stanbul is that divided city, split between Europe and Asia, the past and the present, Islamic fundamentalism and western modernism. For the visitor, it all blends into a wonderful experience where a night of eating, cafes and bars in the new part of town can lead to the call of prayer at sunrise, listening to chants of the Koran echoing through the old city. Follow this with a sobering morning stroll to the Galata Bridge on the Golden Horn river and watch the skyline of mosques, palaces and minarets come into storybook focus.
Contradictions abound : it is the European side that contains the old city, mixing Arabian-night fantasies from the Ottoman empire with Byzantine ruins, while the Asian side has quieter Western-style suburbs. Istanbul has been at the crossroads of all great civilizations. Donkey carts, trolls, fifties American cars that serve as group taxis, tea boys carrying trays, carpet hawkers, transvestites, businessmen riding in the back of shiny black BMWs and schoolgirls in heavy veils tussle for space in the cavernous streets of this bustling metropolis of twelve million residents. People-watching is a popular pastime. Oriental bazaars, shoe shiners, Kleenex vendors, gypsy beggars, westernized boutiques and hole-in-the-wall establishments compete for the tourist dollar.
To start a quiet and historically-filled day, cross the Galata Bridge to the south into the old walled city, with its sixth-century Haghia Sophia basilica, its Blue Mosque and sprawling Topkapi Palace. Haghia Sophia was the greatest church in Christendom for more than a millennium. Beside it, the Blue Mosque was built in the 17th century. It got its name from the more than 20-thousand shimmering blue tiles that line its domes. Not far, where the Bosporus meets the Golden Horn, is the Topkapi Palace, where Ottoman sultans once lived. It holds rooms full of jewels, collections of the empire's conquests and beautifully tiled harems. Have a bite of simit (big dark rings of sesame-covered bread found on pushcarts in the gardens of the palace) for breakfast and feel like royalty overlooking the Sea of Marmara that leads to the Black Sea.
To get in the shopping spirit, visit the Grand Bazaar at the heart of the old city and a city unto itself : there are more than four-thousand shops and nearly as many tea stands in its fifty acres of street mazes. It is, in a sense, the predecessor of the western mall. Popular items include carpets, ceramics and luggage. The best value seems to be for silver and gold. I bought a soft leather jacket in a very cool style for US$ 30, although, sadly, some of the seams are now ripping apart.
After a while, I felt a tinge of claustrophobia so I moved on nearby to another bazaar which felt less oppressive, the L-shaped Spice Market where my senses were awakened by the fragrance of exotic foodstuffs! What was once a pharmacy filled with burlap bags of herbs in the 17th century is now spice heaven : cardamom, cumin, curry, cayenne, and saffron are all colorfully on display in rows of shops with brim-filled sacks. Long before Viagra, there was the concoction known as the Sultan's aphrodisiac, available here. I remember biting into a sugar-coated dried chick pea. I also bought a tin of caviar from the Caspian Sea as a gift to bring home.
For taste buds, Istanbul also offers a full range of restaurants from the unusual to the casual, with most dishes containing fresh vegetables, olives, tomatoes, feta cheese and yogurt. Restaurants on the waterfront specialize in fresh grilled fish with antipasti, know in Turkey as mezes. On the streets, there are many fix-it potato bars, where for less than a dollar you get a potato and everything imaginable on it. Fast food places are know for kebabs, generally lamb served in pita sandwiches, or pide, which are spicy, barely crusted pizzas.
The most unique dining experience is the Daruzziyafe restaurant where you can have dinner inside the Suleymaniye mosque, the largest mosque in the city. Tables are both indoors in the high-ceilinged dining room or outdoors with a palatial courtyard as a backdrop. For about thirty dollars, you can taste Ottoman cuisine, including one dish called the lady's thigh meatballs. This is minced meat with rice, spices and eggs. A favorite drink is the traditional ayran : yogurt, water and a dash of salt.
For a break from the bustle, no visit is complete without a trip to a public bath. The oldest and grandest hamam around is Cagaloglu Hamami in the old city with separate entrances for men and women. For twenty dollars, you get a bath, body scrub and massage.
To soak it all in, it is also possible to take a trip around Istanbul's waterways on a commuter ferry that goes from the European side to the Asian continent. Ferries leave from the Eminonu docks near the bazaars and take you along the fortresses, lavish villas and mosques that line the Asian frontier.
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