Istanbul

Where: Istanbul, Turkey
When: July 21-22, 2007
With: Rachel, Lucy and the Contiki crew

After our couple of days in Athens, it was time to set off on the cruise of a lifetime through the Greek islands. However, the first stop on the cruise would not be Greek, but would be Istanbul. A little background on that. To be honest, I actually wasn't terribly excited for Istanbul. Not that I wasn't excited, I just didn't know anything about it and was really more excited for the Greek islands. And since we'd be sailing for almost 24 hours before hitting Istanbul, I had other things on my mind. 

For example, making friends. Again, this wasn't something that I expected to happen. I expected to meet some people on the tour, but not to make new besties. But as I found out, the next 24 hours would be full of surprises.

With Athens still in eyeshot, we had settled into our rooms and were back up on deck for a couple of afternoon cocktails. The cruise had a "all you can drink" package for only EUR250. That felt like a dream come true for a week's worth of drinking. So we sat down with a few people from the tour and started getting our money's worth. 

Well, the drinking didn't really stop all night. And by the end of it, this group we happened to sit down with ended up being our best friends that night and for the rest of the trip. In fact, some of these people I've stayed in touch with almost 10 years later. It's one of the main things that made this trip so special.  

 First we had Mel and Rachel, sisters from Australia that were backpacking through Europe. I've never met more fun, friendly, outgoing people in my life, and these were the first true backpackers I'd ever met. I was so in awe (and jealous!) of their adventures! And yet after all they'd seen in the last few months, they were unjaded and still completely amazed by everything. 

Then there was Kim, a girl from Long Island, traveling on her own. Yet another first for me, meeting a solo female traveler. It also made me love this tour company more that a single girl could comfortably travel to a new place, make friends, and feel safe. 

Then there were the boys. Kahn and Chris (or Rusty, as was his nickname) were college friends from Australia. Just really nice guys. 

There was also Marc and Melanie, a brother and sister from Quebec that went to bed early on this particular night, but were with us most of the trip. 

So the night unfolded in a blur of "free" drinks, dancing, and getting to know everyone. It was amazing. Rachel, Lucy and I marvelled at how we came on this trip expecting to hang out with each other, and never expected to become part of this group of amazing people. 

 

 The party continued the next day. We had nothing to do but hang out on the boat as we didn't dock in Istanbul until early evening. We all grabbed as many lounge chairs as we could and unknowingly created some serious ad campaigns for single guys to come on this tour. 

As we sailed through the middle of the Aegean Sea, the water was as blue as anything I'd ever seen. There was nothing around us except for the occasional craggy island dotting the horizon. It felt like literally being in the middle of nowhere. 

As the sun started to dip, land appeared and we knew we were getting closer. I leaned on the front bow of the ship, not sure what to expect as we approached the port of Istanbul. As it slowly came into view, I caught my first glimpse of the most unique skyline I've ever seen in my life. Shooting up into the sky, I didn't see tall buildings and skyscrapers. Instead, I saw the rounded domes and pointy minarets of the multiple mosques of Istanbul. I will admit, I don't think I'd ever really seen a mosque before, at least not like this. And it was so beautiful and exotic and different that I was absolutely mesmerized. 

When the boat docked, there was a welcoming party to greet us. Men dressed in traditional garb played flutes and beat drums to mark our arrival. As we departed the ship, we all stared at each other in wonder, mouthing "where are we?" again and again. 

 The Grand Bazaar

Our big stop that evening was at the Grand Bazaar. Built in the 1450s, the words across the top of the archway, Kapali Çarşi, means "covered bazaar". I'll be honest, I had no idea this bazaar would be such a beautiful building. I think I imagined it would be more like an outdoor flea market. 

The six of us girls, Lucy, Kim, Rachel, Mel, Rachel and me, entered through the giant gate and were completely overwhelmed by all we saw. Beautifully painted ceilings decorated rows and rows of archways. Old stalls sold everything from hookahs to rugs to modern wares. Turkish shopowners got one look at our little group and yelled for the "Spice Girls" to come into their store. It felt surreal and magical. We laughed and wandered and just tried our best to take it all in. 

It was a quick loop through the bazaar before returning to the main group. We snapped this picture before jumping on the bus, and again, I laugh that within 24 hours, we had formed this group of 10 that was basically inseparable for the next week. 

Our plan for the evening was the only familiar thing to me on the itinerary going into Istanbul: smoking hookah. I couldn't wait to go to a traditional hookah bar. And when our tour guide Linda took us to her favorite spot, the scene sure didn't disappoint. Big cushy couches out on a patio, filled with people (mostly men) smoking hookah, drinking tea and partaking in their favorite pasttime - playing backgammon. 

We went inside and I got the pleasure of being the "expert" on hookah smoking, or sheesha, a word we giggly repeated over and over again for the rest of the trip. And the Turks do it right: constant refills on coal, without having to pay extra. 

That night, we headed back to the cruise ship and marveled at the skyline around us. We reflected on the whirlwind the last couple hours had been in this strange new world. 

The Hagia Sophia

The next morning, we were up early for a day of sightseeing. Our first stop was at the Hagia Sophia. Originally built as a church in 537AD when Istanbul was the Roman city of Constantinople, it was meant to be the grandest church in the world. However, when the Ottomans took over in the mid 1400s, it was converted into a mosque. In 1931, when the Turkish Republic was established, any item of religious significance was removed and it is now a museum. 

The interior of the Hagia Sophia is incredibly dark and empty upon first glance, but with a little bit of light, the unbelievable wealth of detail comes to life. Gold tiling decorate the ceilings, creating mosaics of religious artwork. Large slabs of colorful marble adorn the walls. And under the massive dome, elaborate patterns seem go for miles into the sky as I craned my neck to attempt to take it all in. 

It was quite a surprise to get such colorful photos back. Also a surprise to see some Christian artwork in this otherwise Muslim building. A true blend of religions. 

The Blue Mosque

Just across from the Hagia Sophia sits a pretty visually spectacular mosque. Named the Blue Mosque, it was built it in the 1600s by the Sultan Ahmed I. It has six minarets, more than any other mosque in Istanbul.  

We had to remove our shoes and wrap ourselves in scarves to make sure we were not showing anything that would offend anyone. We got to see the fountains by which practicing Muslims wash themselves before entering.

In the center courtyard, just before entering. 

 The inside of the Blue Mosque was far simpler than the Hagia Sophia across the way. The multiple domes that were visible from the outside provided beautiful rings of light above an otherwise empty room. Prayer rugs were set along the floor and while there were very few people inside, not being a time of prayer, some people sat in silent reflection in this holy temple. 

Topkapi Palace

Our final big stop of the day was at Topkapi Palace. Built in the 1400s, it played home to the sultans of the Ottoman Empire for almost 400 years.  This is the Gate of Salutation, which is appropriate, as it is how we entered. Hello to you too!

The palace is actually a walled-in fortress, with a large, green lawn in the middle and several surrounding buildings to explore. 

It sits right on the edge of the Bosphorus River, overlooking the Asian side Istanbul. The views were magnificent. 

A harem of girls where the sultan's harem resided.

The entire complex was stunning, with its many courtyards and archways.  

As we finished up our tour and waited for the rest of the group, we got a little demonstration of whirling tops from some local men. 

Our final stop in Istanbul was one that we were told "could not be missed". We were going rug shopping!

We entered into a little shop, and were sat around the edge of a room. Then we were brought apple tea, a Turkish tradition. 

Then the show began. Rugs, rugs and more rugs. These two guys just started flopping rugs down and talking through how wonderful they were: their sizes, their colors, their quality. They encouraged us to take off our shoes and feel them, even to walk around on them. It was such a unique shopping experience that I was almost inclined to buy one. 

After our rug shopping, it was time to head back to the boat before setting sail. Rachel, Lucy and I headed up to the top deck for a final view of the city. What an amazing day. I couldn't believe how blown away I was by Istanbul. It was the surprise stop of the trip and ended up being one of my favorites. I will never discount a city I don't know much about again. 

And oh, that skyline.