T R A V E L S
T R A V E L S
ISTANBUL: Bazaar and Beyond
The days of the legendary Orient Express may be long past, but the city of Istanbul has lost none of its exotic allure. You can still arrive by train, for one thing, either from Greece in the west or Bulgaria in the north.
At dawn, the haunting call-to-prayer wafts through your window, above a city which seems to be all domes and minarets, timeless as a tale from the Arabian Nights. That moment, you know you’re not in Kansas anymore – or Thessaloniki, for that matter. Even for the veteran traveler, Istanbul comes as a vision.
Sights for a Sultan
Byzantium, Constantinople, Stamboul, Islambol… in a city that has changed its name more times than Prince, history sits heavily upon the hills. Each of the empires which held sway over the centuries has left its imprint. The architecture is, in a word, stunning.
You can’t come here without sampling at least some of it. Mosques, being the dominant feature of the skyline, afford plenty of postcard moments. The picturesque Blue Mosque, the stained glass of Süleymaniye, or else Hagia Sophia – a 4th century cathedral-cum-mosque, whose recently stripped walls revealed priceless Byzantine mosaics.
From Genoese-built Galata Tower, you still find startling city views, while Topkapi Palace lets you glimpse the once-sumptuous Sultanate lifestyle, harems and all.
The capping moment is a cruise on the Bosphorus, the stretch of water which neatly divides the city, where you can gaze on Europe and Asia at the same moment.
Food, fabulous food
It has been said that true measure of a country’s greatness lies not in its monuments but in its cuisine. Turkey, you should know, is not all kebabs and kofta. Its Mediterranean flavours reflect the scope of its history, ranging from the almost-Greek (olives, feta, stuffed vine leaves and peppers) to the almost-Arabic (hummus, falafels, roast lamb, egg-plant). There’s a heartiness to the fare, which is both rich and piquant.
Cafés are everywhere and there’s no shortage of places to eat and drink. Apple tea, like the rich, silty Turkish coffee, is a fixture here. Those with a taste for the more exotic can try roasted sheep’s head or “Turkish viagra” ( a dessert of walnut-stuffed figs, named more for its look than for any salubrious effect.)
Shopping
Then there is the shopping. Americans who lay claim to inventing the shopping mall have clearly never seen the Grand Bazaar, whose covered labyrinth of archways and shops (more than 4000, reputedly) has been going strong since the 16th century. Carpets, clothing, foodstuffs, jewelry to name a few – with some shops just selling charms to ward off the ‘evil eye’.
While Istanbul is easy enough to reach by air and sea, rail still offers the most romantic entry-point, even today. For the tourist seeking alternatives, it makes a true East-meets-West experience. Not just from having a foot on two continents – but from its effortless fusion of modern and ancient, sacred and secular, which symbolizes its place at the crossroads of empires.
The French poet Lamartine, looking on the city for the first time, observed: “If one had but a single glance to give the world, one should gaze on Istanbul.”
This article article was first published in TODAY.
by Mark Malby
Saturday, 4 September 2010
Sultanahmet, the Blue Mosque at dusk - photographs Mark Malby
A cruise on the Bosphorus is the capping moment of any trip to Istanbul. Topkapi Palace (above) sits on the Asian side.
Turkish cuisine goes beyond kebabs. There’s... well, there’s Turkish viagra, for example.