Hoşça kal, Istanbul

I didn't want to say goodbye to Istanbul. I really loved the city and had such a great time. In addition, I actually did learn a lot about the history and culture, exactly what I wanted to do for my senior project. I learned more about the paper I wrote last month and got personal stories, opinions, and experiences that related to the transition of Turkey into a Republic, as well as the blending of Eastern and Western traditions and cultural ideals.

Another reason I loved my visit to Istanbul was because of the Hotel Sultania. I have honestly never stayed in a better hotel than this little boutique tucked away on a cobbled road in Istanbul's Old City. Everybody was so helpful and friendly and did everything to make our stay more comfortable, from posting my postcards for me so I wouldn't have to search for stamps or a postbox, to providing lokum (a Turkish sweet) every day in our room, to recommending restaurants for us and giving us directions so we wouldn't get lost. One lady was the best. Her name was Ozlem and she was the Guest Relations manager. She knew a hundred different languages and always had the biggest smile on her face. She was honestly the cutest woman ever. And she was very pretty. She reminded me of what my Turkish neighbor's daughter might look like when she grows up. Ozlem was wonderful and so helpful, I cannot sing enough praises about her or her kindness.

In addition, the rooms were incredible at the hotel. Here are some pictures:

This was our room. We had twin beds. The mural by the sink is actually our glass bathroom!

These pictures are from the Hotel Sultania website

Website picture

Website picture again

See how beautiful it is? I would definitely recommend staying here if you go to Istanbul. It is also close to all the historical sites in the city, as well as the Grand Bazaar and Spice Market!

Entrance to the Hotel Sultania

The rug we loved

Rug close-up

Anyway, we had a late breakfast at the hotel and wandered down to some of the touristy shops nearby. We bought a couple of things, as well as going into a textile shop where Khala bought a beautiful silk pillowcase depicting a sultan at a picnic with all his guards and wives around him. The colors are so vibrant. It will look nice on her white bed and will give her room in her flat in London a nice pop of color. Then we went into a rug shop, just to see what it was like. The man, like everybody else, was so hospitable and his apprentice or Turkish boy who worked for him, immediately came over to me while Khala was occupied, and offered me apple tea and ushered me to sit down on the owner's seat. Khala had told the man not to worry about bringing out rugs, since they were all rolled up, and said we were just looking and were going to look at the rugs hanging on the walls. Nevertheless, the man started unrolling them, and soon, the boy helped and unrolled every single large-sized rug in the shop. Khala pretended to be looking for a client so we could keep watching how the man showed his rugs and also see the beautiful Turkish rugs ourselves. The one we both liked was about 10,000 Turkish Lira (TL), so that equates to 4,000 sterling (UK pounds). It was very expensive, but the craftsmanship was exquisite and the pattern was gorgeous.

Close up of the corner of the rug

And thus ends my trip to Istanbul, Turkey. I loved it so much that I want to come back! Maybe next time I can visit Ankara, or the coastal sites where there is a lot of history, such as visiting Troy from the Greek myths! Asli told me she was going to the South of Turkey this summer, where there are beaches. It would be nice to see that region, too. However, for the moment, I am so glad I was able to come to Istanbul, because it really was an incredible experience where I learned a lot about the culture, traditions, and rich history of the area.

A Typical Turkish Bath: Foam Massage and All!

Since we had been doing a TON of walking in Istanbul, Khala decided that we should get a traditional Turkish bath to relax and also experience another authentic part of the culture. I was actually a little hesitant about getting a massage because I was not really a fan: I had one right before I left the USA and it wasn't my favourite. I didn't really like people touching me, so I wasn't sure how this would work out. But I did really want to experience it, because it was part of the Turkish culture. Turns out, it was wonderful! Thank goodness I did try it!

We didn't go to a public bath house, just because we didn't want to walk anymore! Instead, we stayed in our hotel and went to their wellness and spa center. It was absolutely gorgeous, just like the rest of the hotel actually. Instead of wrapping a sarong around our top and bottom (like a makeshift bikini), we opted to wear our own swimsuits. Khala was led into a room with flowers on the bed and given a clay mask while I sat in the sauna. Apparently, I have no heat toleration (how on Earth did I survive in hot and humid Houston, TX?!) and had to keep leaving the sauna to breathe outside!

The room where Khala got her clay mask

View from outside

The sauna where I couldn't breathe!

But when Khala's mask was finished, we were both led into a completely marble room with three taps. The room was quite beautiful. The marble was all heated and the ceiling was domed. So this is what the sultan wives did for fun!

Where we got our Turkish Bath and Foam Massage!

Where the food is in this picture is where we lay down to be foamed and massaged

So there was no food in our Turkish bath. It would have been ruined because it got so steamy in that room! Basically, the person giving us our Turkish bath would throw water, either hot or cold to regulate our body temperature, on us from a gold bowl filled by the taps (the closest ones in the picture that you can see). Then they would put on a mitt and scrub our entire bodies to get rid of all the dirt and dead skin cells. We would be doused with water again to clean ourselves of all that had been scrubbed off of us (which was kind of disgusting actually...) and then we would lie back down again. The masseuse would then foam us up. They dropped bubbles all over our fronts, then we turned over and got bubbles on our back. Then the massage started. My masseuse worked in so hard I was dying! But afterwards, I actually could not feel any of the knots I had before. That didn't happen on my last massage! I was cleaned from the bubbles and shampoo massaged into my head and washed out. Then I was led to the other side of the room to relax for a bit while Khala got her massage. I literally felt so limp and sleepy, but it felt wonderful.

When Khala was finished, the masseuse led us to a giant couch to relax and brought us apple tea, dried fruit, and water. It was très "Sex and the City"! Now, these types of couches were built into an alcove and had a curtain in front. Here's a picture, because it's difficult to describe. But this is what the sultan's wives would sit in for a lot of the day! There was even a mirror on the ceiling so we could look at ourselves if we wanted.

See, it's that couch INSIDE the wall. It was much bigger than it looked. Khala and I both lay down inside on the cushions and probably three more people could have joined us comfortably. 

So though I normally do not like massages that much, this Turkish bath and foam massage was absolutely amazing. I could definitely do it again. I know my sisters would enjoy it! Needless to say, Khala and I slept extraordinarily well that night! :)

All photos are from the Hotel Sultania's Wellness website page.

Bartering Along the Bosphorus

We followed the tram line in order to find our way to the Grand Bazaar after lunchtime. On the way, we passed people selling ice cream and calling for you to eat at their restaurant or enter their shop. I will definitely not be hearing that again in Pittsburgh! We also passed a little Tea Garden where people could enjoy Turkish tea or coffee outside on a patio in a little garden. It was so cute!

Tea Garden (looking out from patio)

We finally made it to the bustle of the Grand Bazaar. However, today it wasn't as busy as the first day we went, which was nice. We could actually see the floor this time!

A quiet part of the Grand Bazaar (if you have a facebook, click the link to see a video inside the Bazaar!)

We looked and were called to, chose and bartered for, and eventually managed to buy quite a few things, such as ceramics. Ever since a rather unfortunate encounter with a clown in Covent Garden when I was about 3, I have never liked people invading my space. So getting used to all the Turkish sellers calling out, "Angel, come buy." "How can I help you, darling?" "You're beautiful. Be my model. Try on these scarves." in order to sell their wares, was slightly difficult for me, but after experiencing things like this all week, I was getting used to it. But as long as you don't make eye contact, you can just walk right by them. They must have a pretty thick skin for that not to bother them: when people just ignore them altogether. Everybody in Turkey really is very hospitable to everyone. They go over and beyond to show you their wares, make you comfortable, flatter you, and are not at all annoyed when they take out everything to show you and then you don't buy anything. They love to show off what they have and are very proud of their products.

Topkapi Palace

We set off early, once again, to visit the last famous site in Istanbul: Topkapi Palace. Mehmet II built the palace as his main residence in the 1460s. It's quite interesting because instead of just one building, it was a series of pavilions surrounded by four huge courtyards. In order to get there, we had to hike up an enormous, steep cobbled road. It looked very typically Turkish and we were greeted by the Imperial Gate and the Fountain of Ahmet III. Everything was so ornately decorated and perfectly kept.

The Imperial Gate

We walked under the archway towards the Topkapi Palace and absorbed the beautiful scenery. Everything was so green and serene. There was even a view of the Bosphorus and other side of the Golden Horn. It was so peaceful, even though there were huge crowds.

Actually, there were no more tourists than usual, it's just that there were so many school groups visiting! I literally cannot express how many children and teens there were. But as we passed one line of them to walk into the first courtyard, they all waved at us and said "Hello! Hello! Please stop! I love you! Pretty lady, please stop! Hello! Hello!" It felt like we were famous and walking down a runway. It was cute but I can imagine it becoming annoying if the walk was more than our 50 steps. Inside the palace, there were even more school groups, but we tried to avoid them and entered the Harem of the palace. Inside the Harem, we were supposed to be quiet and only speak in hushed tones, out of respect. However, Khala and I were stuck behind a three person French tour and the guide either couldn't read the sign or was a little bit hard of hearing, because she was yelling everything about the Harem in French to the group. Khala and I sprinted by them in the first room and moved on to the second. It wasn't worth listening to her loud voice. But anyway, the Harem was like a labyrinth of exquisitely decorated and detailed rooms where the sultan's wives and concubines lived. Technically, the sultan didn't have "wives" but he had favourites and lots of women. It was gorgeous inside. The walls were all tiled with the pretty, famous blue color and the domes and chandeliers were spectacular.

Concubines in a room (obviously they are just figures)

Dome of one of the rooms

Closeup of the beautiful, handmade tiles

Inside the Circumcision Room (which was actually not in the Harem but a pavilion outside of it)

After wandering through the Harem, we went into the Pavilion of the Holy Mantle. This was incredible, especially for me. Some of the holiest relics of Islam were on display inside five rooms. So this place was a place of pilgrimage for Muslims. I haven't been to Mecca yet, but at least I have made the pilgrimage to the Holy Mantle. I saw locks of hair from the beards of prophets, their swords, gold-plated drains from the Holy Kaaba, keys and locks to the Holy Kaaba (the most important mosque to Muslims, located in Mecca), and even an impression of Prophet Muhammad's footprint. Holy men continuously chant passages from the Quran, so we were walking through and it felt incredibly holy. It was also packed in the Pavilion...people were everywhere, so it was hard to get a good long look at the relics, unfortunately. But I did manage to glimpse the holiest of all relics: Prophet Muhammad's mantle. Visitors were not allowed to enter the room where it was kept, so we just looked at it from an antechamber through an open doorway. No pictures were allowed in the Pavilion.

We walked through the throne room and library, each one beautifully adorned with the famous Iznik tiles, and visited the Treasury, where there was an enormous collection of precious, glittering jewels and pieces. Almost all the pieces were jewels for men, though. Not many women's jewels. For example, there was a suit of diamond-encrusted chain mail for Mustafa III. The most famous piece is the Topkapi dagger although there is a case containing bones from what is said to be the hand of John the Baptist. Khala and I were extremely tired of crowds and children, so we quickly walked through the exhibit, avoiding the hundreds of people crowding in front of the displays.

The Topkapi Dagger

At this point, we were getting hungry and the crowds were surging in numbers. We even saw a woman from our flight from London in the courtyard! That was quite funny. We quickly entered a gift shop to see what rubbish they were trying to sell. There was a boy, or young man I suppose, probably 20, working in the shop. He stared at me the entire time. Had I not been in Istanbul for three days already, I might have found this quite strange. However, I have noticed that everybody stares at me: shopkeepers, stall owners, ferry drivers, etc. And it probably isn't just me they stare at. I think they are looking at me to try and figure out where I am from. And I know it confuses them when I start speaking with an American accent! That was just a little observation I have come up with. They aren't being rude, just curious. But anyway, after the gift shop. Khala and I passed under The Gate of Felicity to the exit...where there were lines miles long of children waiting to exit through the incredibly small and narrow door. That was a bad architectural design in my opinion. As we waited in the sun, three little boys, probably about 10 or 11, came up to us and one said, "Hello! I am Turkish! You..." When I said I was American, they jabbered away in Turkish to each other and were thoroughly pleased, laughing and talking loudly. They went around talking to other visitors as well. They were so friendly!

View of the Gate of Felicity

After our lunch break, Khala and I, despite being quite tired from walking all week and touring the Palace all morning, set off to try our bartering skills at the Grand Bazaar...

The New and Suleymaniye Mosques

Mosques, mosques, mosques. Istanbul, being a primarily Muslim country, has hundreds of mosques all over the place. As you walk through the streets, you can hear the azaan's call to prayer five times a day. It's really interesting because I have never been to a place that is primarily Muslim like me. Another thing: my name is so common here! When I walk past stalls and shops, I can hear people talking in Turkish and then calling "Rabia!" to their friends or others and I always jump and look around. I'm used to being the only person around with my name, so I never have to worry that people aren't actually talking to me. It's a little different here, with all these other Rabias and everyone being able to pronounce my name on the first try! 

Courtyard view of the New Mosque

Later on in the day, we hiked past the Spice Bazaar and up to the Suleymaniye Mosque. It is considered Istanbul's most important mosque. In addition to being a place of worship, it was also a charitable foundation. It fed over 1000 of the city's poor, whether they be Muslim, Jew, or Christian, as well as having a hospital, school, and bath house nearby. We removed our shoes and covered our heads with our scarves and entered the mosque. The sense of spirituality and soaring space due to the enormous dome struck me when I walked in. It was truly a work of art. I am going to try to upload a video clip I took of the inside of the mosque so you can kind of get a feel for what it was like. It won't work right now due to the Internet quality, but I'll try later, so check back!

Exterior of the Suleymaniye Mosque

Man praying in the Suleymaniye Mosque

Tespee (Prayer Beads)

And thus ended our tour of the most famous mosques in Istanbul. We walked back to the hotel, grabbed some traditional Turkish lamb kebabs in an authentic restaurant, and collapsed in bed exhausted.

Asia for the Morning

Once again, my aunt and I set off early to meet Claire, our tour guide for the day, at the Spice Market. We were going on a tour of the Bosphorus sites! I was really excited to go across the Bosphorus, because I would be in a boat over the Marmara and Black Seas as well as getting off on the other side in what was officially Asia! Claire was an American woman who had come to Turkey sixteen years ago and married a Turkish man. She was quite an interesting woman, being born in Pakistan but raised in America, and now living in Istanbul with her husband and seven year old son. She knew a lot about the history of Istanbul and the Republic of Turkey, and so I had a chat with her about it, having learned it all from my Senior Research Paper. We also discussed Snow by Orhan Pamuk and Portrait of a Turkish Family by Irfan Orga, two of the four books I read for my paper. She had some really good opinions and had similar views as me about how the Turkish Republic would be better off blending the Eastern and Western cultural traditions and ideals. She definitely reinforced the thesis of my paper!

We took the ferry across the Bosphorus. The water was so blue and clear, although it isn't the cleanest. As we left the European side, I got a gorgeous view of the skyline with many mosques, houses, the Bazaars, and more:

View of the European side of Istanbul

As we continued towards Asia, Claire pointed out the Maiden's Tower. The legend is that a princess was cursed at birth to die from a serpent's bite. Her father, in order to protect her, built the tower in the middle of the sea where she would stay and be safe. She grew up and was very beautiful and attracted the attention of a boy. The boy would swim out every day to talk to her beneath her tower and they soon fell in love. One stormy night, the boy didn't come, so the princess decided to go to the mainland to look for him. When she arrived, she was offered some food. As she reached into the basket to take the proffered food, a serpent slithered out and bit her and she died.

Maiden's Tower in the middle of the Bosphorus

When we disembarked, the city felt completely different. There wasn't a frantic rush. It was still very crowded, but felt more like a neighborhood, maybe like South Kensington in London. It was nice because this felt like the real Istanbul, not just a built up, tourist attraction like parts of where we had previously been felt like. Our first stop was to the Beylerbeyi Palace. It is a French and Ottoman designed summer palace, built for Sultan Abdul Aziz in 1861. The Duke and Duchess of Windsor have also stayed there! The palace reminded me of the Ringling House down in Florida--it was very ornate and pleasing to the eye. The mixture of French and Ottoman styles (Western and Eastern!) looked lovely together.

Beylerbeyi Palace on the left (behind the tree unfortunately) and one of the two bathing pavilions on the right, overlooking the Bosphorus. The Ataturk Bridge behind it is the largest suspension bridge in the world and it connects Asian Istanbul with European Istanbul over the Bosphorus.

Prettiest Room!

Blue Marble columns

The most beautiful room in the palace, in my opinion, was the reception hall on the second floor. It had a large fountain with running water (though it was turned off) in the center, marble columns, agiant crystal chandelier, and perfect symmetry of the placement of furniture and statues (left).

After that, we wandered down to the edge of the Bosphorus to a quaint little square where the locals hang out and fish and have tea. Claire told us more Greek mythology stories with a bit of a Turkish twist (see, everyone has their own versions of Greek mythology!). We could see a military high school that had been around since the 1800s on the Asian coast of Istanbul. I got really excited because that was probably the military school Irfan Orga had described attending in his novel, Portrait of a Turkish Family! The fact that I was actually seeing what I had read about was really fascinating to me. The water still looked clear to me, so I asked if it was clean enough to swim in (not that I had any desire, with all those ferries and boats chugging across constantly). Claire said that the mayor assured the citizens annually by jumping in on television, but he jumps out just as quickly, so it probably isn't that clean. Although, at the narrowest point between the two sides of Istanbul, there are sometimes swimming competitions by age groups. It is very difficult because the Bosphorus has two currents: the cold, rough Black Sea on the bottom and the warmer, calmer Sea of Marmara on top.

Looking down the edge of the Bosphorus

Boats docked at the square

Little street

While we have been walking A LOT, we have also tried the public transportation, though not the trolley because it is always jampacked and looks incredibly uncomfortable and claustrophobic. We tried one of these minibuses that zip around the neighborhood.  I've noticed that as you get closer to the residential areas of Istanbul, everything downsizes, such as the buses! They're pretty small and can get really uncomfortable if there are a large amount of people, either sitting or standing around the doors. But they definitely get you places. We stopped off in this adorable little neighborhood nestled a little way up from the edge of the Bosphorus, but lined with cobbled streets and houses like in Amsterdam: all connected together and very tall. The style was different though. Along the streets, there are cafes and little stores where people sit outside and play backgammon and, of course, drink tea and coffee. When we passed by, they always smiled and said hello. I really like the people here! Another interesting thing is that in one street, we saw a Greek Orthodox Church, an Armenian Church, a Synagogue, a Mosque, and another chapel. In Istanbul, they are very tolerant of religions. Claire, as a Christian, is married to a Muslim. We asked if there was any pressure to convert, but she said that there was absolutely none at all. The population of Turkey is over 90% Muslim.

Chapel

Houses

Vegetable Market

That pretty much ended our morning in Asia. I'll tell you all about my visit to the Suleymayine Mosque back on the European side after I get some sleep. Goodnight!

An Evening with Friends in the Bosphorus Breeze

Around 7pm, my aunt and I went down to our hotel lobby to meet a woman named Mukafat. She is my Turkish neighbor in Pittsburgh, Emel's, sister who lives in Istanbul. It was quite exciting to go meet a local...and she was taking us to dinner in a different part of Istanbul with her daughters! We grabbed a cab (during the worst traffic hour!) to Nişantaşı, the area where she lives and works. It looked like a typical downtown, with shopping, businesses, restaurants, and apartments. There are so many Turkish shops I want to take a look in (obviously), but we'll see if I have time. Mukafat took us to a little cafe to meet her two daughters, Asli and Elif. Asli will turn 20 on May 25th, and Elif is 16. I was so excited to meet them because Asli is coming to stay with her Aunt Emel in two weeks. So we can hang out in Pittsburgh together! 


When we met, we immediately began talking and had a great time together. They told me all about their French high school and Asli's first year at the University of Istanbul where she studies psychology. I wondered why there were so many French schools in Istanbul. It's because Napoleon created very strong ties with the Ottomans and many of the Turkish sultans (pre-Republic!) went to France to get an education and copy styles of the country. When they came back, they established French schools and offered teaching positions to French professors. 


We went to the edge of the Bosphorus to a place where the locals always hang out after dinner and smoke a hookah and drink Turkish tea and coffee. It's called Ortakoy and it's a suburban area at the foot of the Bosphorus. Khala and I were planning on trying shisha, until we were told it actually was tobacco. I thought it was just a herbal thing! Obviously I didn't do my research. However, we continued our conversation over Turkish tea next to the water. It was a lovely way to end the evening. There is really no better way to learn about a place than talking to locals. I'm so glad we got to meet them! And now I can't wait to see Asli on June 4th in Pittsburgh!