Istanbul

Istanbul: Bring to a Boil, then Simmer

Kilometers Traveled: 9,843 

Countries Visited: 3

Cities Visited: 7

Number of times Fausto was mistaken for a Turk by the locals: 7

The new Rome, Constantinople, where East meets West, [insert whatever cliche about Istanbul here]. This was city that we were the most eager to see on the European leg of our trip. Istanbul is a vibrant city of 14 million that is a beautifully intricate sprawling mess. We felt that this city had more in common with New York City than any of its European neighbors since it seems a life of its own and is not homogeneous enough for one group to take over.

More recently, tensions have been brought to a boiling point for the first time in Turkey's modern history with the protests over the removal of Gezi Park, one of the last remaining public parks in Istanbul's dense city center. The protests were the tipping point for the culminating public anger over the increasingly authoritarian policies of the Erdogan administration who has recently placed limits on alcohol consumption and has been on a campaign to restrict Turkey's free press by arresting journalists and coercing media outlets to remove "unfavorable" content. For example, during the protests in June the media showed a documentary on penguins instead of covering what was going on in Taksim - which consequently made the penguin a symbol for subsequent protests. The most recent demonstrations were in September over the death of a protester and at a local soccer derby match over a egregious red card which erupted into chaos with the rioters yelling "Taksim" as they stormed the field. During our stay, this politically charged atmosphere was palpable in the cafes and bars near Taksim.

But please do not take our interest in their current political environment as a deterrent for visiting Istanbul. These happenings did not at all affect our visit even while staying in Taksim.  We met locals that said that during the protests, life went on a usual everywhere else. We felt that Istanbul is still very safe and is large enough to that you can tailor your experience to what ever you want it to be. Our experience, for the most part, was focused around Turkish cuisine. We were on a mission to try as many Turkish dishes as we could get our forks into. We even took a cooking class to try to learn how they make their veggies taste so good. We absolutely can't wait to come back to Istanbul.

Old Town - Sultanahmet

When trying to decide where to stay when visiting Istanbul, it really comes down to two areas - Sulanahmet aka "Old Town" or Beygolu, the newer more cosmopolitan part of town. Sultanahmet is where you can find all of the major historical sites like the Hagia Sofia, Blue Mosque, Underground Cistern, Hippodrome etc. However, this part of town doesn't have much to offer as far as cuisine, nightlife, or entertainment. It is Istanbul's must see tourist trap where busloads of tour groups unload in front of Hagia Sofia causing unbearable queues for these amazing attractions. So be strategic when you decide to go. Lunch time seemed to work well for us.

Marching Ottoman band in front of Hagia Sofia (FYI - pronounced Aya Sofia)

Galata Bridge

The Galata Bridge was the first bridge constructed across the Golden Horn (an inlet separating the the north and south parts of the city). The current version (the fifth since the 6th century) added tram rails and allowed boat traffic to pass underneath. We crossed this thing almost every day to get to all of the major sites from the city of Beyoğlu.

Janelle with some Turkish looking guy.

Galata bridge fisherman catching mostly anchovies and mackerel for a little extra cash. You can mess with them by pointing to their bucket and asking "Yem mi, yemek mi?" - Is that bait or dinner?

Hagia Sofia

During the days of the Byzantine Empire, Emperor Justinian wanted to build the grandest church the world has ever known and thanks to him we have the Hagia Sofia. The Hagia Sofia which means "divine wisdom" was completed in the 6th century and nearly bankrupted the empire. After Constantinople fell to the Ottomans it was modified to a mosque with the addition of minarets and fountains and became the model for domed mosques for may years after. It still dominates the Istanbul skyline and is one of the most impressive structures we have ever seen - especially when you see its dome from the inside.

Fountain in Sultanahmet square with the arcs of water designed to mimic the dome shapes of the Hagia Sofia and Blue Mosque.

View from the inside that doesn't do it justice. The large medallions with Arabic letters and low hanging lamps were added later by the Ottomans.

The Deesis Mosaic depicting the Virgin Mary and John the Baptist from the Byzantine days. This picture doesn't really capture how amazingly tiny the pieces are. These mosaics were covered with plaster during the iconoclast era which helped preserve them and made restoration a bit easier in later centuries.

Blue Mosque

Almost as impressive as the Hagia Sofia, the Blue Mosque aka the Sultan Ahmet Mosque sits directly across the square. It was built by a famous Ottoman architect who also built the holy city of Mecca in Saudi Arabia. It was commission by a 19 year Sultan and the subsequently drained the treasury - this was the beginning of the end for the Ottoman Empire.

So many domes

Strict dress code - no shoes, no shorts and woman have to cover their heads. Also no Raiders jerseys.

Elegant and intricately decorated interior.

Underground Cistern

Also called the Basilica Cistern, this reservoir was used to fulfill the water needs of the ever expanding capital city of the Byzantine empire. The columns were cannibalized from older Roman buildings around the city including a couple of Medusa heads that were used to prop up shorter columns.

This would be great place for a Pink Floyd laser light show.

Topkapi Palace

Residence and administrative center of the Ottoman Sultans and location of many of Istanbul's museums. We didn't actually go inside since we were a little tired of sight seeing at this point. I'm sure there's a bunch of interesting stuff in there. Can't really say for sure. 

Grand Bazaar

Also a must see tourist trap with many hidden gems including some cafes with some of the best Turkish coffee in town.  Half of the fun when going here is haggling with the vendors.  Most heard phrase - "For you I give special price". 

A labyrinth of covered streets and hidden courtyards. Definitely worth exploring.

New purse for Janelle. I got him down from 65tl to 27tl. Finally made up for the 60tl fish in Bodrum.

The Bosphorus

One of the highlights of our stay was a cruise up the Bosphorus Strait to a small fish village on the Asian side of the city. This was a fun way to get a sense for the scale and diversity of Istanbul which now extends all the way up to the Black Sea. Many of the towns up north are still very quaint where most people still fish for a living. 

Small fishing village on the Asian side called Anadolu Kavagi with great seafood and stunning views from the ruins of a Roman castle (Yoros) on the hilltop.

Black Sea at our back and a new bridge under construction to accommodate the ever growing population.

A day at the spa

After our experience with the cruise, we felt more comfortable getting around town by Istanbul's very efficient ferry system. One day we decided to try an authentic Turkish bath across the Bosphorus on the Asian town of Kadikoy. We were hoping to find a quieter part of town but we were overwhelmed with crowed fish markets and restaurants completely packed with locals.

Once we got to the hamam (bath house) we were in for a very weird spa experience. When we walked up to the building we found a group of older, surly looking Turkish men hanging out by the entrance. We stood across the street for while figuring out our approach while they stared at us. We couldn't figure out if they were mobsters or employees so we just went for it. Janelle went through the separate woman's entrance and I approached the fellas by the men's door. Their disposition quickly changed from gruff to friendly as they figured out that the awkward couple lingering across the street was actually here to for a bath. I got a warm greeting and a few of them they showed me inside to my dressing room which was in the lobby and consisted of mostly clear glass. They asked if I wanted a massage and I said "yes?" So I disrobed, covered myself with the provided bath wrap (the only thing you're allowed wear while inside) and went into the bath house.  

The hamam was impressive, it was all marble, had a high dome, several basins along the walls and a raised göbektaşı in the center. A göbektaşı is a heated marble platform where you're supposed lay down to sweat. Your main objective is to sweat as much as possible to loosen up the dead skin for the massage. I filled a basin with hot water and rinsed off then I moved to the göbektaşı and laid next to a large man to was sporadically groaning. Feeling that was interfering with his ritual I moved to the more familiar sauna. 

After a few minutes of getting a good sweat going one of the guys who we saw loitering outside came to get me for the massage - he also wearing only a bath wrap. He took me to another room with more basins, had me sit under a running spigot of boiling water and proceeded lightly waterboard me. After I was thoroughly rinsed he grabbed a kese, which is an exfoliating bath glove, and proceeded to sand off the top three layers of my skin.  I was rinsed off again then moved to a platform where he then lathered me with soap and gave me the most manly, violent massage I have ever experienced. Limbs were pulled in unnatural directions, bones were cracked, my face was smashed into the marble slab and I think there was a punch in there somewhere. He rinsed me off again then quickly left, it was all done. He left me disoriented and glowing, I struggled to figure out what to do next. I think I was supposed to go back in the hamam and cool off, or maybe do some more hot/cold cycles, but instead I went back to the dressing and got changed. The whole thing took 20 minutes. I tipped my masseur and went outside to wait for Janelle.  Intimidated, I sat across the street again while the wise guys sitting at the door just starred at me and smiled. Despite the pain and embarrassment I endured I felt fantastic.

Beyoğlu

On the northern side of the golden horn is where the more cosmopolitan and European Istanbul works and plays. This is where you can find nightlife, restaurants, and shopping on the bustling Istiklal Street. And it is also home to Taksim square and Gezi Park. This is where we decided to stay to get a taste of the modern Istanbul.

Despite its appearance our neighborhood was actually pretty safe. But if you don't like the condemned building look and kids playing soccer until midnight don't stay north of Tarlabasi blvd. 

Galata Tower was built by the Genoese in the 14th century. A bit pricey to get up to the top but it offers the best views of the city. The surrounding neighborhood is also a great place to grab dinner and some drinks.

We stayed a couple blocks away from one Istanbul's main cultural arteries - Istiklal Street. This place never slept and was always packed with thousands of people. A fun place to grab dinner, a drink and watch the human parade. 

Taksim Square (Gezi Park)

One of Istanbul's few remaining public parks and most recently the epicenter of the protests that rocked Turkey. The plaza sits at the end of Istiklal street and is a popular gathering place for locals. This is where Erogdan wants to build a replica Ottoman barracks which caused the uproar in June.

One of the few peaceful places in town to have some Turkish tea.

Peaceful protest to save the park.

And the police getting ready to overreact.

Food

Some of the most memorable experiences we had in Turkey revolved around trying their vast and varied cuisine which is a delectable mix of Greek, Central Asian, Middle Eastern and European.  So we feel that it merited its own section. We were particularly interested in how they could make a veggie dish so stunning that it would make any carnivore a vegetarian, so we took a cooking class to try to learn about their techniques. The secret was a ton and a half of olive oil, and creating an amazing base that includes mint, parsley, red pepper paste and garlic. This class has added many more veggie dishes to our collection of recipes.

Cooking Alaturka

Our cooking class was situated in the old town area with an outfit called Cooking Alaturka which is run by Dutch ex-pat Eveline and Turkish chef Feyzi. We learned how to make stuffed eggplants in olive oil, lamb dolmades and red lentil soup. We washed it all down with some fantastic Turkish wine after it was all done.

Eveline showing us to our stations. She studied at the Cordon Bleu, is a former hotel owner, has traveled the world and is currently writing a book on her memoirs while teaching people about Turkish Cuisine. This is the most interesting woman in the world.

This week on Dirty Jobs - garlic mincers

Spice Market

At the Spice Market - fresh cardamom, saffron, and more pepper than I ever knew existed. So many options and no kitchen to call our own.

Ottoman style lunch - Bulgar, dolmades, veggies and beans in olive oil with a dollop of yogurt.

This is Pide which is the Turkish version of a pita. A flat bread topped with meat (and/or veggies) and cheese.

Example of some of the mezze dishes served at most Turkish restaurants. They closely resemble Spanish tapas and usually include red peppers, eggplant, and mushrooms in olive oil. Mezzes are usually served with drinks during the evening.

Yogurt

Yogurt is a very important part of the Turkish diet and usually served with every dish. It helped cure our bellies after a gut destroying trip through Eastern Europe. mmm probiotics!

Fun Fact - The "Greek" yogurt craze in America was actually started by a Turk but it was marketed as Greek due to the more favorable impression Americans have of the Greeks.

Cucumber yogurt salad with dried parsley and olive oil.

A slightly salty and refreshing yogurt drink called ayran. A good way to start the day.

Ekmek Kadayifi. Honeyed bread pudding with unsweetened cream.  A lot of Turkish desserts are doused in honey but we're not complaining.

Finally some Turkish coffee to wrap things up. The Turks claim to have invented coffee and they don't mess around in its preparation. It's usually an extra dark roast, very finely ground, unfiltered and very strong. Definitely an acquired taste since it is a bit more jarring than the espresso we are used to back home. In Turkey, coffee is purely a social drink as the locals usually opt for tea during the day. They also play a fun fortune reading game with the empty cup -  once you have finished your cup and all that remains are the grinds, you turn the cup upside down on to the dish, once the grinds settle someone flip the cup back over and tries to find shapes and patterns in the grinds that say something about your future.