In "Western" Europe, Turkey seems a closed, conservative and far country. Prejudice often extended to Istanbul. At best, we have an idea of a distant and exotic city. Nothing could be farther from reality. I noticed this as soon as I descend of the clouds and I first saw "The City". It was a familiar tone that welcomed me. For a moment it seemed that I came back home.
I was not prepared for it. As a result of my own prejudices, I had imagined a morphing city, a gate to more exotic places. And I was really mistaken. The city's name was hand-picked. This is a city that stands on its own. You cannot really describe it. Trying to do it is like catching the wind with your hands. There isn't something that you catch but something that you feel.
So what is Istanbul? It is true that we find people with head scarves. That the horizon is marked by its many mosques, or that the muezzins remind us it is time to pray. But if you only see this, you see a city that doesn't exists.
It is impossible for me to answer my question. It has been difficult to write this text. Perhaps for being the first, or perhaps I feel the responsibility to write about a town that learned to love and respect. Just when I got to Aya Sofia Meydani, a square that mediates the two known mosques, I felt it. Never enjoyed a mosque. Accustomed to very ornate temples, those mosques I went always seemed to me too cold and naked. That changed here. Being in the midst of these mosques is to be in the middle of a match between two monuments. It's a healthy rivalry that muezinns seem to accompany at the time of the call.
In this area we can find three of the most popular attractions of this city at a distance of five minutes. Beyond the Blue Mosque and Ayasofia, there is also the Topkapi Palace. A palace which is worth more for it spaces, architecture and history, than for the beauty of its interior rooms.
As expected, all these sites are full of tourists, and with them appear vendors or "professionals" tour guides. It is a chaotic harmony that lives here. But a person never feels uncomfortable with the constant offerings. It is a fact that at the first opportunity they approach you, but let you go when you don't show interest. As in the well known market, the Grand Bazaar. It is certainly impressive. A world in itself, with its many streets and alleys. It seems another universe, and after 10 minutes we have the impression that we could live without ever leaving inside.
This whole area was a great start to my adventure in Istanbul, but if it was just this, the city wouldn't have much to give. Lucky as I am, I had the privilege of going a little beyond the usual tourist circuit. I owe this to three friends of this wonderful city. And perhaps more than anything that I've seen and experienced, they are the best that this city has to offer: a huge sympathy and an extraordinary pleasure in showing us the best that exists in Istanbul.
The first gave me the experience of eating the best profiteroles in the world. They are in Istikal Caddesi, an avenue similar to our Champs Elysees. In a small pastry (INCI Pastanesi) there is the perfect blend of ingredients that make this sweet. The only danger is that a person can not stop eating and ruin the budget for the trip (although not expensive - 5 lira each). And who knows me knows that I am no fun of sweets, but this site has made me one.
In addition to this experience, I followed her advice to visit two areas of the city: Ortaköi and Vali Konagi Caddesi. The first is a neighborhood full of cafes and commerce. It is close to Bogazici Köprüsü, one of the bridges linking Europe to Asia. From here we can make a small one hour cruise on the Bosphorus and admire the beautiful houses and landscapes that are located on its banks.
The area of Vali Konagi Caddesi is a commercial area and without many (or no) tourists. A great place to see this city moving. I spent a great Saturday afternoon and finished in a cafe: The Coffee House. Although not traditional, serves food that satisfies all your senses. It is a quiet place, in Atiya Sokagi No. 10, a transverse to Tesvikie Caddesi (that parts from Vali Konagi), consisting of chic restaurants and cafes located in the apartments of this street. Here we find a lot of glamor and style, and realize that the image sold in "Western" Europe is so unrealistic.
The second friend gave me a great night spent in Tophane,smoking Nargile and talking. And above all, getting know a little more reality in this country and culture. Although the trip still is at the beginning, this is one of the moments that I will never forget. Here I witnessed live the great sympathy of this people. Spending a night in this area is itself an experience. Passing it in the company of the people I met, is something extraordinary and that I will keep forever in my heart.
Finally, the third person gave me the opportunity to do a night walk between Tophane - which is on the north - and Sultanahmet - the city's historic district on the south. Between words, I learned how this city is more liberal than many European counterparts, or as in the Galata Bridge, dozens of fishermen spend their time fishing for pleasure. In my eyes they would be professional, because of the commitment that they pursue this activity. However the reality is that it is for passion that they do it. And at this time of the night there is almost a parallel world. People are around a bonfire while others sell food. A self-sustaining world and a very passionate one.
And perhaps that is what this city is: passionate. As I said earlier, I don't know the answer. Maybe a little of everything. Millions of lives that cross these streets, and little by little, turn this city into something unique. Here, I do not see a bridge between East and West. I don't even see the exotic. Here, I see a city that is unique and worth as a whole. I see unparallel sympathy and a place to which I could call home. This is "The City", and I think that after this experience I will bring Istanbul with me. In an inexplicable way it also became my city. Perhaps this is Istanbul ...
