Here in Istanbul (not Constantinople), you find shade where you can, a breeze if possible. Even at the end of September it’s hot here. The summer must be unbearable.
We started our explorations at Dolmabaçi Sarayi, not for any good reason, but because it was close to our hotel. We learned that this was the home of the last 6 Ottoman sultans, and building this extravagant complex depleted the treasury and contributed to the fall of the empire. Clearly there is more to it: the rise of European nationalism, the alliance with Germany in WWI, and a host of other factors also contributed to the end of the Empire that began with Osman in 1299 and extended through 36 sultans ruling for over 600 years.
Later, we knocked the Aya Sofia and the Blue Mosque off our to do list. Despite the fact that they are both spectacular buildings, we couldn’t get through them fast enough. TOO MANY PEOPLE. It’s like Times Square in NYC; you kind of have to visit it, but wish no one else did.
The next day we spent some time at Süleymaniye Mosque, which for my money is just as impressive but had only a small fraction of the visitors.
We also visited the Grand Bazaar. Lonely Planet says plan to spend 3 hours here, but 10 minutes is more like it. Why would you choose to stay in a place where you are an easy mark for scams (or worse) just for the chance to pick up some cheap junk?
Instead, we went walkabout for a while, and discovered a whole district selling nothing but puffy winter coats. Probably knock-offs. Fortunately there was also a store selling decent postcards, so I made the shopkeeper’s day and bought a stack(1). We told him we were visiting from NYC. He said he gets visitors from many great cities, some the capitals of their countries, but none could lay claim to being the capital of the world, like Istanbul. You have to admit, the man has a point.
But we also discovered the lovely, peaceful Şehzade mosque pictured below, and the ancient aqueduct of Valens which still runs through parts of the city. And of course there is a huge statue of Mehmet the Conqueror, who successfully laid seige to Constantinople in 1453, ending the Byzantine Empire.
Because it is so massive, we hired a guide to take us through Topkapi Sarayi, and learned a lot from her. The various buildings stimulate questions and discussions about a lot of aspects of Ottoman culture and governance: eunuchs, harems, viziers – what exactly were their roles? Our guide was very knowlegeable and answered a lot of questions, BUT it would have been so much better if she had spent 20-30 minutes at the beginning explaining the broad strokes of Ottoman history and society.
Maybe everyone else knows this, but I didn’t. For much of the Ottoman period, after the Sultan died, his successor was chosen from among his sons based on which one could kill the others. I mean, that would have been a pretty cool factoid for a guide to provide, before embarking on the tour. Again, maybe its just another example of my lack of knowledge, or maybe most visitors just want to see the jewels (2).
On another topic, the Basilica Cistern is just so damn photogenic.
Istanbul is a city of surprises, like the cistern but also like the recently built mosque at Taksim Square, which was luminescent at sundown as we passed by one evening.
If anyone read my previous blog posts, you might be wondering if the dodgy rental car had any issues on the drive from Kaş. In short, no. The noise from the brakes became more and more noticeable, but it survived the whole trip, just as the gangster said it would.
And so we bid a fond farewell to the sights, sounds and happy smiling people of Türkiye(3). See you next time.
1. If you are not on my list, but want to be, I need your postal address
2. That was certainly true of Peter Ustinov, reluctant thief in the 1964 movie Topkapi.
3. No disrespect intended, totally tongue-in-cheek.
