ISTANBUL – TRAVELER’S PLAYGROUND AND EVERYBODY’S FAVORITE COUNTRY

When in the course of my travels, a frequently asked question directed to other frequent travelers is “What was your favorite country to visit?”  Though not exclusively, more often than not the answer is “Turkey.”  The reasons are clear.  The settings are spectacular, the people are among the friendliest on earth and the mix of culture, race, customs, dress, religion and cuisine are as rich a broth as one is likely to find anywhere.

Istanbul, esteemed as Turkey’s largest (15 million) city and its cultural and historic heart, is the only metropolis in the world split among two continents.  It is divided by the Bosphorus Strait -- one of the busiest waterways in the world.  The European side has the city’s primary historical and commercial features and two-thirds of its population.  Istanbul is the fifth most popular tourist destination in the world and is recognized as a European Capitol of Culture and UNESCO World Heritage Site as of 1985.

Though habitation can be traced back 7000 years, Istanbul was really founded around 660 BC as “Byzantium” by Greek settlers  – 600 years after the fall of Troy (further west near Hissarlik at the mouth of the Dardanelles Strait). The city experienced a brief period of Persian rule early in the 5th century BC, but the Greeks recaptured it during later Greco-Persian Wars. Byzantium then continued as part of various Greek political factions before gaining its full independence in 355 BC.  After long alliance with the Romans Byzantium officially became a part of the Roman Empire in 73 AD.

Istanbul was best known as Constantinople.  It served as the capitol of four empires in succession: the Roman Empire (330–395), the Byzantine Empire (395–1204 and 1261–1453), the so-called Latin Empire (1204–1261), and the Ottoman Empire (1453–1922).  Upon Greater Turkey becoming a Republic in 1923, the capitol was moved away from its Ottoman and Islamic influence of Istanbul to the more secular mid-country Ankara.

Constantinople was named after the Roman Emperor Constantine the Great. Six years after accession to the throne, he laid out the plans for a new Christian city to replace Byzantium. The city was officially named Nea Roma -- however most simply called it after the emperor and its furthest reaches became known as the Byzantine Empire or Eastern Roman Empire.

The city became a centre of Greek culture and Christianity as power shifted away from Rome due to Constantinople’s riches and influence outpacing those of Western Europe. Numerous churches and stout defensive walls were built throughout the city, including the Hagia Sophia (built during the reign of Justinian the Great), an absolute masterpiece which remained the world's largest and most beautiful cathedral for a thousand years until  the Cathedral of Seville was built in 1520.

Constantinople's location also ensured its existence would endure.  For many centuries, its triple perimeter walls and seafront protected Europe’s gate against eastern invaders and the encroaching tide of Islam. During most of the Middle Ages (the latter part of the Byzantine era), Constantinople was the largest and wealthiest city on the European continent and at times the largest and richest in the world.

Constantinople began to decline after the Fourth Crusade (1204), when it was sacked in a blood lust pillaging rarely seen even among enemies by fellow Christians.  Ironically  these were Catholic Crusaders on their way to the Holy Land. The city subsequently became the center of a short-lived Latin Empire. Constantinople's churches, defenses, and services fell into disrepair during this 50 year reign.  Its population dwindled to a hundred thousand from up to half a million 500 years previously.

In the mid-14th century, the Ottoman Turks began a strategy of capturing smaller towns and cities surrounding Constantinople.  Over time, this cut off the capitol’s supply routes and slowly strangled it. Finally in 1453 after an eight-week campaign aided by the world’s largest cannon seen to date, Sultan Mehmed II "The Conqueror" obliterated the walls, captured the city (renaming it Istanbul) and declared it the capitol of a new empire.

Following his conquest, Mehmed II immediately set out to revitalize Istanbul. He offered refuge to those who had fled the city during his siege. Muslims, Jews, and Christians from other parts of (what is today) Turkey were invited to return. The Sultan invited people from all over Europe to settle in Istanbul, creating a relatively tolerant and cosmopolitan society that persisted through much of the Ottoman period.  Mehmed also built The Grand Bazaar, and constructed Topkapi Palace, the Sultan's official residence.

Suleiman the Magnificent’s reign from 1520 to 1566 was an Ottoman Golden Period which showed up especially in great Islamic artistic and architectural achievement.  The city’s superlative walls which are an impressive showcase of Istanbul’s might were perfected during this period, along with a number of the city’s magnificent mosques.  The Ottoman arts (ceramics, stained glass, mosaics, calligraphy, and miniature reproduction) also flourished.

The early 20th century saw a series of wars plague Istanbul.  World War I at the end of this chain of conflicts resulted in British, French, and Italian occupation. The final Ottoman sultan, Mehmed VI, was exiled in November of 1922.  The following spring, Allied occupation of Istanbul ended with recognition of the Republic of Turkey.  Its leader was Mustafa Kemal Atatürk. Today the visionary Atatürk is a much revered leader and acknowledged as the Father of modern day Turkey.

It is difficult to describe in proper detail but with appropriate brevity and clarity all that is Istanbul.  This is truly one of the planet’s most magical places.  So I will simply describe my favorite highlights, experienced over six days in perfect weather and delightful company.

First of all, its powers that be have arranged for a close to perfect transport system.  There is a system of coordinated planes (at airports on either side of the strait), trains, metros, trams, reasonable taxis, ferries, and water taxis.  The hotels and hostels are fairly priced, except the district of Sultanahmet due to its reputation as tourist central.

Let me begin with a warning.  I lost three hours in Atatürk Airport, desperately seeking the return of my wallet and watch, which necessarily had to be removed at the security check-in line even on the arrival leg of my flight in from Tel Aviv.  With so many pieces, passenger back pressure, and different airport protocols in different countries it is easy to forgot you have removed these items.

In an era when nothing of a personal nature is trusted and all must be removed, my advice is to be very mindful of what you place into the bin (my fanny pack in Ethiopia that contained a camera with photos of 22 countries was not recovered for a month).  Then specifically seek it out as soon as you cross the personal body scanner.  Writing notes on your wrist is perfect valid reminder.  Watch … wallet … fanny pack … glasses … pens … keys … mini-flashlights … documents folder … be mindful of looking for each piece!

The other thing to remember is that security personnel will sometimes demand one of these items from you directly so you can pass through x-ray scanners.  They have a nasty habit of placing the items in the wrong bin (somebody else’s).  You must be doubly vigilant in this situation, of going through your list and checking bins proximate to yours to make sure ALL necessary items are once again in your possession.

The recovery of my lost fanny pack in Ethiopia was just such a situation.  Security personnel placed it in somebody else’s bin.  In Istanbul, my wallet was not supposed to trigger anything.  It remained in my cargo pants.  Security demanded it anyway.  They also put it in somebody else’s bin.  I received no help whatsoever from police, who would not let me cross backwards once I’d passed customs to retrieve my wallet.  Luckily, the airport security personnel were much more sympathetic and did some stellar detective work to retrieve both watch and wallet.  Be vigilant.  Don’t fall into that trap.

Perhaps the best introduction to Istanbul is a Bosphorus Cruise.  They are inexpensive (and a great opportunity to practice haggling which will be useful throughout any stay in Turkey).  Most begin on the waterfront ten minutes walk below the Hagia Sophia.   A loop is made around most waterfront attractions, including the Bosphorus and Sultan Mehmet Bridges which span the heavily traveled gap between the European and Asian sides of Istanbul.

Near the end of the cruise, the visitor passes the octagonal 25 meter high Maiden Tower, about 200 meters from the Asian shore of Istanbul adjacent to the tourist friendly Üsküdar district.  The tower was first built in 1110 AD.  It is reached by water taxi. This spire with its nearly unmatched top-floor observation deck (and an overpriced café just beneath) is famed for its part in the 1999 James Bond film “The World Is Not Enough.”  It has more myths, legends, and colorful stories connected to it than there are versions of Barack Obama’s birth certificate.   

There is everything to love about Istanbul.  And I mean everything.  But the crowning glory is the Hagia Sophia.  Few places on the planet are as renowned as this one.  It is visited daily by thousands in awe and reverence for very good reason.  Like the Temple of Hatshepsut in Thebes (Luxor), it was light years ahead of its time. The first version was built by the Emperor Constantius II in 360 AD.  Both it and the second version burned down.

The third church was a timeless masterpiece of Byzantine craftsmanship, without peer for nearly a millenium.  Oddly enough, it was not designed by an architect or engineer, but by two men without previous design credit – physicist/mathemetician Anthemus, and geometry/mechanics professor Isidore.  It combined beauty, light, proportion, and harmony in blended perfection, all centered about its 31 meter dome supported by 107 huge marbled columns – some of them from the legendary temple of Artemis in Ephesus.

The iconic stone and marble third version – that which we essentially see today – was  built by the Emperor Justinian in 537 AD.  More than ten thousand workers helped with the construction over a 5 year period.  Earthquakes helped fell its crown (a central dome supported by two half domes) a number of times.  The church was converted to a mosque after 1453 by Sultan Mehmed II.  Its minarets were added after that time.  The Basilica was converted to a national museum by President Atatürk in 1934.

The church was plundered and defiled (including by a procession of temple whores) during the Latin Crusade of 1204 in which one Christian sect betrayed another.  Many relics, including the alleged shroud of Jesus and robe of the Virgin Mary plus the bones of several saints were spirited away to western churches in Rome following this overthrow.

Much priceless Christian artwork was covered over with whitewash after the Turkish conquest of 1453 (not to be restored until Atatürk intervened in1932).   These included priceless full-figure gold and blue tiled panels of Christ, John the Baptist and the Virgin Mary (the only one left untouched was of the Virgin Mary and six seraphim).  Hagia Sophia’s four imposing signature minarets were also constructed after the conquest.

Located only two blocks away across Sultanahmet Square, the Sultan Ahmed Mosque (better known as “The Blue Mosque” for its 20,000 blue tiles adorning the interior) takes on the role of an anchoring bookend.  It was built in the 17^th century, over 1000 years after the Hagia Sophia. While not quite as imposing as Hagia Sophia, it remains quite impressive due to its tiles, its sculpted marble, stain glass windows, eye-catching calligraphy, massive wooden doors and mother-of-pearl inlays.

Also only two blocks from Hagia Sophia is the beautiful Basilica Cistern.  This reservoir was built in 1542 to provide a continuous supply of water to the massive Topkapi Palace and other nearby mosques and forts.  It was called the “Sunken Palace” by locals due to its ornate decorations, including 336 marble columns supporting an arched masonry ceiling.  Its walls are coated with three coats of specialty mortar waterproofing.

It is completely unlike any other reservoir in the world.  The site takes up an entire city block and measures 143 meters by 65 meters.  Above water-level platforms were installed to allow underground touring by visitors.  Soft orange lighting of its columns and works of art (including several columns with carvings of the legendary sorceress Medusa on them) provide a photographer’s dream.  The lights also occasionally reveal carp flitting in the cistern’s shallow depths.  This unique place was one of my favorite destinations in a city with a surplus of such locations.
 
Topkapi Palace itself – one of the richest museums in the world – is located on expansive grounds below the Hagia Sophia on the Istanbul waterfront.  This lavish royal complex (begun in 1459) with hundreds of beautiful rooms was home to all the Ottoman Sultans until the mid-19^th century, and converted to a museum once again under Atatürk in 1924.

It is a virtually mandatory visit for any serious traveler.  Over 86,000 works of art are part of its collections, including pieces from civilizations spread far beyond the Ottoman Empire.  Among its museum highlights are pieces claimed to be the Prophet Mohammed’s beard, his cloak and sword, Jewish King David’s sword, and Moses’ staff.

Other attractions at the museum include priceless heirlooms, porcelain collections, robes, Islamic weapons, shields and armor, gifts from all over the Mideast (mostly consisting of highly elaborate jewelry), various miniatures, and calligraphy manuscripts.  A separate harem complex inside the Palace walls has over 400 rooms on its own where the Queen Mother, wives, consorts, and children of the Sultan resided.  At any given time over 4000 people lived at the Palace.   

The Grand Bazaar is the world’s largest and oldest shopping center.  It is comprised of 64 criss-crossed streets, two covered bazaars, 16 inns, 22 gates and over 3600 shops.  Nearly 20,000 people are employed in the bazaar.  During the height of the tourist season, up to 500,000 people a day visit its warren of shaded shops, boutiques, and workshops with their endless array of fascinating goods.  This is a mesmerizing place, worth half a day at least, and one I did not want to leave (if only Istanbul did not offer so much additional competition!).

The Golden Horn is a horn-shaped inlet branching off the primary Bosphorus Straight waterway separating the historic center of Istanbul from the rest of the city.  It forms a naturally protected harbor that has sheltered maritime fleets for over 2000 years.  At one time prior to the Latin Crusade betrayal of 1204, a large chain was stretched across its mouth, preventing movement by all but the smallest boats toward the city walls.

Several notable bridges today span the waterway, including the Atatürk Bridge, Golden Horn Metro Bridge and the Galata Bridge.  The Galata Bridge particularly is of interest to the pedestrian.  Its lower levels sponsor seafood oriented restaurants spreading the entire 750 meter width of the inlet, an ideal lounging spot for either drinks or a meal as it peers straight into the Bosphorus.  Both Asian and European sides are clearly visible from here.

On the northern side of the Golden Horn at the summit of the Karaköy Quarter of Istanbul is the Galata Tower.  An earlier version (The Old Galata Tower) lower down its slopes was used prior to its destruction in 1204 to anchor a giant sea chain stretching across the inlet.  The tower contained a mechanism for raising and lowering the chain, allowing for passage of friendly shipping traffic.

The new tower (built in 1348) is one of the most striking landmarks in the city, particularly at night in its lit manifestation.  The 67-meter cone-capped stone cylinder presents one of the finest territorial views in the world.  It is much like being on the summit of the Rock of Gibraltar and being able to look over Europe and North Africa simultaneously.

No visit to Istanbul is complete, as they say, without a stopover to the Walls of Constantinople.   This series of defensive barriers has gone through a metamorphosis of epic proportions starting well before the 5^th century BC.  A small wall with 27 towers was the first to encircle part of the city. Numerous additions and modifications during their history have resulted in one of the largest, most complex and elaborate systems ever built.

It is these eventual tri-tiered walls (with moat added) that saved the Byzantine Empire from attack on all sides from both sea and land.  Sieges from the Avars, Arabs, Russians, Bulgars and others were turned back due to this massive wall system.  Even the maturation of cannon development did not allow the city to be invaded. The Walls of Constantinople allowed the Byzantium Empire to hold off a rising Islamic tide for eight centuries beyond the resistance of neighboring kingdoms.

The walls were maintained and even enlarged during most of the Ottoman period, until sections began to be dismantled in the 19th century as the city rapidly outgrew its medieval boundaries. Despite a lack of maintenance today, many parts of the walls survive and are still standing. Major sections around major tourist areas have been undergoing restoration since the 1980s.

Outside these walls, the world’s greatest ferry system binds the various parts of Istanbul together.  These include car carrying ferries, passenger only ferries, freight carriers, and water taxis.  All run on regular schedules, many on primary routes well into the night.

This makes it possible to avoid the long trip between Europe and Asia via the two primary east-west intercontinental bridges.  This includes direct routes between Karaköy and Üsküdar,  Kadıköy and Eminönü, Kabataş and Üsküdar.

One sample of legendary Turkish hospitality … I am approaching the Maiden Tower via the Eminönü ferry to Üsküdar.  A broadly smiling Turkish man makes light conversation.  He soon wants to meet for dinner.  His treat (we have not known each other for five minutes).  This is one of those situations far exceeding the proverbial “I want to practice my English.”  He likes Yankees.  Our mutual affection is immediate.

Over the next two hours, I have the privilege of meeting an entire family and gaining a new friend in Hamza Kaya.  Nothing is off limits discussion wise. I am also able to converse with his daughters Berra and Serra – the latter celebrating her 14^th birthday (a son, Mohammed, was away taking English language course in London).  Nagehan, Hamza’s wife, spoke three words of English but lit up the room with her smile and easy laughter and unusually demonstrative manner for a proper Islamic wife.  It was a meal I shall never forget.