A day, a night, another day, and another night in Istanbul

This morning we got off to a late start. At nine, my alarm went off; I turned it off immediately. At eleven, we made our way to the roof for breakfast. The maitre d’ asked if we wanted omelets. He hadn’t asked me that yesterday.

By noon, we were ready to visit the Topakapi Palace, the residence of Ottoman sultans for four centuries. We waited an hour in line before obtaining tickets, and then waited for forty five minutes for tickets to the Harem. Ed turned to me and said, “We’ve just paid twenty dollars and spent two hours in line just to get into the Harem.”

Admission was rationed to sixty people every half hour. We missed the one o’clock tour. At one thirty, they let us in. The tour guide started her tour in the first room, speaking first in English and then in Turkish, then walked on. I lingered behind to take photographs. A guard brought up the rear, pushing me ahead.

From the Harem we made our way into the third court and the treasury. Rooms held various crowns, jewels and thrones, including the Topakapi dagger, made famous in the Dassin heist film Topakapi. A sixty-eight carat diamond sat in a case beside it, and I wondered aloud why thieves chose the dagger over the diamond.

By the time we neared the fourth court we were hungry, and made our way to the palace restaurant, a terrasse overlooking the Bosphorous. Ed ordered a stuffed eggplant; I had a delicious stuffed chicken. The rice was to die for.

Refreshed, we continued through the fourth court and towards the Baghdad pavilion. Returning to the third court, we passed through the Sacred Safekeeping Room, where a man seated in a small cabin read from the Koran. The room held holy relics, including a letter from the prophet Mohammed and dust from his tomb. Hairs from his beard were also on display (the Treasury housed an arm and the skull of John the Baptist).

Walking back out of the palace, we toured the kitchens and the displays of silver and porcelain. Back outside, we returned to the hotel to nap.

Yesterday, we started at the Aya Sophia, the main dome obscured by scaffolding. The interior reflected its cathedral origins, with Islamic decorations scattered throughout. The mihrab was angled towards Mecca in the former altar. From the upper galleries, the space was even more impressive, offering views of the various mosaics scattered about the building.

From the Aya Sophia we walked to the Yani Camii to visit the adjacent spice market. We walked the European streets up and then down a hill that runs off into the Bosphorus. Coming back towards the water we paused by the fish sellers before walking across the Galata Bridge. The views back towards Old Istanbul were fabulous, the skyline dotted with domes and the spires of minarets.

We caught a cab to the Syrian embassy. Ed had to pick up his passport. I was getting hungry and so we stopped at a street side café. The area around the embassy was chic, with boutique stores lining the cobbled walk. We then walked to Taksim square, skirting Luna park, with its tram connecting one side to the other. At the square, Ed ate a kebab while we watched the mass of people walking up the Istiklal Caddesi, a cobbled street dotted with bookstores, fashiony stores, embassies, and mosques. Small alleyways lead off towards fish markets, cafes, and restaurants.

We followed the walking guide down the street to its end, searching out the various sights. At the Tunel, we continued downhill to the Galata tower, Beyoglu’s oldest landmark. Reminiscent of San Francisco’s Coit Tower, it offers some of the best views of Old Istanbul. We paid our admission and took the elevator to the restaurant, climbing two flights of stairs to arrive at the outdoor walkway.

We spent two hours in the tower. After first walking around and taking pictures, we retired to the restaurant where I had a Turkish coffee. We watched the light change through the window, and as the sun was about to set we climbed again to the top. Ed looked around and noted that we got our money’s worth. None of the people around us were the same as when we first arrived. We took pictures of the skyline and then gathered with various groups to watch the sun set.

Climbing back up the hill we ate dinner around the Tunel.

This evening we returned to Istiklal Caddesi, taking a taxi to Taksim Square and once again walking down the street. Th streets were bustling, even more so at night htna during the day, and the neon signs of restaurants and cafes beckoned from the alleyways. We ate a restaurant noted for its Ottoman and Turkish specialties and then walked back towards the Tunel. The guidebook had recommended a funky café there and off we went in search of it. Nearing the Tunel, I spied an interesting alleyway and we turned into it. Hip restaurants and cafes spilled into the streets. One projected Point Break onto a blank wall.

We walked the small area looking for the cafe, finally deciding to have a drink on the sidewalks outside a small cafe with live music. The clientele seemed to be comprised mostly of students. A man placed an oil painting under a streetlight and then proceeded to walk back and forth down the street. He picked it up and tried placing it under the awning of a nearby cafe, but then decided to replace it. Waiters carried tea and beer on small serving platters.

The table next to us was filled with international students. Friends kept arriving and they kept adding chairs to the two tables already pushed together. We sat and drank our beers, listening as the small band wailed inside the cafe. Music and conversation echoed between narrow walls. As the night continued on, we decided to get back home to pack. As we left, I tapped the girl next to us on her shoulder so that I could compliment her on her tattoo, which I had seen when she first sat down. I misjudged the international component of the table. After I complimented her, she looked at me askance. I smiled and shrugged and followed Ed out of the alleyway and into the square. Posted by eku at August 25, 2004 5:13 PM