Istanbul 101

Sitting on the balcony in a pair of shorts, no shirt and with a cool breeze, I see a massive Canard Lines cruise ship doing a 180 degree turn in the middle of the Bosphorus. Fourteen other boats and ships are weaving past the cruise ship, and I'm realizing that the straits between the Black Sea and the Marmara Sea which divide Europe from Asia, appear as chaotic as the streets. Yet somehow, everyone makes their way without colliding.

Tourists were swarming all over Istanbul today and I was one of them. Fortunately, having ignored the news reports about bombings in June and July, I scheduled six days in this amazing city. Understanding the geography and history of Istanbul, helps me better understand the melange of cultures, architecture and people.

With a history dating back to 657 B.C. the Greeks called it "Byzntium." After submitting willingly to Rome for centuries, and after a civil war and re-establishment of the city, the Roman Emperor Constantine took control in 324 and declared the city the "New Rome." Well, actually it was Constantinople. The Ottoman sultan assumed power in 1453, having defeated the last Byzantine emperor. Shortly afterwards, the Ottoman Empire encompassed much of Eastern Europe as well as the Middle East and North Africa. And Istanbul was the most civilized city on earth around 1550, not long after Columbus sailed to America. After falling into decline, and ultimately the post World War I defeat of the Ottoman Empire, the Turkish Republic was founded in 1922.

A visit to Istanbul guarantees that your senses will be simulated almost constantly. Istanbul offers 1,500 year old mosques and glass business towers, colorful shops and dirty streets, traditional clothes and a modern Metro gliding through the streets. Though Turkey is a secular state and has an active nightlife, a call to prayer amplified by loudspeakers echoes from nearby mosques even at 5:00 in the morning. It's a predominantly muslim country and many women wear colorful head scarves and mosques reach beyond capacity during this holy month of "Ramazan" (with a "z" in Turkey.)




For anyone ever considering a trip to Istanbul, I would highly recommend it. You will be fascinated and [I'm sorry, I have to make a bad pun] (Turkish) delighted!