Beautiful Istanbul

This is the first of possibly many more entries about my recent trip to Turkey. Decided to write about Istanbul first as it’s one of the most beautiful and intriguing cities that were covered in the itinerary. No trip to Turkey would be complete without a tour of Istanbul and even with the inclusion of the city in our itinerary, I felt like I needed more time to explore this city by myself. I actually don’t mind travelling to Istanbul again…

It’s just amazing that the city was home to so many great empires of yesteryear. And what’s even more amazing is that the symbols of these empires actually co-exist within 1km of one another! The Sultan Ahmet Mosque (better known as the Blue Mosque), the Aya Sofya, the Roman Hippodrome and the Topkapi Palace are all within the vicinity. That the whole area is surrounded by gardens full of colourful flowers makes it even more surreal. When you see things like that, you start to wonder why so many wars are still going on. Oh well, you may say these are just buildings built by different people at different times. Still, building a new empire without destroying symbols of the empires you defeat is quite an admirable act. Also makes it easier for first-timers to Turkey to get a quick snapshot of the history of the country =)

I do not know enough about architecture to actually critique the buildings but I’m quite intrigued by the intricate patterns of the mosaics and stained glass windows in all these buildings. How does one go all the way up to the interior of the dome to pattern the mosaics and glass such that verses of the Quran are arranged so beautifully and neatly? I also love the generous use of marble for pillars and other parts of the interior.

The Topkapi Palace is another wonder in itself. Before I stepped into Topkapi Palace, the palace is just known to me as an untouchable place that kings and queens live in. I’ve never actually dreamt of standing on palace grounds myself. Anyways, the palace is huge and to look at the different rooms and exhibits, we had to join many snaking queues. It’s really good that Turkey is nowhere as hot and humid as Singapore, so even if we had to wait for our turns, we didn’t perspire.

Anyway, our time in the rooms themselves were very brief, cos there were so many people that we can’t afford to stare at the beautiful jewel exhibits but more importantly, there was no point in staring at these jewels cos we can’t own them. We can’t bring them back home, so haha quick glances at the riches of the Ottomans will do.

What I didn’t particularly enjoy was the time at the Grand Bazaar and the Egyptian Spice Bazaar. They have a variety of things but some of the shopkeepers can be quite pushy. And they will pull a long face and cease to be friendly when you bargain or just walk away from their store after asking the price. Not all are like that, but some of them can really put you off. The concept of having an indoor bazaar selling almost everything and anything is marvellous and I would liken it to Shin Sai Bashi in Osaka, Japan,

but wandering through the alleys and browsing through the shops at Shin Sai Bashi was a more relaxed experience. Also, the target groups are different for these two shopping areas in Istanbul and Osaka respectively. While Shin Sai Bashi is frequented by both locals and tourists, the two bazaars in Istanbul are touristy shopping areas. Many centuries ago, there were indeed markets where people would get their supplies from, but ever since they turned into tourist attractions, it seems like they have lost a bit of colour and soul as a trading market. I could have done with less time in the Grand Bazaar and Egyptian Spice Bazaar and more time taking photos of the streets and buildings in the city.

The bazaars aside, I would say the landscape of Istanbul is breathtaking, to say the least. The hustle and bustle of the city can be captured by the activities of the man on the street while the beautiful soul (that sounds seriously familiar, ain’t it? haha…) of the city lies in its works of architecture. At one glance, you wonder how modernity and antiquity can coexist but Istanbul shows the way. That progress doesn’t need to get in the way of preservation.

Walking along the streets can already keep you busy with your cameras but well, nothing beats the cruise ride along the Bosphorus Strait. Reminds me of my distant dream of owning a waterfront house…

Given time, I would really wanna explore Istanbul on my own. Try out the little eateries and take more pictures of people. Maybe can go to Istanbul again if I decide to go some of the countries around the region like Greece or Bulgaria. Not in the next few years, but Istanbul’s definitely one of my top choices for the future honeymoon =) The traffic is crazy and in the heart of the city, you get to your destination faster on foot but if you think about what you can get out of walking through the streets, I guess it’s worth it.