Istanbul,
mon amour
Aşk,
Aşk, Hürriyet
(Love,
Love, Freedom)
was the first sentence I heard when I walked on the Istiklal Caddesi
(Independence Avenue). An alluring welcome note… I was facing the
most beautiful sunset I have ever seen. They spoke of its beauty, but
that much beauty gathered in one place is almost unbearable.
Istanbul
is rich in history and traditions. When you are walking the streets,
you feel like traveling through the city’s eclectic past and
cultures. This city was witness to Ancient Greece’s, Persia’s and
Rome’s existence. Many conquering armies strived to ransack the
city. But all changed with the Byzantines, who decorated their
churches and palaces with impressive mosaics and frescoes. One of the
most famous museums in the world, Hagia
Sophia,
originally a church, later a mosque, was built by a Byzantine
Emperor. For nearly a millennium, the city was called Byzantium.
Byzantium
later became Constantinople. After the Ottomans conquered the city,
they devised a great building plan. Their magnificent mosques are
still, 500 years later, architectural treasures that together form
one of the world's great skylines. In the beginning of the 1600s on
the city’s skyline the Sultan
Ahmed (Blue) Mosque
appeared; the graceful construction decorated with its glittering
blue tiles and six minarets, directly facing Hagia
Sophia.
The
religious monuments are marvelous, but this city offers a great deal
more. Let’s not forget to mention Topkapi
Palace,
home to Ottoman sultans for nearly 400 years, and the first-ever
enclosed shopping
mall,
known as the Grand
Bazaar.
It seems like the chaotic labyrinth of bazaar (market place)
represents the true essence of the city and its citizens. It is the
attack on all the senses! The most magnificent, fabulous and
liveliest city I’ve ever experienced. It makes you feel free and
attached at the same time, insecure and safe. And safe zones are in
Sokak/Sokağı,
intimate small streets, which imprison you with its fatale power of
simple beauty and seduction. You breathe the air of music, art and
fascination surrounded with eccentric vibes. Whatever the Turks do is
a kind of ritual, a manifestation of pure life energy; from daily
coffee drinking, singing, chatting on the street, bargaining at
bazaars to the spectacular way of serving the Dondurma,
a Turkish ice cream which the purveyors have rolling it down to an
art.
Constantinople
became Istanbul in early 20th
century. Crossing the bridge was never that much exciting unlike
there. It is unusual and magical, because every step you take leads
you to, not only another coast, but another continent. What a
feeling! Conquering the differences. The historic Bosphorus Straits,
which connects the Sea of Marmara and the Black Sea, separates
European from Asian side. And the fact that city straddles two
continent is not its only raison
d'être. Either you choose to sit at the street and watch
performances of the various street artists at Istiklal Caddessi, or
dine at some luxurious restaurant with a perfect view of the
Bosphorus, you will feel like you fit in perfectly.
I
left Istanbul with promise to come back. Fascinating power of this
city lies in its seductive sunsets. Each stone, corner and street is
tireless story whisperer. Doesn’t matter whether it is Byzantium,
Constantinople, or Istanbul… It is s a sweet talker; it fits in the
perfect call that made me fall in love with this city. Aşk,
Aşk, Hürriyet…
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