The last words on Istanbul

…mine, at least.

There are lots of small sights, sounds, tastes, and experiences to explore and enjoy around the Old City.  Of course, there are the big sights as well, so I’ll close with a quick pictorial tour of some favorite locations around the Horn.

4.  Grand Bazaar

The hot streets give way to dm passages filled with brightly colored stalls overflowing with treasure.  “You’re the customer I‘ve been waiting all day for! “  Within moments I’m out of sight of the entry and lost. “Wait, let me show you something?” A murmur of appreciation; eyes rolled at the asking price.  "I can see I’m not gong to make a profit today!” Sure, good fun, and everyone is in on the game.

 

3.  Blue Mosque 

A crouching blue spider of a building, set amidst slender minarets and sculpted gardens.  Inside, shoeless, a surprisingly light and airy space, vastly carpeted and punctuated by wagon-wheel iron fixtures.  The occasional tourist darts through the fence to take a close-up picture; the children of the faithful laugh and roll in the corners .

2.  Topkapi Palace

The Sultan’s home until the 1900’s, the residence is a series of buildings and courtyards highlighted with verdant gardens and panoramic views. It reminds me a bit of an academic campus: Stanford?  Befitting the crossroads of Europe and Asia, there are influences from Rococo Europe and waterbrush Asia, contemplative India and rough-edged Middle East.  The Sultan watched, learned, adapted, taking the best of passing cultures and creating a harmonious blend.

1.  The Bosporus

Steel-blue choppy water capped with spray from a stiff breeze.  All manner of boats arrowing in front of one another, lurching and foaming on the crowded waterway.   always find myself excited just to be part of it: the history and commerce of the place resonate strongly through the narrow straits.  A little shopping along the docks secures a 2-hour ride beneath the two bridges for only 20 TL.

 

   

0: Honorable Mention:

     Fish sandwiches along the docks         Apple tea at noon

   

                       Terrace dining                     Street vendors