Turkey Day(s), in January?!

Notwithstanding my fervent vegetarianism (well, pescetarianism...), I was sad that I missed Thanksgiving (a.k.a. Turkey Day) in the States.  Family, friends and the food that brings us together is what really matters!  I figured what better way to placate my sadness than with satisfying my appetite for travel instead?  I chose Turkey.  Gobble, gobble.  Haha.  In keeping with the togetherness of the spirit of the holiday, I was able to go with one of my coursemates and friends, Andrew.  It was nice to have a like-minded travel buddy who moved at a pace that was fast enough to see the many sights of the city and its environs, but not too eager to move on to the next attraction at the expense of viewing fully or enjoying what was being explored.

Andrew and I decided to only stay in Istanbul because of the limited time (and £$€) that we had.  It was a good decision.  We had about 4 days in which we were able to see all of the major sites of the city, as well as a few other less-visited/well-known places.  We would have needed to start exploring beyond greater Istanbul to make the most out of our visit if we had any more time.

The adventure began on arrival.  The budget airlines fly into the lesser known, less traveled to and far away from your actual/final destination airports.  This time the airport was on a different continent, Asia.  I wanted to get to the European side of Istanbul (the city spans both Europe and Asia, with the Bosporus Strait as the divider), so I had to take a bus and a ferry to get to my hostel and the main tourist attractions.    I had no idea which bus to take (I am cheap/poor, so I always take the public transportation versus shuttle busses or taxis where applicable), and spoke no Turkish.  However, a gentleman was kind enough to tell me which bus to take.  Furthermore, I had too big of bills from the ATM to pay for the bus.  An extremely nice woman paid for me with her bus pass!  What a great introduction to Turkish hospitality!  I did pay for the ferry, though--1,5 Turkish lira (TL) ≈ $1 ≈ £0.60.  I was expecting it to be really expensive, but I learned another lesson: public transport in Turkey is dirt cheap.  :)  Not only was the ride easy on my pocketbook, but it also was easy on the eyes; I was able to see the picturesque skyline of Istanbul, with its mosques/minarets, towers, skyscrapers, bridges, lighthouses and palaces.  Too bad it was a cloudy, cold day!

When Andrew arrived the next morning, we began exploring the city.  We started out with one of the most famous landmarks: the Sultan Ahmed/Blue Mosque.  It was the prettiest mosque that I've ever seen, as well as one of the biggest.  The light grey marble facade with smoky, bluish-grey domes were a captivating sight on the looming building.  The best part was getting to go inside!  I've never been in a mosque before and I thought that non-Muslims weren't allowed in them.  I was wrong!  It was gorgeous--the architecture was stunning, with many stained-glass windows and painted stone.  After that, Andrew and I went to the Hagia Sophia.  This was a former Byzantine cathedral that was turned into a mosque.  It wasn't as impressive, albeit it was bigger than the Blue Mosque and had beautiful mosaics of Christian figures.  It was a bit darker inside and there was scaffolding covering about a quarter of the inside.  (We also entered and viewed the Suleymaniye Mosque, but on a later date).  Once we finished with the Hagia Sophia, we went to the Basilica Cistern that was across the street.  It was quite mysterious.  The underground space was another relic of the Byzantine Empire, and was held up by many lit columns.  The dampness from the water that filled the floor of the space made it an eerily interesting.  It was surprising to see huge, koi-like fish swimming below the bridges on which you were walking.   Lastly, in the evening, we went to the Grand Bazaar.  It was an enclosed network of passageways that were lined by touristy stalls/shops.  I was surprised that the vendors weren't as forceful as Morocco to try and get you to come into their stall to rip you off on some trinket or knock-off clothes.

Over the next few days we saw quite a bit more of the city on both of the European and Asian sides.  We were able to visit the Topkapı and Dolmabahçe Palaces.  Each were palaces for the Ottoman sultans, the latter being the newer and more ornate.  Both were quite impressive and took several hours to fully visit and explore the palace and the surrounding grounds.  There also was the Rumeli Fortress, which, although gutted, made for an almost equally spectacular tour. 

No visit to a city is complete without a stop to a museum or two.  Istanbul had plenty, the most notable being the Museum of Turkish and Islamic Art.  It was a great way to be introduced to the extensive history of Turkey and its peoples.

Several places around the city allow for spectacular panoramic views of the city.  Andrew and I went up the Galata Tower and the Pine Hill to fully grasp what the city looked like and how large it actually was.  Impressive!

The trip to Istanbul was phenomenal.  At first, I was sceptical about having a good time because I was tired from being in a place where I didn't know the language and culture (Germany).  However, once I saw the city from the ferry, I was captivated by the colourful sights and rich history of the city.  Touring it only made me enjoy it even more.  It was astonishing to be in a city that has long been an extremely important place in empires, countries and continents.  The city was surprisingly cosmopolitan as well (at least the European side), and had a great feeling of culture; although the Turkey is predominantly Muslim and there were mosques EVERYWHERE (the call of the muezzin reminded you five times daily), the secular tradition of the country only adds to the city and country's appeal to all peoples.  Regardless, I was glad to return to London to resume my studies in the new term!