Tuesday 27 October 2015

Turkey – The melting pot of Istanbul

October 24-26

Hello everyone!

The place where east meets west. The destination where two continents join. The end of one civilisation and the start of another. A mix of a myriad of cultures. Clichés abound about Turkey’s largest city: Istanbul. It’s also a place which very few people have a bad word to say about.




The Bosphorus, which divides Istanbul into three distinctive areas


It’s been a while since I was here. Seven years, in fact. In 2008, when I previously spent time in Istanbul, I had stitches removed from my head and was trying to live on scraps. My travelling methods have changed slightly since then; I was fascinated to see whether this metropolis had modified as well.

A man shaving a doner in 2008. When prices were much lower...

Walking through the Grand Bazaar in 2008. I have enough money to buy more than a bowl this time...

Of course, many of the main attractions of Istanbul were here when I last visited; indeed, they've been around for far longer than I have been on this earth. One of the oldest is the world-renowned Hagia Sophia, the current and third version of which was built in the sixth century.

Hagia Sophia

The beautiful interior of Hagia Sophia

This beautifully rustic building, with its fading red exterior and seemingly crumbling brickwork, was originally constructed as a church by an Emperor called Justinian. The reason I say it was a church is because of what happened here in 1453; an event which shook the Christian world at the time. The sacking of Constantinople.

Hagia Sophia from the front entrance

An artistic interpretation of the conquest of Constantinople, what Istanbul used to be called

The Ottoman conqueror, Sultan Mehmed II, converted the church into a mosque. It remained an active mosque until 1935, when it was changed into a museum by the founder of modern Turkey, Mustapha Kemal Ataturk.

An example of Islamic-styled decoration in Hagia Sophia

The interior of Hagia Sophia

What I found fascinating is how many Christian elements were maintained in the Hagia Sophia, even when it had been a mosque for hundreds of years. Mosaics depicted biblical events and people are still visible on the top floor, as are notes from one of the synods from the 12th century. It shows an acceptance and tolerance of other religions.

The symbol in the corner is a Christian symbol


Looking out of the southern-facing windows will explain to a visitor one of the main reasons why the Hagia Sophia is no longer active as a mosque. It doesn't need to be when one of the largest and most famous mosques in the world is across the street: the Blue Mosque.

The view of the Blue Mosque from Hagia Sophia
The Blue Mosque

This apparently is only one of two mosques in the world which has six or more minarets. The other one is in Mecca: the holiest of all Islamic sites. The Blue Mosque is therefore a big deal and has been since its construction was completed in 1616. As with all mosques, certain clothing has to be worn or removed prior to entering. Animals are also forbidden from entering, in spite of this dog’s best efforts.


The dog eventually tired of queueing

The idea of the mosque and its scale was to emphasise Islam’s superiority over Christianity and its size certainly screams dominance and power. Its central dome is 43 metres in height and almost 24 metres wide. The mosque itself is adorned with over 20,000 blue tiles, which is why the Mosque of Sultan Ahmet has a more common name.

Inside the Blue Mosque

The blue tint is very noticeable inside the mosque

At the last count, in 2013, there are 3113 active mosques in Istanbul. Another of the ‘heavyweight’ temples is the Süleymaniye Mosque in the old city district. This has breath-taking views of the Bosphorus River which dissects the city.

The Süleymaniye Mosque

A view of the northern, more modern side of European Istanbul from the mosque


These three attractions lead scores of people to Istanbul, even in October. I was surprised by the plethora of tourists who are visiting the city even when the temperature drops to single figures and the rain starts to fall. Interestingly, Istanbul receives more annual rainfall than London. No stigma attached here, though.

The line to enter the Basilica Cistern

Dark clouds hovered throughout our trip; luckily for us, it only rained once.

Millions of tourists visit but there are more than enough locals to make this metropolis seem like a swarming beehive. Approximately 15 million, in fact. 3 million pairs of feet each day trample along the streets leading to the modern ‘city centre’ of Istanbul: Taksim Square. We visited one evening in the aftermath of a football match but that event deserves a blog of its own. All I’ll say for now is that it is reminiscent of a major city centre street in the UK. Shops like Mango, McDonald’s and LC Waikiki aren't readily available in other parts of the country. Cosmopolitan would certainly be an accurate description.

A particularly busy time on one of Taksim's main streets


One aspect of modernity and globalisation which didn't quite work whilst we were here was the time. In that it was difficult to know what the time was. The clocks in most of Europe reverted to their standard winter time during the weekend of our visit. It was thus to our surprise, and at times dismay, that we would change from a tram which stated 15:38 and embark on one which read 14:42. It transpires that this year, and only this year, Turkish folk are changing their clocks two weeks later than the rest of us. Clearly half of the local population weren't aware of this…

Many locals were aware that DST ends in November, but many were not...

It's because no one knows the time, that's why! 

Some aspects of Istanbul are modern, yet the city retains much of its traditional charm. The sight of dozens of people fishing of the relatively new Galata Bridge is heart-warming. I remember vividly from my previous visit being encapsulated by these old men – and now women – who spend their day casting off into the river below, avoiding the mass of boats whilst hoping a fish will take the bait from within the choppy waters.

All of these people are fishing, their lines centimetres apart

Fishermen on the Galata Bridge

Traditional shopping has been maintained in some aspects (the Spice Bazaar) though in others it has been usurped by the desire to hunt for the tourist dollar, euro or rouble (the Grand Bazaar). I’ll talk about these in another blog.

The outskirts of the chaotic and cacophonous Spice Bazaar

The Grand Bazaar: at times reminiscent of a western shopping mall

This is the thing about Istanbul. There is so much to see, to do, to sample. So much to experience, some of which can be intimidating whilst other occurrences bring sheer joy. We were around for the best part of three days; I feel like we barely scratched the surface. What an incredible city of contrasts. Clichés are often based in truth and I will certainly agree that you can have completely different experiences within two or three miles in the same city.

The old-school method of transporting large goods

A five minute walk from the buzz of the Blue Mosque we found this delightful cafe and dog, which we named Sully. After the founder of the mosque, Sultan Ahmed. Duh.


A wall in the modern part of the city adorned with traditional mosaic designs

I've been asked a few times where my favourite places are in the world and I've always listed Istanbul in my top five based on my experiences here when I was twenty years old. Returning with a shred more maturity and a more worldly perspective, I can safely say that Istanbul would still rank just as highly as I approach the end of my twenties. Words can’t do everything about this city justice: just go. Go be harassed in a bazaar and enjoy it. Go try some bizarre food and savour it. Don’t check for the possibly incorrect time; instead, allow time to disappear around you as you immerse yourself in Istanbul.

A multi-coloured staircase hidden within crumbling high-rises

The old city at sunset

Savouring Turkish coffee: food and drink get their own blog as we tried so many different things

Love you all

Matt

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