Depth of history is one of the major drawcards for visitors to Istanbul. For us it was the starting point of six months of overlanding adventure, which will see us follow the silk route, and then journey down into South East Asia. It was also a city that friends had raved about and we were intrigued to see where Europe was meant to start fusing with Asia.
One of the most striking things about the city of Istanbul are the many domed mosques with their pointed minarets which can be seen from a distance across the city. As well as having a physical dominance, these buildings play a strong and vital role in the lives of many. A place to pray and practice Islam, but also a meeting point, as we saw many gather on the steps talking and waiting for friends.
We visited the ‘Blue Mosque’, which is open to the public between prayer times. Inside there was a lot of light from the stained glass windows and reflections from the many millions of mosaic pieces which covered the domed ceiling.While we and other tourists posed for photos and wandered around, a man carefully vacuumed the carpet, where many would soon be praying.
One of the best views of the Blue Mosque and Hagia Sophia has to be from the roof terrace of the Seven Hills Hotel, especially as there are very few elevated sites from which to see this part of the city. Naturally we paid tourist prices for drinks and didn’t receive particularly attentive service, but we (and many others) were after the 360 degree views more than the refreshments.
From above ground to below ground, we visited the Basilica Cistern and marvelled at the impressive feat of Byzantine engineering. At 9,800 square metres and with a capacity of storing 100,000 tons of water, the cistern originally supplied the Imperial Palace and some of its surrounding residents with water. Later the Ottomans sourced their own water supply, and the cistern became redundant and then forgotten until it was discovered many years later.
The lighting and the acoustics in the cistern are quite remarkable and with the large marble columns it’s easy to see why it was given the name ‘the Sunken Palace’. A special feature are the two sculptures of Medusa’s head, one positioned upside down, the other on its side. There are various versions of the myths about Medusa and theories about the reasons behind using her sculptured head to support two of the columns, including that by positioning her non-upright, those who looked at her would not turn into stone.
We also saw the double-storied Valens Aqueduct which provided water to the cistern. Today it stands as a reminder to the Roman’s masterful engineering, and the absolute lengths people would go to, to ensure water was in ready supply.
One example of Ottoman life, which still thrives today is the Grand Bazaar. This covered criss-cross of shops and stalls offers everything from textiles to ceramics to jewelry to lanterns, plus much more. We had gone early to avoid the crowds, but there was so much shopping space it was easy to find quieter areas to browse. We were quite surprised at the quality of a lot of the merchandise, although some items were quite repetitive, many of the items, particularly the textiles, looked well made, and not everything looked as though it had been imported from a far.
The Bazaar also has a nice line of cafes, and we opted for a coffee at Fez Cafe. The Fez Turkish Coffee, although not the best we had sampled in Turkey was served with a delightful almond liquor, which seemed a bizarre combination at first, but really worked.
The Spice Market was another shopping experience which slightly overwhelmed the senses. Weaving through the people and stalls, we sampled different kinds of nougat and Turkish Delight as shop owners tried to entice you to buy. I couldn’t quite make out the structure of the Spice Market, as sweet shops were next to delicatessens next to cheese shops, which offered long spaghetti style, stringy, salty cheese. Tasty, but not quite sure what you’d do with it.
While in the markets we noticed the constant tea and coffee couriers darting among the shoppers, delivering hot refreshments to the shop owners and workers on round trays. By this stage we thought a coffee seemed the most sensible idea, so we asked a retailer where to get a coffee.
Doing like the locals do is often the most effective way to find the best food and drink experiences. We had been given a good tip about getting one of the fish kebabs straight off the fishing boats, rather than the tourist boats nearer Serkeci. Hayden was ecstatic to find one such boat where a group of guys stood around grilling small fish. Slapped in a roll with some lettuce and lemon juice, and Hayden was super content with his first-ever fresh fish kebab.
One of the things that surprised me about Istanbul was how hospitable the city is to cats. These feline residents rule the place, hanging out in hoards in the inner city streets, or going it alone in the back alleys, perhaps favouring solitude to increase their chances of food. Many people seem to leave water and food out for these cats, suggesting they see them as a type of pet, rather than a pest.
Amongst the buildings, mosques and busy streets, we often saw bright displays of tulips, particularly in the grounds between Hagia Sophia and the Blue Mosque. There were rows of tulips in so many different colours, from deep almost black purples to bright white, two-tone, and peachy pink. These flowers really popped against the gray buildings and stone walls and gave the city a softer feel, especially when walking around in the fading dusk light.
Istanbul was the perfect place to transition away from the familiar and sometimes repetitive characteristics of European cities. We’d been surprised by a lot about Istanbul, and impressed by the helpfulness of the Istanbul locals. All this, along with meeting our fellow traveling companions, had increased our enthusiasm levels for discovering Turkey during the next two weeks, as well as the expedition ahead.
Information
The Basilica Cistern Yerebatan Sarnici (guide/pamphlet)
Special thanks to our friend Katrina for the great tips for visiting Istanbul, including the recommendation to visit ‘Hafiz Mustafa’ for the best Turkish Delight.
