Istanbul - Day One

The shouts of children barefoot and playing in the street are made cacophonous juxtaposed with a ubiquitous call to prayer that saturates and hangs heavy in the air. The medley of sounds passes freely over stucco roofs, brushes against loose clothing suspended four stories high, and reaches me through an open window where I sit, sipping wine next to Drogo, a beautiful once-stray cat, reflecting on my first full day in Istanbul. I am certain my forthcoming descriptions of the day and its many moments will fail to do said moments justice, and understandably so, as I believe that even the greatest poets, artists and authors can invoke but a shadow of life’s swooning sensations; nevertheless, I will do my best and can only hope that the muses of the East and West will meet me here to share these experiences with you. Also, if I may digress quite briefly, I am exhausted at the thought of composing these reflections with as much syntactical dynamism as has been exhibited thus far, so if it pleases the reader, I’m going to code switch linguistic varieties to a manner more consistent with my typical compositions.

There – that’s better.

Sorry about that. I’ve been reading Love in the Time of Cholera by Gabrielle Garcia Marquez and it makes me think I can write like a fancy pants romantic. But I suppose there is some romanticism in exploring a brand new country on your own. Anyhow – yesterday and today have been great. I got into Istanbul last night and, after waiting in line for a Visa, purchasing a Visa, waiting in line for my passport to be stamped, getting it stamped, waiting in line for my bags to arrive, then getting my bags, I exited the arrivals area of the airport to see my friend Mitch once again, towering over the miniature Turks in his proximity (Mitch is 6’4” – something of a giant in Eurasia). Mitch and I took a bus back to his apartment and, while stuck in traffic, had a chance to catch up a bit. Mitch showed me into his apartment, a modest two-bedroom abode that he shares with a roommate and their respective girlfriends. After brief introductions and quick conversation, Mitch, his girlfriend Nicole, their friend Kayla and I headed into town for a taste of Istanbul.

We walked down what translates as “Freedom Street” and found our way to the restaurant, Medi. As an appetizer, we shared a salad of cucumbers, tomatoes, beets, diced carrots, and onions with a side of warm bread that resembled pita and was expecting to be torn and eaten with bare hands. Following this, I ordered Iskener Kebap (on Mitch’s suggestion), which is spicy, sliced meat on a bed of soft bread pieces and a side of yogurt. It was unlike anything I’d ever tasted before, but I thought it was delicious.

After dinner, we headed to Bar-ish, the expatriate bar of choice in Istanbul, where numerous signs proudly indicated that Guinness is now on the menu. After a few drinks and reminiscent stories of “old times” – we headed back.

Mitch had to work today, and so, my first full day in Istanbul was spent as a solo-tourist. As it happens, I am pretty good at filling this role. I left the apartment with some trepidation, but soon found the main thoroughfare (Freedom Street, remember?) and made it to the Metro station. From here, I worked my way toward Hagia Sopia and the Blue Mosque, two incredible places of worship with hundreds of years of history. I headed first to the Blue Mosque, an enormous structure of pillars, arches, minarets, and inspiring domes, constructed in the early 17^th century. To enter the building, all visitors must take off their shoes and walk softly on the expansive, red, wall-to-wall carpeting inside the Mosque. And so, it was here that I learned what was conveniently not included in Istanbul’s many guidebooks – the Blue Mosque smells like feet. Yes, the blue ceramic tiling was gorgeous, and yes, the warm floor underfoot was pleasant, but for some reason the scent of international toes wafting in nasal passages ruined some of the religious reverence for me – I actually started to laugh secretly to myself. 

Next, I headed to Hagia Sofia, my favorite mosque of the day. Hagia Sofia was actually first built as a Christian church, but later the conquering Ottomans decided to redecorate and favored more Islamic representation. Today it is a museum, so for 20 Lira (approximately $12), you can enter and adore the sacred space that glorifies God or Allah, depending on your preferred all mighty. Again, probably more difficult to describe than to see and enjoy, but the Hagia Sofia is a palatial structure, with golden mosaic ceilings and luminous chandeliers. There are various depictions of Jesus, Mary, John the Baptist, and angels, depending on where you look, but it is definitely a sight to behold.

Having had my fill of mosques for the day, I jaunted over to the Topkapi Palace. Oddly, the Topkapi Palace reminded me of a private school or American university with tree-lined courtyards that felt like Quads and lazy tourists relaxing in the sun (myself included). The palace is also rich with the history of Sultans and adorned with jewels, mosaics, and lavish futons in almost every room. The view of the sea from the rear of the palace was breathtaking and I stopped to imagine what it might feel like to be a Sultan back in the day, breathing in the night air and looking over the expanse of his kingdom. By this point though, I was starting to get tired, hungry, and irritable, the clustering crowds more and more irksome, so I skipped over a handful of the rooms and headed back into town at around 4:30 PM.

From here, I began to slowly wander back to Mitch’s, preferring to explore on foot versus taking the Tramway. As I approached the Galata Bridge, a call to prayer began to echo off of buildings. I hadn’t heard this yet, so needless to say it caught me off guard, but I soon adapted and began to soak in the moment. I took out my camera and attempted to capture the ethereal song – see below.

Finally, my last stop for the day was the fish market, where newly caught merchandise is fresh for sale. I purchased a plate of salmon, devoured it, and then continued to a waterside park where families and couples were enjoying tea by the Bosphorus. I partook in the traditional Turkish tea, read some of my love story, admired the view, and concluded my day, heading back to Mitch’s to begin this recitation of events.

And so here we are. I am not entirely sure what tomorrow has in store for me. I think I might be heading to an island off the coast with Mitch’s girlfriend Nicole and friend Kayla, but who knows. For now, I am doing my best to experience the broader world and taste the diverse flavors of this world. I am loving every minute of it.

With love always,

Josh