My flight to Istanbul was a bargain, 30 quid including taxes. The environmentalists out there would have my head. If the worlds governments and companies took global warming seriously, they would have made it cheaper to take the Train. As it stands 30 quid on the train gets me only as far as the airport and back.
Unlike previous trips I was pretty relaxed when i touched down in Sabiha Gokcen Airport on the Asian Side of Istanbul. I guess the usual anxiety I felt in this situation had disappeared with experience. The bus from the airport dropped me off in Taksim Square. A mess of buses going of in all which directions, none of which i recognized. My arch nemesis returns. With my backpack i still stood out like a tourist (well even more so, long blond hair isn't all that common among the Turkish people) and i couldn't wait to get to my hostel in Sultanahment to rid myself of it. After wondering around a little and asking a few of the locals i took the funicular (underground tram) to Kabatas and then the tram all the way to Sultanahmet. As i crossed the golden horn the sun was just setting over old Istanbul highlighting not just the amazing Blue Mosque and the Hagia Sophia but another half dozen Mosques perhaps even more spectacular than the famous aforementioned. I stayed at the Istanbul Hostel, one of a group of hostels in Sultanahmet that no doubt became party central for Australians (and local Carpet/Kilim Salesmen) over late April and the Summer.
The first day i explored the Northern Side of European Istanbul (Beyoglu). Less sites than the southern side but still more than enough to occupy the day. Istanbul Modern was a highlight, a collection of various Turkish and International Artist from the past 200 years. My favourite piece being by Cihat Burak titled "O Diyar ki orada alayipliker olur (The land where strange things happen)"
"In this intricate scene of different building styles, details at the extreme limit of imagination await discovery. Two reptiles fight over a woman, coffins floating on a river, an elephant with four tasks, Leda and a swan making love in the bow of a ship floating in the air. It might be said that this picture tells nothing, or that it says everything about life, love and death. The interminable exertions, anxieties, fears and ruthlessness of human beings."
Intense stuff, I might chase up a copy so you can make up your own minds.
Another piece by the same artist "The death of the poet" caught my interest.
A South African artist, William Kentridge, was featured in an exhibition of stop motion photography. "Journey to the Moon" and "7 fragments for George Melies" including "Day for Night". Mezmirising.
From here I walked towards a Tower that dominated the skyline hoping it was open to visitors. It was and it provided a panorama of the entire city.
On my way back to the Hostel i passed a shoe shiner who accidentally (it seemed at the time) dropped his brush as he brushed past me. I caught his attention and handed it back to him. He seemed very grateful and offered a shoe shine, I obliged (stupidly in hindsight) thinking that this was a return gesture of goodwill. We got to talking and he offered to take me to a Turkish Cafe for some coffee, Tea and a chat. Both very nice. He wasn't. He offered to show me his house, I sceptically agreed as is my trusting nature, I thought it might be interesting to get an in site into the Turkish family. I followed him outside to a.... taxi - BULLSHIT!! BULLSHIT!! BULLSHIT!! BULLSHIT!! - My bullshit alarm sounded and I politely declined. All of sudden I found myself negotiating how much i was going to get ripped off for the most expensive shoe shine and coffee in Istanbul.Not much fortunately as i had little money on me. Not an uncommon scam i learnt as another bloke at the hostel had fallen for the similar scam and seen it happen to others. I felt dumb for falling for such a common scam and it really pissed me off as i Like to be able to trust people i meet. What the world really doesn't need is an even more cynical me.
The next day i tried to wipe the slate clean but as more and more locals talked to me most conversations ended in them trying to sell me something or take advantage in some other way, including the scam I'd already half fallen for. This really started to affect me especially since all this had happened within two days of a two month trip.
By the end of the day I had walked around some of Istanbul's most iconic sites including the Grand Bazaar, Spice Bazaar, Basilica Cistern and the Blue Mosque. I had bought a few things, as I had always intended but still couldn't help feel I had somehow gave in.
I spent the last day walking around the Topkapi Palace Museum, the home of Turkeys Sultans unitl 1923. This was a brilliant museum. It had Ottoman treasures and armours collected from gifts and various conquests over half a millennium. It had portraits of all the Sultans. But most impressively it had some of the most important relics of Muslim history. The seal of the Prophet Mohammed, a cast foot print, Hairs from his beard, Reliquary containing his tooth, hair and dust from his tomb and a letter he had written to Muqavqas leader of the copts. Jesus has a lot of catching up to do, if he wants this sort of evidence of his existence.
I'm of to Cannakkale next for the Gallipoli battlefields and the ruins at Troy. Hopefully the locals are more genuine because I'm really starting to get the shits up.
Cheers,
Scott.
Unlike previous trips I was pretty relaxed when i touched down in Sabiha Gokcen Airport on the Asian Side of Istanbul. I guess the usual anxiety I felt in this situation had disappeared with experience. The bus from the airport dropped me off in Taksim Square. A mess of buses going of in all which directions, none of which i recognized. My arch nemesis returns. With my backpack i still stood out like a tourist (well even more so, long blond hair isn't all that common among the Turkish people) and i couldn't wait to get to my hostel in Sultanahment to rid myself of it. After wondering around a little and asking a few of the locals i took the funicular (underground tram) to Kabatas and then the tram all the way to Sultanahmet. As i crossed the golden horn the sun was just setting over old Istanbul highlighting not just the amazing Blue Mosque and the Hagia Sophia but another half dozen Mosques perhaps even more spectacular than the famous aforementioned. I stayed at the Istanbul Hostel, one of a group of hostels in Sultanahmet that no doubt became party central for Australians (and local Carpet/Kilim Salesmen) over late April and the Summer.
The first day i explored the Northern Side of European Istanbul (Beyoglu). Less sites than the southern side but still more than enough to occupy the day. Istanbul Modern was a highlight, a collection of various Turkish and International Artist from the past 200 years. My favourite piece being by Cihat Burak titled "O Diyar ki orada alayipliker olur (The land where strange things happen)"
"In this intricate scene of different building styles, details at the extreme limit of imagination await discovery. Two reptiles fight over a woman, coffins floating on a river, an elephant with four tasks, Leda and a swan making love in the bow of a ship floating in the air. It might be said that this picture tells nothing, or that it says everything about life, love and death. The interminable exertions, anxieties, fears and ruthlessness of human beings."
Intense stuff, I might chase up a copy so you can make up your own minds.
Another piece by the same artist "The death of the poet" caught my interest.
A South African artist, William Kentridge, was featured in an exhibition of stop motion photography. "Journey to the Moon" and "7 fragments for George Melies" including "Day for Night". Mezmirising.
From here I walked towards a Tower that dominated the skyline hoping it was open to visitors. It was and it provided a panorama of the entire city.
On my way back to the Hostel i passed a shoe shiner who accidentally (it seemed at the time) dropped his brush as he brushed past me. I caught his attention and handed it back to him. He seemed very grateful and offered a shoe shine, I obliged (stupidly in hindsight) thinking that this was a return gesture of goodwill. We got to talking and he offered to take me to a Turkish Cafe for some coffee, Tea and a chat. Both very nice. He wasn't. He offered to show me his house, I sceptically agreed as is my trusting nature, I thought it might be interesting to get an in site into the Turkish family. I followed him outside to a.... taxi - BULLSHIT!! BULLSHIT!! BULLSHIT!! BULLSHIT!! - My bullshit alarm sounded and I politely declined. All of sudden I found myself negotiating how much i was going to get ripped off for the most expensive shoe shine and coffee in Istanbul.Not much fortunately as i had little money on me. Not an uncommon scam i learnt as another bloke at the hostel had fallen for the similar scam and seen it happen to others. I felt dumb for falling for such a common scam and it really pissed me off as i Like to be able to trust people i meet. What the world really doesn't need is an even more cynical me.
The next day i tried to wipe the slate clean but as more and more locals talked to me most conversations ended in them trying to sell me something or take advantage in some other way, including the scam I'd already half fallen for. This really started to affect me especially since all this had happened within two days of a two month trip.
By the end of the day I had walked around some of Istanbul's most iconic sites including the Grand Bazaar, Spice Bazaar, Basilica Cistern and the Blue Mosque. I had bought a few things, as I had always intended but still couldn't help feel I had somehow gave in.
I spent the last day walking around the Topkapi Palace Museum, the home of Turkeys Sultans unitl 1923. This was a brilliant museum. It had Ottoman treasures and armours collected from gifts and various conquests over half a millennium. It had portraits of all the Sultans. But most impressively it had some of the most important relics of Muslim history. The seal of the Prophet Mohammed, a cast foot print, Hairs from his beard, Reliquary containing his tooth, hair and dust from his tomb and a letter he had written to Muqavqas leader of the copts. Jesus has a lot of catching up to do, if he wants this sort of evidence of his existence.
I'm of to Cannakkale next for the Gallipoli battlefields and the ruins at Troy. Hopefully the locals are more genuine because I'm really starting to get the shits up.
Cheers,
Scott.
I got fed up with Istanbul too. Visiting the smaller villages is a much more rewarding experience.
ReplyDelete