Istanbul, the city of 20 million inhabitants is a massive culture shock to first time visitors and everyone except Beverley who visited here 8 years ago probably don’t know what to feast their eyes on first. The big-ticket items in Sultanahmet, which is the area with the Blue Mosque, Hagia Sophia, Topkapi Palace and the Basilica Cisterns once made up almost the entirety of Constantinople and they sit side by side complementing the enormity of each other.No visit to Istanbul would be complete without the use of a good guide and plenty of time to immerse yourself in the history of Sultans, Christianity and the Moslem Faith. Seerdat is our guide once again and he puts everything in chronological order so the complex history of Istanbul can come to life.
Shopping in Turkey is always lots of fun and the sensational Grand Bazaar always a favourite visit. Very high quality cotton is grown here and buying beautiful towels is a must. Jennifer’s Hamam came recommended and we followed the shop assistant like lambs to the slaughter, down narrow streets to the showroom. Eyes agog at the two floors of colourful organic cotton towels we came under the spell of a charismatic Australian called Greg. Least to say two hours later there was a huge bag ready to be packed off and sent to NZ and some Christmas shopping done.Thank goodness our hotel has a magnificent roof top bar overlooking the Bosphorus and the Golden Horn and in the evenings many enormous Mosques line the skyline. We laughed and reminisced about our very big first day in Turkey. If you plan on visiting Istanbul the ‘Vault Karakoy’ is perfectly situated in a characterful neighbourhood and within walking distance to restaurants, shops and the Grand Bazaar.
Using the efficient local trams, we visited the Süleymaniye Mosque, built by Süleymaniye the Magnificent starting in 1550. It only took seven years to build the second biggest mosque in Istanbul and sits quietly overlooking the golden horn surrounded by lawns, trees and pink hydrangeas.The buildings adjacent to the mosque – all with a vast range of domed roofs, were once a hospital for the mentally ill and accommodation for families. The crowds from Sultanahmet are not here and it was very peaceful and reflective.
The sounds of the city go on day and night. The elections are coming up on Sunday, so vans are driving around the city with loud speakers that reverberate and it seems like each candidate is trying to be louder than the other. In the evenings we eat within walking distance of the hotel – always a selection of meze – delicious small plates using a wide selection of vegetables, yoghurt, herbs, seafood and pastries. Just when you think you have had enough, salads follow and a main arrives in the form of whole fish, kebabs, kofta etc. Thank goodness dessert is fresh fruit. Although we did drop into a Baklava shop, full to the gunnels with locals eating plates of sweet treats. A small shared pate was more than enough for us.
Our last day in Istanbul always starts with a visit to the spice souk and market. I always buy my customary box of lemon and rose Turkish delight. We then glide up the Bosphorous on a local ferry to meet our driver Hickmet, enjoy lunch and return to the city. On our way up the Bosphorous this year we sailed past a huge ship and after googling the name found out it was the biggest construction vessel in the world called the ‘Pioneering Spirit’. The Bosphorus straight as it turned out was temporarily closed to naval traffic as the ship passed through. Consequently, the ferry couldn’t stop at our stop Sariyer and we ended up on the Asian side at the last stop before the Black sea at Anadolu Kabagi. Never mind, this is Turkey. We enjoyed another delightful lunch watching the monster past by with its flotilla of tug boats and coastguard vessels . It was a very impressive sight to see something the size of several football fields and 382 m long, glide slowly past on its way to the Black sea to finish a deep water construction of the second gas line from Russia to Turkey. In the meantime, Hickmet returned to Istanbul by himself and we had another ferry ride.
Our 4 nights in Istanbul finished on an unexpected escapade. The girls of the group decided to experience the new modern mall called Zorlu for a brief visit. Our plan was to get off the ferry, catch a taxi, spend an hour looking around the mall and taxi back in time for drinks that the hotel manager and marketing manager Antony were putting on for us. Because we were 5 we had to have 2 taxis. All went to plan until the trip back to the hotel. Both drivers discussed where they had to drop us off and took off traveling 100km heading down a wide road towards the sea of Marama. Traffic is always horrific in Istanbul but honestly. Our driver tooted at every vehicle, mind you so was everyone else. We drove through a market full of people shopping for fruit and vegetables! Up and down the narrowest streets. He stopped got out of his car at one stage to find the other driver, who by now was nowhere to be seen and the best or worst driving I have ever seen – when he drove past an intersection that he wanted to go up, he literally stopped in a 2 lane road, backed up slowly and did a 3-point turn. Amazingly enough, the cars all let him squeeze in. After being gridlocked in streets that looked like driveways they were so narrow, we somehow popped out at the hotel 20 minutes late.
Istanbul is a cacophony of sounds 24 hours a day, 7 days a week. This city never sleeps and yet the friendliness of the Turkish people shows through. Without hesitation standing for elderly on the trams, keen to chat and offering great service always with a smile.