Istanbul – a City between Two Continents
By Caroline M. Jackson
“Beautiful lady. I like your hat. Can I buy your hat for my
mother?” With arms extended, my charming Turkish protagonist made a vain attempt
to beckon me into his shop which cascaded with curtains of soft leather purses
and jackets. Tipping the wide brim of my sunhat down a little further on my
brow, I chuckled as his words followed me up the street, “Why you walk so fast
lady? Come back. Come back.”
 Having left Santorini the night before, I had stood alone
on the bow of our cruise ship and watched the sun rise like a blood red orange
from the Sea of Marmara. In my atlas, this inland sea looked insignificant yet
it is the link between two mighty oceans, the Aegean Sea to the west and the
Black Sea to the east.
As we approached the busy port of Istanbul, our vessel, The
Galaxy, was surrounded by a pandemonium of water craft. Packed passenger ferries
zigzagged across the harbor, fishing boats seemed oblivious to danger while
massive oil tankers and heavily laden freighters were bound for Romania, Russia
and Bulgaria. Our ship’s horn blared sotto voce competing with other vociferous
vessels. Fellow passengers lined the railings and took in the scene through
binoculars. Meanwhile our shipboard commentator calmly informed us that
accidents were commonplace because many ships do not take a pilot on board.
 Situated between Europe and Asia, the waters are international and therefore do
not come under the jurisdiction of Turkish authorities. I fleetingly pondered
the details of our lifeboat drill which had taken place a week earlier in the
port of Civitavecchia, Italy. However, I took solace in the fact that most
nearby water traffic was smaller than our the luxury cruise ship.
I was so engrossed in the scenario unfolding before me that
I had almost forgotten to look upon the skyline of Istanbul, the only city in
the world built on two continents. Despite being swathed in an ethereal blue
haze that covered its face like a veil, I could spot the Blue Mosque with its
six minarets and the dome of the famous Hagia Sofia. Later that afternoon my
husband and I enjoyed a fascinating visit to both these architectural wonders
which are well described in many travel books.
 In the early evening our tour bus pulled into one of the
entrances to the labyrinthine Grand Bazaar. Before disembarking, our local
guide, Tomay, gave us a pep talk about pick pockets, bargaining and how to
avoid getting lost in this rabbit warren of alleys and thousands of covered
shops. Despite imaginings that I might be held up by a scimitar- wielding
mugger, I thoroughly enjoyed my visit to this Aladdin’s Cave . No-one tried to
rob me and the merchants were polite and entertaining. Sometimes we were offered
tea poured into tulip-shaped glasses suspended on silver trays. This is a common
gesture of hospitality. After sauntering past kiosks of leather purses, gold
jewelry, colorful tiles and exotic belly-dancing costumes, my constraint sagged
and I chose two beautiful Pashmir scarves. The real fun came when I tried to
extricate my Turkish Liras for the purchase. The notes were so tightly encased
inside my money belt that my husband finished up paying for the purchase rather
than cause further embarrassment.
Our arrival in Istanbul coincided with the first day of the
holy month of Ramadan, a time when Muslims do not allow anything to pass their
lips between dawn and dusk. This includes food, drink, smoking and even chewing
gum. No wonder many merchants were yawning in the early evening and our tour
guide admitted being very thirsty. By the time we exited the Grand Bazaar,
darkness had enfolded the city and fairy lights encircling the minarets were lit
announcing the end of the day’s fast. Hundreds of people stood in line for a
free meal from the Mosque. According to Tomay, it would be close to a three-hour
wait.
The tortoise-paced bus trip back to the ship gave us a
glimpse into the life of Istanbullus. Modern trams whisked along the streets,
jam packed with commuters who were now free to drink bottled water. Traffic
snarled along and police controlled busy intersections with whistles and hand
signals. At 7 pm shopkeepers snapped their gates closed and bakeries and street
vendors opened up to sell all kinds of pastries made with honey and nuts. Women
wearing colorful scarves or black chadors waited patiently while a vendor juiced
dozens of pomegranates.
With a population of 20 million, street-side restaurants
were packed to overflowing with tiny stools and tables abutting the curbside.
Diners appeared to be completely oblivious to the pollution and noise of
adjacent traffic. At this time of night it can take over two hours to drive
across the Galata Bridge which links the European and Asian sides of Istanbul.
At sundown it is lined with men fishing for anchovies and red mullet. Everyone
within sight was eating and I spotted a local bus driver using his steering
wheel on which to balance his dinner plate.
The following day we visited Topkapi Palace, once the
residence of the Ottoman Sultans from the 15th to 19th centuries. This huge
place is a series of pavilions and courtyards featuring the Harem, Library,
Throne Room and the Exhibition of Imperial Costumes.
One glance into the Weaponry Pavilion exhibiting the
brutal looking swords of Selim the Grim was enough to have me scurrying onto the
Treasury. Here I goggled at the famous Topkapi dagger with three enormous
emeralds and the teardrop-shaped 84-carat Spoonmaker diamond which according to
legend, was found by a pauper who traded it for three wooden spoons. The crowds
in this area were somewhat oppressive so I, like many visitors, carried my
daypack in front of me.
Our shore excursion ended with lunch on the rooftop of the
World Park Hotel. Here out of sight from most fasting Muslims, we were
introduced to a variety of mezes, delicious hors d’oeuvres made of stuffed
peppers, cucumber with yogurt, eggplant and humus.
Later that afternoon as our sleek cruise ship sailed
through the Bosphorus, I felt a little melancholy. After all I had only tasted
this extraordinary city of treasures and I determined in my heart that one day I
would return.
http://www.celebrity.com
http://www.tourismturkey.org
http://www.worldparkhotel.com
Images by Hamish M. Jackson
email:
caroline@crestlynn.com
Web:
http://www.crestlynn.com
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