Page 8 March 3, 2022
Travel from front page
loose robes that reach the floor. But you almost
never sense the barely restrained hostility of
the “Arab Street” ( it would be the “Turkish
Street” here anyway, a distinction that westerners
would do well to observe). In fact, one
of the biggest issues of the last fifty years has
been Turkey’s desire to join the European
Union—and its chances were torpedoed not
in an intolerant alley in Istanbul, but in the
governing halls of Germany.
Simply put, the “Thing” about Istanbul is
that it has been around forever and has seen
literally everything in the human experience.
Long before Constantinople boasted not one,
but two of the most successful empires in
Karaköy—Lemon seller on a pomegranate-yogurt break. Galata—Fishing family-style from Leonardo da Vinci’s favorite bridge. Fatih—Holiday shoppers throng the Mısır Çarsısı.
history—the Roman-Byzantian Christians followed
by the Muslim Ottomans—its position
at the junction of the east-west Silk Road and
the north-south Eurasian-African travel routes
guaranteed that it would dominate the trade and
culture of the ancient world. When London
was still an Anglo-Saxon village and later,
when Manhattan was still valued at $24 worth
of beads, the polyglot city of Constantinople
already teemed with travelers from the fabled
four corners of the Earth.
So with all that history and the lively, chaotic
activity of its modern streets, the only way we
can conjure Istanbul is with an equally chaotic
and random collection of observations:
The Hills:
When we pulled into Sirkeci Train Station,
our first thought was to walk the 3km to our
hotel. Little did we know, that the city was as
hilly as San Francisco and as complicated as
Hong Kong. You can reach anywhere on foot
with good shoes and a half-gallon of sweat, but
not with roller bags. The city boasts every kind
of road and sidewalk surface except pristine.
The Names:
The Golden Horn and the Bosporus—separated
at Seraglio Point across from the Galata
Tower—are two of the most fabled waterways
in history. The Topkapi Palace housed the
Sultans, their Harems, their troops of Janissaries,
and the enormous governing retinues led
by their Viziers. The Hagia Sophia, the Blue
Mosque, and the Süleymaniye Mosque were
three leading jewels in the life of historical
Islam. Legendary names like these alternately
terrified and inspired generations of humanity.
The Straits:
At the junction of the Mediterranean and
the Black Sea, Istanbul is a seafaring city.
For all the prowess of the Ottoman armies, it
was the Ottoman Navy that ruled the waves
through much of history. For most of the year,
the only export routes for the Russian Empire
ran through the 3km-wide Bosporus. With a
perfect harbor in the Golden Horn and the ships
to defend it, the Ottomans were guaranteed a
seat at any gathering of world powers.
The Food:
We expected the cuisine you find all over
Europe in Turkish cafés and restaurants—lamb,
kebabs, hummus, grape leaves, and so forth.
But in an ancient city with a trading history,
you find every type of food and every style
of preparation on the planet. Seafood takes
the prize in the restaurants, especially around
the Galata docks. Our favorite local specialty
is Meze, similar to Spanish Tapas, only with
a much more inventive, international touch.
Waiters trawl the restaurant with stacked
trays, and you point. Just save room for the
(smallish) main course.
The Crowds:
Turks don’t press in crowds. And it’s a good
thing, because anywhere you want to go, it
feels like all 15 million Istanbullus want to
join you.
The Bazaars:
The two oldest and most famous covered
markets in the world are the Kapali Çarsı
(Grand Bazaar) and the Mısır Çarsısı (Egyptian
or Spice Bazaar), both built in the 1660s. With
the pressure of tourism, both have given over
too much space to trinkets, but the original
tenants are still there—you just have to look
for them. We spent a couple of hours in a
booth at the Mısır Çarsısı, sipping tea and
getting an education in the wonders of Persian
saffron. It only cost us a minor fortune, and
we’ve never bought better.
The Metro:
One of our first tasks in any new city
is to figure out the Metro. Our first day in
Casablanca, for example, we rode the entire
network, even out to the beach, and met all
kinds of polite citizens determined to give up
their seat for Glinda. The Istanbul Metro is
far more complicated, but easy to use, and it
takes you everywhere, even out to the suburbs.
If you get lost, don’t worry—just cross the
tracks and go back the other way.
The Languages:
Outside the tackiest tourist traps of Fatih,
you won’t hear much English. In fact, you
won’t hear much of anything except Turkish
(remember, this is a proud country with an
imperial past)—especially in the docklands
and working areas where we like to wander.
We memorized the phrase, “Do you speak
English?”, but then realized the futility of
the question and switched to a more or less
universal sign language. It didn’t seem to
inhibit anyone.
A Final Thought:
Go to Istanbul, and go soon while things
are still friendly. We wish we’d followed the
same advice for Teheran, Beirut, Damascus,
or Baghdad—but what can you do? Today,
traveling to Istanbul is traveling into the very
heart of human civilization.
Next up: Dr. Livingstone, I Presume?
Ben & Glinda Shipley, published writers
and photographers, share their expertise and
experience of their many world travels. If
you have any questions or interest in a particular
subject, please email them at web@
heraldpublications.com. •
Fatih—Corn and chestnut roaster by the Sultan Ahmed Blue Mosque. Fatih—Women’s lunch spot near the Hagia Sophia.
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