large inlet called the golden horn. There are a couple bridges that span it. You will also notice another long skinny waterway adjacent to the taksim area and that intersects with the golden horn in the sea of marmara. This waterway is the bosphorus straight. It bisects the European and Asian continents and basically connects the black sea with the Mediterranean. It also disects the city of Istanbul, creating the third well known, but less touristed area, "the Asian side".
Our first day we dove right in and headed to the Grand Bazaar. A guard with a metal detector wand casually monitored the flow of people in and out. There are many entrances to the market housed in an expansive old building with high arched cielings lined with blue tile.
The market is a maze of vendors selling everthing from carpets to lamps, to ceramics and leather. Many of the shops sell the same tourist souvenirs, and then there are high end jewelry and antique stores. Little cafes and mosques are scattered throughout.
We wandered for a while getting acclimated to the constant request for us to stop and shop. "Yes please. Exuse me...." Unfortunately for the shop keepers, they don't realize they are actually repelling us.
The streets surrounding the bazaar are basically an open air extension, although more clothing, housewares, luggage etc are sold. Lots of counterfeit watches and handbags, shoes and clothes. People everywhere, busy.
We made our way down to the "spice bazaar". Very similar to the Grand, but smaller and with an emphasis on spices and tea. Super crowded! Hard to stop and shop if you want to.
The next day we moved to an airbnb about 15 minute walk away. It was on the 4th floor overlooking a busy, what I'll call local street. Neighborhood markets, restaurants, shops etc catering to the local community, not very touristy. Definitely had a little edge to it. There was a "pide" shop across the street, specializing in wood fired flat bread. We would get our breakfast from them, along with an orange at the market (where we also bought our water, 10 liters at a time for about a dollar). Local currency is the turkish lira, 3 to a dollar.
The apartment itself was really nice and newly remodeled. It had two bedrooms with queen beds, a kitchen and a large bright teal couch. Gaudy gold crown molding and chandeliers made the place fit for a sultan. The marble tile shower and huge shower head was a treat after the wand and baby bath tub we had in Greece. There was a decent view from the room, but from the roof top terrace it was divine.
Sunsets looking over the mamara sea were unreal. Imagine a painting, boats moored in the sea, so many large ships in close proximity that it is almost a caricature. Vibrant colors in the sky, domes and spires silhouette the horizon.
The old city is full of must-sees, and we hit a lot of them the next day. First Topkapi palace, including the sultan's harem. Talk about painted tile, lounges and fire places! Not to mention a harem of women and and army of eunuchs at your service!
Next was the ayasofya, an ancient church turned mosque turned museum. The expansive dome with giant caligraphy discs were impressive. Huge circular chandeliers hung from the high dome, loomed right over head, maybe 7 feet off the ground, creating a very cozy vibe inside the otherwise cavernous structure.
Adjacent to the ayasofya is the famed blue mosque with its towering domes and spires. We didn't enter. Supposedly it's more magnificent on the exterior. The call to prayer sounded while we were in the courtyard between the two. A booming call and response from adjacent spires filled the air and drowned out the sound of thousands of bustling people. Amazing.
This is the area where the suicide bombing occurred and we saw some German flags placed at the spot.
We then visited the historic basilica cistern, an underground man made cavern supported by rows of marble columns, dimly lit, the sound of water dripping all around and classical music playing in the background. Large fish could be seen swimming in the places with more illumination.
Afterward, we relaxed outside at a small cafe, drank tea and I smoked a hookah.
The next day we shopped carpets. I'm detailing the experience in a separate post found here.
On Tuesday, we went to the Turkish and Islamic Arts Museum. It held an impressive collection of ancient Qurans, old carpets and even a beard hair from the prophet Muhammed. We were hoping for more carpets, fresh off our shopping spree and new found appreciation. I guess an ancient beard hair will have to do.
Next we went to the Istanbul Museum of The History of Science & Technology in Islam. (We bought a five day all access museum pass when we visited Topkapi palace, so we are getting our money worth). Apparently, a lot of scientific achievements from people of Islam have been reappropriated by westerners or western Europeans during the writing of history. This museum catalogs these achievements, mainly in the form of replicas and videos, and straightens out the history (or spreads a bunch of propaganda).
That night I visited my first turkish bath or "hamam." There are some big tourist hamams, but this was in our neighborhood and not one of them. It was me and a bunch of middle aged turkish guys. In short, it consists of sitting in a sauna, getting exfoliated with a rough mit by a strong man, then being aggressively bathed/massaged by said man, then doused with copious amounts of water. I am detailing the experience in a separate blog post that can be found here.
The next day we went to the Fatih neighborhood Wednesday market. An open air market selling primarily scarves, bulk linens, womens and childrens clothes and sweatpants. The market is frequented by local women, most of them wearing all black and colorful head scarves (apparently the way to personalize an otherwise monochromatic and plain outfit). We stuck out.
Afterward we visited the Suleymaniye Mosque. You have to leave your shoes at the door and women must cover their heads. Clare conviniently had just purchased a couple scarves, so she fit right in. It was similar to the ayasofya, very high ornate domes with large circular chandeliers hanging low. Impressive. We even got some free information about islam and a copy of the Quran. Hopefully they let us back into the US.
That night, we met up with Nedim, the carpet guy, and he took us out to dinner and traditional music. It was a late night full of great food, awesome (LOUD) music, dancing and cigarette smoke. I have detailed the experience in the seperate blog about carpet buying.
Our bodies would make us pay for this experience for the next several days.
The following day, we packed up and left our fancy apartment and headed across the Golden Horn to the new city, the pulse of Istanbul's modern identity.
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