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| Istanbul: A Turkish Delight |
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| The allure of the mediterranean manifests itself in the beautiful town of istanbul. There is a lot of to do in this ancient city, where the past and present blend vividly with history |
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MEHRABA! WELCOME to Istanbul. The city, whose name itself has an air of romance, is the capital of Turkey, a country that is a blend of the Eastern and the Western, with the strait of Bhosphorous portioning it out neatly to Asia and Europe. Bigger tourist destinations like Paris, Venice and Amsterdam may have cornered the market in boat cruises, but a moonlit boat ride on Istanbuls waters is a surreal. If you have the stomach for it, taste the local liquor, the aniseed-flavoured Raki, which is pretty potent (45 per cent alcohol), while on the cruise. At a tekel (liquor store), one is shown how to drink it: "Take equal quantities of Raki and water with ice, drink it up followed by the same amount of water and down it with cheese."
Imperial palaces dot both sides of the strait; some have been converted to hotels and some have been bought as private homes by the very rich. The majestic contours of the buildings add to the magic of the night. The cruise comes to an end with fine dining. The guide tells us to make a run for the bus, as there are many drunkards or drug addicts waiting to accost tourists. The local bus goes to Eminonu, crossing the Golden Horn into the Asian part of Istanbul. The Spice or Egyptian Bazaar (Misir Carsisi) here sells spices, dry fruits, cheeses, olives as well as towels and trinkets, slippers and baskets. The air is heavy with wafting smells of spices and goodies like the famous Turkish Delight. In true Arab-Asian tradition, the best deals are to be had only after intense bargaining. A must-buy at the bazaar is the Turkish coffee. Deliciously thick and strong, a good cup of the brew, we are told, is one that has a layer of sediment at the bottom.
Back in the main city centre, or the taksim, it is time to shop for some baklava, a layered flaky pastry dipped in sweet syrup. If you think it is Greek and say so, then you are in trouble. To the Turks, that is sacrilege. "The Greek took it from us," they say with finality. Greeks claim the opposite, but when in Turkey, you had better agree with the Turks. No one can leave Istanbul without seeing the Hagia Sophia. The Church of the Holy Wisdom, one of the greatest architectural creations in the world, was built by the Byzantine Emperor Justinian circa 535 AD. It was transformed into a mosque after the Ottoman conquest of the city in 1453. Now a museum, it is awesome in size and contains beautifully preserved Byzantine mosaics. Huge entrances with paintings border the upper curve. Paintings of Christ and the kings go side by side with Turkish calligraphy that speak of the tenets of Islam. Close to the Hagia Sophia is the Blue Mosque. Built in the early 17th century, it is distinguished by six minarets and walls covered with amazing blue lznik tiles. Close by is the Basilica Cistern. The cisterns were the water storage for the city. And some of them have been converted into restaurants. The one we visited was called Sarnic. One has to go into its bowels where the ambience is dim lights and dark wooden furniture. A very creamy soup with meat bits in it is served. We are told it is the Wedding Soup.
About 100 metres away from the Basilica Cistern is the Grand Bazaar (Kapali Carsi). It is huge, with 65 streets and alleys with 4,000 shops. They sell jewellery, (gold and silver) carpets, leather, ceramics, embroideries, hand-woven textiles and pretty much anything you can think of. It also has several nice cafes. You can get pretty confused with the shopkeepers trying to puzzle you with the price in euro. So make sure you ask how much it costs in the new lira. If in Istanbul, you might as well pick an evil eye bracelet, since this is its country of origin. A day trip to the island of Buyukada is picturesque. Buyukada is one of nine islands along the Marmara Sea. It is a car-free zone, horse-drawn carriages being the only means of transport. Beautiful wooden 19th-century mansions line the roads, giving one a feeling of time standing still. The ride to the island is about an hour and 15 minutes by ferry, passing the first island Kadikoy. The ferry is not unlike Mumbai trains in that it is full of noisy hawkers.
Our one last indulgence in Turkey is a visit to a restaurant specialising in Ottoman food. Asitane is a restored 19th century Ottoman mansion. We try the kirma tavuk kebabi, much like meat kebabs, with rice. The desert, kestul, resembles custard. To cap it all, the waiter comes with a drink and informs us, "It is tamarind from India." The world, indeed, is small.
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