Corinne CrawfordI wanted to see and do more things that I did not get a chance to on my last visit. I had not gotten a chance to visit the Asia side of the city last time so I booked a walking tour of the Asia side. It was a small group with two older ladies from the US and then an Australian guy. Our guide was very nice and took us through all kinds of neighborhoods and into mosques and we sampled a lot of different local street food. It was a very enjoyable day and we even got to experience some of the more local types of transportation such as mini buses and collective taxis. The Asia side had a vibrant nightlife section of town so I figured I might check it out one of these evenings. However, you can’t stay out too late over there because there really is only one convenient way to get there and it is by ferry from either of the other two Europe sides of Istanbul and the last ferry left Kadakoy on the Asia side just before midnight.
The history and culture of Istanbul is one of the many things I love about the city. The mix of dualities is such an interesting vibe. Old and new, conservative and progressive, Islam and Christian, Constantinople and Istanbul, heck, it even is Asia and Europe. It is the only major metropolis to span across two continents. It was part of the Roman Empire as far back as 300AD and got the name Constantinople from the Roman Emperor Constantine. And as it changed to the heart of the Byzantine Empire a century later with the split of the Roman Empire, it became more Greek and more Christian. The Hagia Sophia was built in the 6th century as a Greek Orthodox Church. After turmoil and change, the Ottoman Empire gained control of the city in the 1400s, renaming it Istanbul. Centuries of building and creating an inclusive community, inviting Christians and Jews to help create one of the largest populations by the 16th century. The city had grand mosques, the Grand Bazaar and magnificent public bath houses along with schools, hospitals and monuments. The Ottomans were defeated with the end of WWI and the Republic of Turkey was born.
Other things I like about the city are they way they treat animals and the mesmerizing call to prayer. For those that don’t know a lot about Islam, one of the practices include praying 5 times a day at specific times. Mosques around the city have sound systems that broadcast the singing of portions of the Koran from their minarets. It is a beautiful sound and if you are able, you are to wash your hands, feet and face and face Mecca to pray. If you are not able because you are working or can’t wash, it is no big deal and if it weren’t for the call to prayer being heard from the mosque, you might not even notice a difference for those out and about. The mosques I visited were all beautiful and peaceful and everyone approaches the grounds and the building with a deference and respect. You have to take your shoes off before entering the steps into the mosque and women must cover themselves, including any bare legs, shoulders and hair. Most mosques have boxes for your shoes and extra scarves to cover your shoulders and hair that you can borrow if you did not come prepared. Many mosques throughout Istanbul welcome visitors at anytime of the day other than Friday services.
And Istanbul is so known for their street cats that there was a movie made about it. You will find cats strolling through the streets, into shops, taking naps on carpets and giving you the eye if you sit at an outdoor table and don’t give it your scraps. I have heard it called the cat tax.
Another activity I booked for myself was a Turkish and Ottoman cooking class. I loved the food in Istanbul and was so interested after visiting the spice shop I thought it would be nice to learn a little bit more about the cuisine and how to make it. The class was held in a small kitchen near the Galata Tower and I was able to take a tram there from Sultanahmet. I arrived to the small basement kitchen a little early where two young men were having tea and listening to some good music. They invited me in and we chatted a bit before the other “student” arrived, a young girl from Russia who had been living in Istanbul for a little over a year. Her friend was joining her but was going to be late so we got started. The chef and his friend/assistant gave us aprons and explained what we were going to be preparing, the origin of the recipes, Cappadoccia, and gave us a brief overview of the tasks for the first dish. He told us that after the class, he would be sending us the recipes for everything we were going to be making which included Yaprak Sarmasi (same as Dolma in Greek, wine leaf rolls), Manti (a type of ravioli or dumpling), Yaglama, which is very hard to describe but was so delicious that I can’t wait to try cooking it on my own once I get to a kitchen for a bit. We also made a desert called Kunefe. It was such an enjoyable afternoon ending with a delicious meal enjoying the results of our cooking at the end. The chef made it a fun and easy afternoon and it was one of my favorite things I did while in Istanbul.
