Istanbul Diary

Impressions of a first time traveller from New Delhi to Istanbul( Turkey)- a brief stop over lasting a day and night- end February

A liberal Islamic city with a well preserved history of its arts and crafts by monuments of the ancient Roman ( Byzantine), Muslim ( Ottoman)and modern Turkey ushered by Kamal Ataturk,the Father of the Nation around 1932.

A very touristic place with a super Int Airport and beautifully laid out lawns, gardens along the 15 Km drive to the old city CAREFULLY CRAFTED TO attract tourist traffic from America, Europe and Japan.Thre were very few Indian tourists, but the trickle has started.

The Blue Mosque built by Sultan Mahmud II, Santa Sophia, a Church converted to a mosque - reconverted to a secular monument by Kamal Ataturk are truly beautiful pieces of medieval Islamic and Christian architecture and interior adornments. The royalty which created these masterpieces must have indeed been very rich and powerful.Were they created to overawe the populace?

Istanbul is a very large city skirting the Phosphorous and the Mediterranean seas - a Gateway between Europe and Asia. There are clearly demarcated Asian and European parts of Istanbul! The dilemma the Turkish people continue to face, visible on its roads and by- lanes and politic is - are they Eurpean or Asian- membership of the European Union is eluding them but it is an impotrtant a NATO base, while maintaining good relations with the Islamic world led by Saudi Arabia and Pakistan.
All that has to change.


Cobbled roads over undulating surfaces , crowded Bazaars selling precious stone jewellery, hand-woven carpets, blue ceramic tiles, dry fruits, sweets ( Turkish Delights),and endless chains of Cafes and restaurants selling a variety of Mediterranean foods, especially Donner Kebabs ( layers of variety of meats cooked off slow fires sliced and mixed with fresh salads and sauces).

The Grand Bazaar, in the heart of the Old City is definitely worth couple of visits to enjoy the rich variety of handcrafted stuff being sold ny shopkeepers young and old - all sipping 'Turkish Chai' or Coffee from gold- rimmed glasses being vended by hordes of 'Chai wallas' all smoking cigarettes. I don't think I have seen a more 'lit up' city in public anywhere. The innumerable 'butts' noticeably stuck in the crevice's of the cobbled roads are deftly sweeped by expert hands and brooms, so as not to put the tourists off!!

But shopping in the Grand Bazaar is tough. Haggling by hard sellers and soft buyers like me are most likely to end in 'loosing deals' most of the times, unless the visitor is accompanied by a local friend.

Because of the apparent boom in tourism, every second house in Istanbul has been coverted, either into a handicrafts shop, or a restaurant.

The few Turkish people I had the occasion to interact with, did not appear a very happy lot. Wonder why? Despite the claims being made on the Turkish Airlines videos on the flight back home to Delhi of Turkey being the sixth fastest growing economies in the world, I was left a bit unconvinced.The controversy around the present Govt allowing ladies to wear scarves ( Hijabs), a symbol of Islamist society conservatism, was prominent in the English print media of Turkey in the morning editions of papers.

I have come back a bit confused- is Turkey a buoyant secular society or is it inhibited by lack of liberal education, and being sucked into the fundamentalist Islamist mould, which the world would be better off without?
In my limited horizon, its good to be back in Delhi with all the chaos on the roads but with plenty of democracy and freedom!!

Delhi is much warmer a hrbinger of the long summer ahead.The flowers in my home garden are 40 % in bloom. Waiting for the full 100 % is a dream, because they have different life cycles.
The picture I am trying to carry in this blog is of the Grand Bazaar in Istanbul.

Hope I have not confused you with the picture of Istanbul, of which I had fleeting glimpse!

Take care all
Love