Monday, April 6, 2009
Istanbul, Turkey
The Glamor of Topkapi Palace:
Our first breakfast at Tashkonak Hotel was truly fit for a sultan. There was every possible food group and every kind of breakfast item available—from cereals and freshly baked bread of various kinds to a number of salad vegetables such as tomatoes and cucumbers and every conceivable kind of olive. Boiled eggs, jams and marmalades, fresh and stewed fruit were also available and it was difficult to decide what to pick from an overflowing buffet table. I enjoyed trying the various herb teas in which the Turks specialize—the apple tea, the rose hip tea and the sour cherry tea were all good. There was also strong Turkish coffee which Llew was brave enough to try. When we had eaten our fill, we left the hotel and made our way to Sultanahmet Square with the idea of seeing the opulent Topkapi Palace, made famous by the Hollywood film of the 1950’s called Topkapi (which I haven’t seen).
We followed bus loads of tourists all of whom had an early start and were wending their way to the palace gates. Despite the fact that Istanbul is inundated with tourists throughout the year, everything is very well organized and tourists are very well loved. We noticed that though hotel and store touts are everywhere, they are there to entice you to their services and not to rip you off. In fact, throughout our travels in Istanbul, we were impressed by the industriousness of the people who work hard for their money. Nowhere did we see a beggar idly begging for alms outside the mosques or in the crowded bazaars.
Exploring Topkapi Palace and its Harem:
There was a long line for tickets to Topkapi Palace and we realized that we ought to have set out earlier. When we did purchase ours, we entered the Gate of Salutations with its twin turrets and found ourselves in a magnificent garden in which spring had already arrived. Indeed, tulips in a riot of colors were everywhere and we were hard pressed to stop and linger amongst them. It was only the knowledge of the vast environs we had to cover that kept us going forward.
Just inside the courtyard was another line and we realized that we needed to purchase another ticket to get into the celebrated harem (pronounced ‘hurr-aim’ as I discovered). After we obtained those, we followed the tours groups into what was a warren of buildings, each more ornately decorated than the next with blue Iznik tiles and painted Koranic calligraphy. The sultan’s wives and concubines led a privileged if competitive life in this secluded area that was guarded by eunuchs who also had their living quarters within these walls. We learned a great deal about the protocol that governed harem life and the order and decorum that was maintained within its ranks. This tour was rather long and tiring and though the groups moved along briskly, there was always someone ahead who impeded my movement through the labyrinth.
The Pavilion of the Holy Mantle:
The next major attraction in this courtyard is the Pavilion that houses the relics of the Prophet Mohamed. I found another line snaking its way to the entrance while a much longer one could be seen on the other side of the courtyard. I suggested that Llew hold us a place in that line while I joined the one that allowed visitors to see the holy relics.
In about twenty minutes, I entered a rather dimly-lit space that contained a number of glass cases. There was a great deal of literature and historical material printed on plaques on the wall but I was already rather tired by this point and did not have the energy to read all of it. Instead I focused my attention on a handful of rare and very fascinating objects that, unbelievably, lay in close proximity to each other.
First of all, I saw the Sword of David, beautifully encased in glass. Just a few steps away was the Rod of Moses with which, the Bible tells us, he parted the waters of the Red Sea. I was so astonished by this object that I couldn’t tear my eyes away from it. Not far away were the hand and skull of St. John the Baptist encased within gilded jewel-studded reliquaries. They were described as the hand and arm of the Prophet John! Just a few steps away were the two Swords of the Prophet Mohamed. To see these symbols from three different religions (Christianity, Judaism and Islam) sitting so close to each other was deeply astonishing and I realized that it is only in staunchly secular Turkey that such a phenomenon would be possible.
Just a room away was the holiest items in this space—the cases that house the mantle once worn by the Prophet Mohamed. Though this is not on display (as, for example, the cassock of St. Anthony can be seen in Padua, Italy), it was stirring to discover that it lay inside this very ornate container. Not too far away were the Prophet’s beard, his tooth, a letter written by him and an impression of his footprint. These were gazed at rather reverentially by most of the visitors. In the room next door, a priest sat chanting verses from Islamic scripture. We also saw several locks from the Kaaba, the holy stone in Mecca around which the Haj pilgrims walk. These objects reached Istanbul as a result of the conquest of Egypt and Arabia in 1517 by Turkey’s Sultan Selim the Grim which led to his assumption of the role of Caliph (Leader of Islam).
The Imperial Treasury:
Indeed, I was deeply moved by the sight of all these objects and I hurried off to the queue which Llew had joined, only to discover that he had almost reached the front of it. I joined him there and together we began our perusal of the most eagerly viewed items in Topkapi Palace—the Imperial Treasury. All the jostling and pushing began at this point as visitors craned their necks to look ahead at the showcases that contained everything fabulous that you can ever imagine—from gold plated thrones and diamond-studded daggers to plumed turban jewelry (aigrettes) and precious stones larger than hen’s eggs! Many of these items were acquired by the Ottoman Sultans as gifts from respectful rulers all over the Islamic world but several of them were also collected by these aesthetically-inclined chieftains. Following the collapse of the Ottoman empire, they passed into the hands of the national exchequer and are now considered a part of the country’s wealth. They are all very elegantly displayed under special lighting in the spotlessly clean showcases and as the public gawked at them, the harassed guards went around forbidding photographs. The highlight—the Topkapi dagger, which, I am told, is the subject of the film Topkapi—was very well displayed in the last room that contains the Treasury.
The Public Rooms:
The Treasures of Topkapi cannot be visited in a single day—they would take much longer if one wished to linger everywhere and read all the curatorial notes contained in the many rooms that make up the palace. But we were tired and wanted a rest. As Llew went across to see the Pavilion of the Holy Mantle, I saw down on a cushioned ottoman for a rest. We did not see the pavilions housing the collection of clocks and arms and armor as we really did want to see other parts of the city.
But having seen the main highlights, we began to make our way outside the palace, passing en route the ornate Reception Rooms that formed yet another pavilion as well as the exquisite Library of Ahmed III which though now devoid of books is so superbly decorated within with blue Iznik tiles and a gilded calligraphic domed ceiling.
We also saw the ornate Circumcision Pavilion and the Fountain of Ahmed III, all of which were studded with incredibly well-carved marble basins and fountains and jalis or screens—many of which were reminiscent to me of Moghul splendour and the Islamic decorative architecture of North India. Often it was difficult for us to decide exactly where our eyes should rest—we saw domes so extravagantly painted and gilded and walls entirely covered with tiles, not to mention floors with colored pietra dura and thick Turkish area rugs. There were also a variety of lighting fixtures that gave the palace a very rich and ostentatious look that left us quite overwhelmed at every turn.
The Basilica Cistern:
It was late afternoon by this point and both Llew and I were tired and wanted to go on to see the Ayasofya Museum. But we were informed by this point that it was closed (being a Monday) and would not even be open the next day as Obama’s visit to Istanbul and his desire to see these ancient monuments meant that they would remain shut to the public for the length of his travels in Istanbul.
This left us the afternoon free to fill with doings of our desire and it was while we were weighing our alternatives that we passed by a large hoarding that announced the location of the Basilica Cistern. Now I had read about this very unique feature in our guidebook and I told Llew that we ought to see it. We followed the signs to the very unassuming entrance to the cistern where we paid the 10 Turkish lira that allowed us to enter the place via the stairs that led us deep underground.
Once inside, we could only gasp in astonishment. For there, before us, stood a vast cavern that was completely filled with towering Roman columns in Ionic and Corinthian styles. We learned that this was indeed built by the Roman Emperor Justinian in 532 AD in order to supply water to the great palace. When the Roman Empire was dissolved, all knowledge of the underground cistern seems to have dissolved with it, for the Ottoman sultans did not know anything about its existence. It was only in recent years when the Turkish government became aware that people were able to get water and even fish in their own homes by letting buckets down through holes in their basement that investigations were carried out and the marvelous cistern was re-discovered! It makes a most unusual tourist attraction indeed and one that we could not stop exclaiming over.
Visitors tread their way to the extreme end of the cistern along specially constructed walkways in a very dimly lit space. All around the flooded cistern are fish of varying size swimming close to the visitors which made for a rather unique sight. At the very end, arrived at by following signs that say ‘Medusa’, you reach two columns that stand out from the rest—they feature the head of the Roman mythological figure called the Medusa who had snakes for hair. They seem to suggest evidence of plundering by the earliest Byzantines. At any rate, they are a very strange sight indeed in this very strange space.
A Street side Lunch of Doner Kebab—Turkey’s Gift to the World:
Of course, we could not leave Turkey without eating a genuine doner kebab in Istanbul and when we found small street-side eateries serving them right off the hook with wonderfully mouthwatering fruit juices as well, we had to try one. These casual eateries are very reasonably priced and offer great value for money. Perfect for a light lunch, they are usually crowded with tourists and locals alike. Llew ordered a lamb kebab and I chose a chicken one—which allowed us to share them and get a taste of both. With the fresh pomegranate juice I ordered and saw extracted right before my eyes and the grapefruit juice that Llew ordered, it made a meal fit for a sultan and we truly did it justice. Thus fortified, we were able to continue on our sightseeing way along the streets that led to the famous bazzars.
A Visit to the Grand Bazaar:
Our next stop was the Grand Bazaar, one of the world’s oldest indoor markets dating back 1400 years and holding over 4500 shops in its vast environs. Indeed time seems to have stood still in this cavernous space where shops selling every variety of human need and want can be found. Perfectly organized into four sections, one can purchase, Turkish carpets, antiques, souvenirs and other fashion needs in its four sections. It was not long before Llew and I were accosted by a tout wishing to sell us a carpet. It was difficult but amusing to try to brush him off. We finally gave up and walked with him to his shop where we took his business card and promised to return if we were in the market for carpets—which we were not!
I was in the market primarily to buy something I have wanted to travel to Turkey to buy for a very long time—an authentic brass coffee grinder. I have watched The Frugal Gourmet on TV in America for many years using this giant pepper grinder and on hearing him say that he had bought it in Turkey, I decided that if ever I was in Turkey I would buy myself one. However, its weight made Llew ask me to reconsider the purchase and buy a real brass pepper grinder instead. This I did buy for 10 lira, but I could not get the coffee grinder out of my mind. A few shops went by before I spied just the one I wanted. Though the antique grinders go for upwards of 250 lira, I found one for 15 lira not in the Grand Bazaar but later, in a household store, where the brass sparkled and the coffee grinder did look as if it would actually work.
I did also buy a few trinkets from the market—navy blue ‘evil eye’ bracelets for Chriselle and myself in glass for just five euros each (Turkey trades in both euros and lira) and then, having trudged through so many miles that day, I was ready for a nice glass of Turkish tea served with a little porcelain saucer in its base and a lump of sugar alongside—how very civilized! Even if one is not actually looking to make major purchases, strolling through the Grand Bazaar is an exotic experience in itself.
Visit to the Sulaimanye Mosque:
Then, with a steady rain falling upon us and not having an umbrella, we walked under the awnings of the various shops to try to find our way to Sulaimanye Mosque, one of the city’s largest. This was built by Sultan Sulaiman’s favorite architect Sinan who has left his mark on many of the most important monuments in Istanbul.
I was very sorry to discover that our long and rather wet trek up a hill was a bit of a wild goose chase as most of the mosque is closed to visitors being under renovation. What we were able to enter to see was a tiny portion of one of the side corridors and we did take in the blue tile work on the walls and the calligraphy that marched up to the towering ceiling. When we did walk outside to see the tombs of Suleiman and his favorite Russian wife Roxelana, we discovered that they had just closed to visitors as well. Still, the outside of these structures is quite unbelievably beguiling and we realized that Turkish mosques have a very distinctive design, somewhat different from the Moghul mosques in India and the Moorish ones in Spain. The grey stone on the outer walls gives them a uniquely ‘Arabian Nights’ kind of quality and the minarets add to the grandeur of the structure.
Another dinner at Ayasofya Restaurant:
Being quite exhausted by this point, we got into a rather crowded tram (Llew having figured out how the ticketing worked) and reached Sultanahmet where we picked our way to the Ayasofya Restaurant for another dinner. There, we got talking to the proprietor named Hassan who also moonlights as a carpet trader on E-Bay! He ended up recruiting me as a proofreader to correct the grammar and spelling on a letter he had just drafted to one of his clients in England (on his laptop) after Llew announced to him that I was a professor of English! By the end of our short visit to Istanbul, we became friends with Hassan and with the other wait staff at the restaurant who always greeted us warmly and made certain they met our every need.
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