Istanbul is everything I thought it would be and more. I don’t want to only be here 10 days.
After two long flights, (we left Boston at 5:45pm EST and arrived in Rome around 7:30am CET…had a 3 hour layover and arrived in Istanbul at 1:30 EET) neither of which we got much sleep, we arrived in Istanbul. This city is unlike anything else I’ve ever experienced. One classmate told me it was a culture shock – he explained to me that it didn’t mean I hadn’t expected all that we’ve experienced so far, but that it’s my happiness from experiencing a new culture and way of life.
We have to have one of the best views a student could ask for.
Our bus ride from the airport to the hotel proved that this city is one of controlled chaos and density, and I love it. We weaved through traffic for about an hour while professor Pries pointed out significant architectural landmarks – the Hagia Sophia, New Mosque, Byzantine walls ruins, Galatta Bridge…the list goes on. You have to be an extremely competent driver not to crash in a city with over 1.6million automobiles, loose driving regulations, and steep, extremely varied terrain.
If after heavy traffic you still don’t understand the density of the city, a walk down İstiklal Avenue clarifies everything right away. All the actions seems to happen here. You could easily get lost in heavy crowds. It makes Manhattan seem like a suburban strip mall by comparison.
We met up with one of our professors connections on the Golden Horn, a graduate architecture student currently working in the city. We was kind enough to show us several great places around the city. We had dinner at sunset next to the Galatta Bridge and saw the transition to nighttime, and the nightlife that makes this city so unique from anything I’ve ever experienced before. After fresh caught fish for dinner we took a tour through an area of the city that first had electricity, and the majority of its wealthy government workers. We climbed a prominent stair connecting that area to the Galatta Tower, saw students gathered around the tower socializing, drinking, all in an extremely leisurely manner. He showed up to a bar we’ll be sure to visit before our trip is over. It is on the 7th floor of a cultural center towards the top of a hill overlooking the city, offering spectacular panoramic views.
Our student guide took us through areas of the city tourists rarely get to see. Everywhere we went we appeared to be the only tourists, and certainly the only Americans. We walked through crowded streets so narrow that it was two lane one way traffic on foot and everyone was bumping into everyone else.
Later that evening, he showed some of us the the Cafe Beetles Bar near İstiklal Avenue. We passed through a threshold into a red hallway that ended in a wide spiral red wooden staircase without handrails on the inside. It sure makes people alot more aware of their surroundings. Getting off the top opened us up into a cozy bar and adjacent sitting room with openings in the walls, not windows. And we heard Beatles music, and Bob Marley paintings on the partially stripped concrete/stucco walls to reveal structure and brick. As I write, it’s 12:43am local time, and I really should be getting to bed. I’ll add more photos another time. We have breakfast in a few hours…