As some of you may know, my original plans for this past weekend involved an intensive trip to Marrakech, Morocco. However, recent developments turned attention to North Africa, where protests staged turned violent and fatal for some. Many of the protesters are directing requests toward the king to relinquish some of his powers and dismiss the current government. These protests were not expected to escalate but this is exactly what happened. Consequently, Lorenzo de’Medici (the institution I study at here in Florence), held a mandatory meeting to inform us they will not be permitting us to travel to Morocco for our weekend excursion. This decision was made out of safety concerns for our well-being. Although I was disappointed, I understand completely the possible severity of the situation I would be in. On the bright side, the advisors at the school exclaimed they would now be paying for us to travel to Istanbul, Turkey instead, for the weekend! This change in plans stunned me because I never imagined traveling to Turkey, but I went in to the situation with excitement and an open mind.
 |
| Fortune Telling with Turkish Coffee |
 |
| Fortune Telling with Turkish Coffee |
Undoubtedly, Turkey offers a wealth of destination varieties to travelers, especially when visiting the famous city of Istanbul. After a long night of flying, our group arrived at our hostel around 2AM and went directly to sleep. In the morning a traditional Turkish breakfast was served consisting of bread, cucumber, tomato, olives, hard boiled eggs, jam, tea and coffee. We then set off on our first walking tour. The first day involved sightseeing throughout the New City, north of Taksim Square. This area includes much of the business center and has a modern feel to it. While traversing through the streets we made a stop for lunch where we all ate large flour tortillas stuffed with meats, vegetables, and cheeses. These were hand made by two women who rolled out the fresh dough for the tortilla. Some of my friends accompanied their meals with Ayran: a common drink made of yoghurt and water, with a bit of salt added. It is one the most popular drinks in Turkey. Although I tried a small sip, this drink tasted extremely sour to me. After a wonderful meal we went next door to a vendor selling Lokum: otherwise known as Turkish Delight. This is a gummy confection, which include premium varieties consisting largely of chopped dates, pistachios, and hazelnuts. The cheapest are mostly gel textured, generally flavored with rosewater, lemon, and other fruits. Needless to say they were delicious!
 |
| Turkish Delight |
After a full meal we headed towards a Turkish fortuneteller shop. Our specific experience involved drinking Turkish coffee followed by some fortune telling. Turkish coffee differs from percolator and instant varieties. Turkish coffee is prepared in tiny pots, which can be used to make two cups of coffee at each shot. How it is unique is because it allows your fortune to be told by looking at the cup. This custom of coffee cup reading is at least as old as Turkish coffee itself. Once you have finished drinking your cup, the saucer is placed on top of the cup, and a wish is made. When the coffee cup is cool enough, someone opens the cup and starts interpreting the shapes for divination. I for one am not afraid of fortune tellers, yet I tend not to believe in these types of “readings”. However, after experiencing what the woman had to say to me regarding my past, specifics about my family, and touching upon some of the major concerns and questions I have about life – I was truly moved for a while after the ritual.
 |
| View from Galata Tower |
 |
| Doner Kebab |
Towards the end of the day we ventured over to Galata, which is north across a little bridge. The Galata Tower is a high, cone-capped cylinder that dominates the skyline and offers panoramic views of the city from on top. Interestingly enough, our native tour guide decided to bring us to the speedy modern “sea bus” catamarans – or traditional ferryboats. These offer convenient travel down and across the Bosphorus connecting Istanbul on the European shore with Turkey on the Asian side. In other words, I went to Asia! We only spent about an hour there (enough time to grab a Turkish Efes beer!), but the experience was great. After catching a ferry back over we went to dinner at a traditional Turkish kebab place, where we all dined on Doner Kebabs.
 |
| Spice Market |
The next morning the focus of our walking tour included many mosques and markets. Of the many mosques we were able to see, the Blue Mosque was by far my favorite. The cascading domes and six minarets of the Sultanahmet Mosque (Blue Mosque) dominate the skyline of Istanbul. Inside, the high ceiling is lined with blue tiles that give the mosque its popular name. Upon entrance into the mosque the girls on my tour were required to wear head scarves for traditional reasons, and because it is in keeping with the commandments of Allah. The elegance and majesty of these mosques astounded me. I enjoyed experiencing the culture by removing my shoes and draping a scarf around my head before I entered each mosque. Although I did not get a chance to tour inside the Hagia Sophia, the exterior of the great architectural beauty allowed me to appreciate the once church/mosque and now museum.
 |
| Hagia Sophia |
 |
| Mosque |
Next we made our way towards the Grand Bazaar and spice market. The covered bazaar is a large city block with internal streets, all covered with a high vaulted ceiling and lined with huge numbers of colorful shops. Many of the venders sell products such as leatherware, spices, tea, carpets, cloth, lamps, and souvenirs of all kinds. The Grand Bazaar is one the largest and oldest covered markets in the world with more than 58 streets and over 4,000 shops. This was an exciting shopping experience and I was thankful not to get lost! The Spice Bazaar was also a busy place with mounds of spices lining the sidewalks where you could also find dried fruits and nuts. Towards the end of the day our guide brought us to a pastry shop and we were able to sample plates of boklava – my sweet tooth definitely got the best of me here!
 |
| Inside Mosque |
After our walking tour ended, my two girlfriends and I hurried off towards the Cemberlitas Hamami – Historical Turkish Bath. Istanbul is known for its Turkish baths, which is a variant of a steam bath or sauna, distinguished by a focus on water as opposed to steam. The method of cleansing the body and relaxation has been a popular social event for many Turkish residents. Not everyone is keen for the real Turkish Bath experience, but I was excited to experience it to the fullest! After changing, we were taken to a warm, humid room with a raised stone platform in the center, surrounded by bathing alcoves, all decorated in pretty colored tiles. We were able to lay on the platform, which is heated, and we inevitably worked up a sweat (it is like a sauna). Soon after, one of the women who worked there came over and used a coarse mitt to scrub me cleaner than I have ever been before. She used a lacy cloth and blows through it to create bubbles so I became covered from head to toe with soapy foam. Next I was doused in warm water again and she proceeded to wash my hair. After my 15-minute scrub/massage my friends and I were able to enjoy the heated stone as well as the mini pools of hot water located in the alcoves of the room.
For dinner our guide brought us to a residential area where we actually went to a Turkish family’s home and they cooked a meal for our group. The family was extremely gracious, despite not being able to speak a word of English. They welcomed our group of twelve students into their home where they proceeded to serve us lentil soup with bread, followed by rice and chicken with salad, finishing it off with a glass of tea. It was an extremely humbling experience to be able to spend time with a local family. This family in particular had just welcomed a baby girl (2 months old) into the world and I was even able to hold her before the start of dinner!
My travel experience to Istanbul, Turkey was not like any other. The strong pride in culture and tradition was humbling and each and every experience I had was more incredible than the last. I would recommend this trip to anyone I know, and I would do it all over again in a heartbeat.
 |
| Turkish Bath! |
 |
| Turkish Delight |
 |
| Baklava Tasting |
 |
| Dinner with Turkish family |
No comments:
Post a Comment