I'm a nerd. All through school, from third grade on, I was always the kid who loved social studies and history. Istanbul always called to me because of how imporant a role it played in many of the events I loved reading about: it was the seat of power for the late Roman, Byzantine, and Ottoman Empires, and arguably the center of the Islamic world for hundreds of years.
If I ever get the chance again, I'll spend at least a full week in the country; there was so much we didn't get to do in just two days. But we did get some stuff done, and here are the highlights:
-The Blue Mosque: regarded by many as the most beautiful mosque in the entire world and it did not disappoint. My first reaction when I walked in was a simple "wow." The detail involved, on such a gargantuan scale, is simply mind-blowing. Even more beautiful was the view at night from the rooftop bar on our hostel (minus the belly dancer), when the minarets were illuminated and hundreds of seagulls flew circles above them.
If I ever get the chance again, I'll spend at least a full week in the country; there was so much we didn't get to do in just two days. But we did get some stuff done, and here are the highlights:
-The Blue Mosque: regarded by many as the most beautiful mosque in the entire world and it did not disappoint. My first reaction when I walked in was a simple "wow." The detail involved, on such a gargantuan scale, is simply mind-blowing. Even more beautiful was the view at night from the rooftop bar on our hostel (minus the belly dancer), when the minarets were illuminated and hundreds of seagulls flew circles above them.
-The Hagia Sophia: across the street from the Blue Mosque, we went there immediately afterward. The transition was like watching Auburn-Alabama on a Saturday and then watching Jets-Patriots the day after: the former was mindblowing, the latter was something else altogether. The one-time basilica, one-time mosque drained the treasury of Emperor Justinian in the 500s, and at any one time more than 11,000 people were working on its construction (that's proportional to about 350,000 current-day people in terms of the global population). Words cannot describe the place in terms of size and beauty.
-The NBA Store: We wondered in here during a walk through the new city, and were disappointed to find that shoes and jerseys were just as expensive as they are back home. Obviously, the sport is extremely popular in the city, and at least a sizable population of Istanbul has some spending money on hand.
-Galata Tower: an old lighthouse overlooking the Golden Horn, offering 360 degree panoramic views of the entire city. It's unreal. Hearing the call to prayer echo from what seemed like hundreds of mosques in every direction while overlooking Istanbul is an experience I'll never forget.
-Walking: Istanbul is very old, very crowded, and very difficult to navigate. Being guys, we obviously just assumed we could conquer the terrain, and consequently it took us a LONG time to find our way back to the hostel on Thursday afternoon (we later figured out that we were walking large circles around our street). Our cause wasn't helped by the three separate women who walked past us without reply when we asked for directions (whether it was rudeness or a lack of English, we couldn't tell). But getting lost in a city is in some ways the best way to experience it; the smells, the sounds, and the people. In a place like Istanbul, it also allows you to stumble upon buildings that are historical treasures; we later found out that one wall by the sea ended up was a sea fortress that was built by Constantine in the 4th century. That walk was one of my favorite parts of my entire European experience to date.
-Haggling: Turks seem to enjoy the art of negotiation, and many seem to assume that Peter Griffin is representative of all Americans' ability to haggle right back. In front of every stand and restaurant someone BEGS you to come in and buy their product; they usually start out with straight outlandish prices and then rapidly lower it as you express your desire to go down the street. Once you buy from them, though, they treat you like family; they're hospitable, kind, and generous. One restaurant owner, who we haggled with for some time before coming in, ended up giving us free bottled water, free apple tea, and additional money off our meal.
-The Basilica Cistern: built by Justinian in the 500's to give Constantinople a water reserve, it's deep underground beneath the old city and a staple of late Roman architecture. Walking into it is like walking into another era. There's also massive fish swimming around.
There's so much more we could've seen. But between not coming at all and rushing through on a whirlwind, I'm very happy we picked the latter.
-Walking: Istanbul is very old, very crowded, and very difficult to navigate. Being guys, we obviously just assumed we could conquer the terrain, and consequently it took us a LONG time to find our way back to the hostel on Thursday afternoon (we later figured out that we were walking large circles around our street). Our cause wasn't helped by the three separate women who walked past us without reply when we asked for directions (whether it was rudeness or a lack of English, we couldn't tell). But getting lost in a city is in some ways the best way to experience it; the smells, the sounds, and the people. In a place like Istanbul, it also allows you to stumble upon buildings that are historical treasures; we later found out that one wall by the sea ended up was a sea fortress that was built by Constantine in the 4th century. That walk was one of my favorite parts of my entire European experience to date.
-Haggling: Turks seem to enjoy the art of negotiation, and many seem to assume that Peter Griffin is representative of all Americans' ability to haggle right back. In front of every stand and restaurant someone BEGS you to come in and buy their product; they usually start out with straight outlandish prices and then rapidly lower it as you express your desire to go down the street. Once you buy from them, though, they treat you like family; they're hospitable, kind, and generous. One restaurant owner, who we haggled with for some time before coming in, ended up giving us free bottled water, free apple tea, and additional money off our meal.
-The Basilica Cistern: built by Justinian in the 500's to give Constantinople a water reserve, it's deep underground beneath the old city and a staple of late Roman architecture. Walking into it is like walking into another era. There's also massive fish swimming around.
There's so much more we could've seen. But between not coming at all and rushing through on a whirlwind, I'm very happy we picked the latter.
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