Coming to Istanbul was a very pleasant surprise. Straddling both Europe and Asia, we motored through rural landscapes to the Turkish border till we reached Turkey’s small European foothold to Istanbul. Founded by the Greeks as Byzantium more than 2,500 years ago, renamed Constantinople in the year 330 when Constantine the Great made it the capital of the Roman Empire. After the Ottoman conquest, this Byzantine city along the Bosphorous was renamed Istanbul in the 15th century. Geographically, Istanbul remains the gateway between East and West, Orient and Occident, Christian and Islamic worlds, Black Sea and the Mediterranean.
It was very cold and windy when we got here. Despite the chill, we were game enough to board a small boat and cruise the Bosphorous Canal. I still remember our Turkish guide, Ahmed. I remember some of us elected to stay below rather than on deck where one can appreciate the vista of the many minarets and palaces of Istanbul. With no exception, all of us in the group were pleasantly surprised with the beauty of this city. Cosmopolitan, yet so rich with history. Think Rome…………but with minarets.
Our hotel welcomed us with good Turkish coffee and is located in a pedestrian alley near some boutique shops. This time, I only managed to buy a cashmere blouse. I was too lazy to wash my clothes. Or maybe I found a good excuse to rationalize my behavior. But the cashmere blouse came in handy when we ventured out for dinner and a bellydancing show. We enjoyed our Turkish dinner in this restaurant meant to feed and entertain guests. It was a big hall with ramps snakings around it. After dinner, we learned what the ramps are for. When the belly dancers got on stage, they surely moved around the hall with ease to the delight of many. I certainly enjoyed our adventure tonight. Satisfied many senses.
Next day, we found ourselves in Emperor Justinian’s Haggia Sophia and Sultan Ahmet’s Blue Mosque. Standing across each other, these 2 monuments of competing faiths are marvelous creations ! How I wish we had more time to spend here and appreciate the mosaics, architecture, minarets, etc. But we had to rush to spend an afternoon in Topkapi Palace where a local guide waited to give us a tour of the palace museum. We were all stunned by the Imperial Treasury’s Spoonmaker’s Diamond. So called because the diamond is as big as a spoon! Many in the group opted to sit out the rest of the afternoon. The Palace is huge! But no one missed the tour of the Harem.
As our final stop, we were brought to the Grand Bazaar with its 4,000 tiny shops. Oh, i loved it here. Easy to get lost though, as I went to check out the spices and had to retrace my steps to join the rest of the group. From leather jackets to oriental carpets, to spices and nuts, to gold and more gold. I ended up buying a dozen of scarves. Well, I thought they were cheap. Until another one in our group joined us with the same merchandise, claiming she got it for far less. So much for our shopping adventure. Let me have some Turkish coffee!
Postscript: I had a 2nd chance to visit Istanbul some years later. Do check out A Second Time Around In Istanbul.
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