Istanbul - The Capstone of an Incredible Journey

Istanbul indeed, a fitting capstone to our journey. The word of the day is alive!

The official population is 15.5 million for the metropolitan area, but several times we heard larger numbers such as 17 or 20 million after adjusting to reflect all the people who come for work and including the immigrants from Syria and other war-torn areas. The population is a fluid number and people tend to be transient as they move about.  Comparison to other cities is just not fair since Istanbul has a personality of its own and is truly alive. 

Istanbul is where Europe meets Asia.  Asia Minor to be precise.  Originally it was colonized by the Greeks in the 7^th century BC and known as Byzantium.  It was under the control of the Romans for centuries.  In 334 AD, Constantine the Great, relocated the capital of the Roman Empire to the city and renamed it to Constantinople.  It remained the capital of the Roman Empire for about 65 years and of the Eastern Roman Empire for almost 1,000 years and the Ottoman Empire ruled for another 500 years. Needless to say, not all of these years were peacetime years as other groups tried to conquer it from time to time.  

It has been and still is one of the great melting pots of civilization with people of all religious, ethnic and racial backgrounds. Tourism is huge.  It is estimated that in 2019 there will be more tourist visitors than residents.  I think this means between 15 and 20 million visitors during the year. Here are some photos from across the city.

One of the most stunning aspects of Istanbul is its architectural masterpieces.  These include the Hagia Sophia – the Cathedral of the Eastern Orthodox Church.  For centuries it was the home of the eastern Christians. As the Ottoman Empire came into power it was converted to a Mosque and today it is a museum with relics of both the Christian and Muslim faiths. Religions are very much alive in Istanbul.

Blue Mosque – an Active Mosque in the heart of Istanbul.  We managed to visit between prayer services and it is stunning.  One of the arts mastered by the Ottomans was making decorative tiles.  These are really on display in the Blue Mosque as that is where the name comes from.

Topkapi Palace – the palace and residence of the Sultans and their families. Visitors are fortunate to see the palace and grounds very similar to how they existed during the time of the Sultans. It was 1923 when the Turkish people won their independence from the Ottoman rule and the last Sultan.  Slightly less than 100 years and a time when people understood the value of their cultural heritage and decided to save the palace as a museum.  Such foresight gives us a chance to visit it today.

History is truly alive in the architecture of Istanbul.  But there is also the Grand Bazaar and the Spice Market. You cannot describe something like this.  One of the largest shopping markets in the world, there are 61 covered streets and more than 4,000 shops.  It was very overwhelming.

Istanbul today is made up of one large city straddling the Bosphorus River with Europe to the west and Asia to the East.  The river is key part of life for the people. It is the only outlet from the Black Sea to the north. It remains one of the only ways to the sea for six countries: Bulgaria, Romania, Moldova, Ukraine, Russia and Georgia. The large ship traffic is continuous. Most of the residents navigate the area using the public transportation on the ferry system that covers the area. There is one card that you purchase and top-off with money that allows you to ride the subway, bus system, trams and ferries making it easy to get around. 

We enjoyed a dinner cruise on the Bosphorus on our second night in town and on our last day we just enjoyed an afternoon ride on the river. Viewing the town from the river gave a feeling of peacefulness without the intensity of being in the hustle and bustle of the city. The picture on the right shows people fishing from the river bridge and the one on the left is a busy cafe by the river where fish sandwiches sold directly off of boats to waiting customers.

 There are a lot of people moving around the waterfront.

 

On Sunday, Susanne enjoyed the Hamam again (the Turkish baths) and Malcolm went to an incredible museum of cars, planes, boat and trains.  That afternoon we took a ferry over to the Asia side. Interestingly we found that the streets of the area we were in were lined with beer pubs so we decided it was time for a pint.  We just sat in the pub watching the world and people pass by on the street. Indeed, a young and vibrant city. Truly alive. It was a true moment of reflection for us while savoring the new city we found.  

Chickens with feet still on and heads of lettuce decorated with radishes.

Olives truly are everwhere. For olive lovers like Susanne and I this was great.

Our view while sipping a pint in the pub.

The reason this scooter is interesting is that it was making a delivery of breads.  You can see the rack on the back with more breads.

We followed that with an incredible meal at Ciya Sofrasi, a restaurant in Kadikoy that specializes in the culinary treats from various other rural regions throughout Turkey.  It is hard to describe the differences in foods that exists throughout Turkey.  

Red lentil soup and an olive salad

On the left is Ciya Kabab made of beef and lamb in a dough pastry with walnuts, cheese, parsley and mint.  On the right is baked celery root.  Both were outstanding.

Stuffed cabbage 

On our last day we splurged on a dinner at an Istanbul restaurant by the name of Yeni Lokanta in the area of Taksim Square. Yeni means new and Lokanta means restaurant.  Very fitting as it was a culinary fusion of the classic tastes and flavors of Turkish cooking with the new styles of cooking and mixing foods. Truly a delight.  We had the 10 course tasting menu which speaks for itself.  What a wonderful treat on our last day of an incredible experience.

The menu.

Beef dumplings in yoghurt

Beet roots and sour cherry salad.

Raspberry meringue and caramel desserts.

We loved the food of Istanbul. We loved the country of Turkey. We loved all the history. But more than anything, we loved the people of Turkey. Alive in every way. We said to ourselves as we left, “no this is not goodbye, but rather so long until we meet again.”

Thanks for joining us on this journey.