Tag Archives: Istanbul

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It is not as old or as historic as its rivaling ‘Hagia Sophia’ but like the grand building it stands facing, Sultan Ahmet mosque popularly called ‘the blue mosque’ is the dream of an emperor, his highest aspiration, standing out like the solitaire bedecked in a ring amongst its contemporaries. Its victory stroke is that it is not dead yet. Its spacious halls, glistening ceramics and chandeliers hanging from sky high ceilings are all alive with the prayers of many believers that knock on its doors and kneel on its floors. While outsiders to the faith queue infront of its majestic doors, waiting for their turn in its grand courtyard examining its galleries. When the clock bids and the devotees depart, the vistors enter eagerly. Failing to mimic the order of the believers, the visitors totter around in deference holding their shoes in plastic bags, admiring the mosque and appreciating the delicate carving at the mihrab from a distance. After a few minutes of silence, pictures and videos, visitors make a quiet exit into the courtyard. There are six elegant minarets from where the call for prayers is made five times a day, nine mighty domes that reverberate with devotion, the 260 windows that let in the light and 20,000 blue tiles fitted on its ceilings – all tell the story of four hundred years that it has been standing for. The mosque stands proudly in the center of Istanbul adjacent to the ancient Hippodrome. Commissioned by Sultan Ahmet, it was to be his response to Justinian’s Hagia Sophia. The ambitious sultan demolished the last few remnants of the Great Palace of Byzantine to make place for his ambitious project at the chosen spot. Although built in seven years, even after four centuries the mosque is by no means an old building. It is constantly restored to its old glory.

Hagia Sophia, Ottoman Palace, Baklava, hhmmmmn, Bosphorus…hmmmmmn mezze…the bazaars… All done. Well done! What else now?”Belly dance…okay…how about full blown Turkish cultural program…at Hodga Pasha” I proposed to my friends. “Well, we could consider it,” was the response. The truth I already knew. The final decision was going to be mine. But I was the one who thought longest and hardest about spending 60 Turkish Lira for a dance that could turn out touristy, tacky, badly coordinated. It was a game of ‘should I?’ or ‘should I not?’ I played around with the idea and kept the decision for later not committing to either going or not going. After miles of walk around the historical lanes of Istanbul our spirits were more energized. The museums are closed, the bazaars have shut, the sun is down. Two drinks and many food plates later, what do we do now? “How about the dance show you mentioned?” on in the company said. “Oh okay. Let’s go.” And that’s how I went along with my party to Hodga Pasha Cultural Center for the Turkish Dance show.Watch this little clip about the dances and my review on it.Do I recommend one of the cultural dance shows that get advertised online or in the tourist quarters of Istanbul. Yes! Yes! Yes! I highly recommend the show that I have been to – The Hodga Pasha Dance Show. It is phenomenal! Turkish dance, soulful music, great musicians – you will not believe the value you will get from this one. In fact, you will forget all about money – you will be lost in the dance and music. My only regret is that life is not as colorful, joyful and soulful as was this dance and music show. It was my last evening in Sunday and now very …

The Istanbul Archaeological museums consist of three buildings with three museums – Archaeological Museum, Ancient Orient Museum, Tiled Kiosk Museum. The former two were built in 1891. The tiled kiosk however dates back to 1473. Here are a seven items in Archaeological Museum and Ancient Orient Museum of Istanbul to look out for: 1. Treaty of Kadesh – It is the oldest peace treaty dating to 13th century BC a copy of which hangs at the UN headquarters. The treaty was agreed upon between Egyptian and the Hittite dynasty after the battle of Kadesh known to be the biggest wars of 2. Lions of Ishtar Gate – The Istanbul Archaeology Museum houses lions, bulls and dragons from the Ishtar gate of Babylon dedicated to Goddess of Ishtar. It was the 9th gate in the ancient city of Babylon constructed in about 575 BC by order of King Nebuchadnezzar II. Through the gate ran the Processional Way which was 180 m long and on each side were placed 60 lions each made of glazed bricks. Some of these lions are now in the museum of Istanbul. But most of them are in Berlin where the Ishtar gate has been reconstructed in the Pergamon museum. The Lions of Ishtar gate 3. Oldest Love Poem – 8th Century BC inscription on a tablet from the ancient Babylonian times. The king was required to marry a priestess every year for the fertility of soil and women. The poem is said to have been written by a bride for the king. Shuu Sinn. A cuneiform Tablet Here is the translation of the poem from Istanbul Archaeological Museum: “Bridegroom, dear to my heart, Goodly is your beauty, honeysweet, Lion, dear to my heart, Goodly is your beauty, honeysweet. ………………… Bridegroom, let me caress you, My precious …

Istanbul stands in the center of the two continents and in the center of Istanbul stands the grand Hagia Sophia. Hagia Sophias has been described as the ‘architectural wonder’ – the gem of the Byzantine empire, later the proud possession of the Ottomans and now the symbol of secular Turkey. The building has stood at the heart of the empire that laid claim on it. Justinian’s word still ring in the columns of Hagia Sophia, “My Lord, thank you for giving me chance to create such a worshipping place.” Pleased of his finest creation, he said proudly, “Süleyman, I beat you.” At the spot where two previous churches each ravaged by riots and fire, the Emperor ordered the building of Hagia Sophia in 532 AD. Completed within 6 years, Hagia Sophia was the crowning glory of Byzantine empire.  Such was the allure of Hagia Sophia that when Mehmet, the conqueror entered victorious into the city of Constantinople his first stop was the church of Hagia Sophia. A muslim priest was called in to read to Shahada and the Eastern Orthodox Cathedral that stood for 1000 years was now a mosque. There onwards, the grand structure of Sophia Hagia inspired the many other mosques built in Istanbul during the Ottoman rein, all looking like the prodigies of Hagia Sophia. When Kemal Ataturk secularized Turkey, he converted Aya Sophia into a museum opening its doors to all sending out the message that Hagia Sophia was indeed a heritage of the world. Even though the building is not an official place of worship, it continues to be contested upon by the Islamists and the Greek Orthodox Christians. For a traveler, like myself, the building is an awe-inspiring grandeur that has a spirit of its own – unfallen, untarnished, unbeaten. We are the privileged ones who can see the images of Virgin Mary at the …

My next door Mosque which was built in 1562. This is the view from the terrace of the building I stayed in. The view from the bedroom window is magnificent. About the mosque: “Constructed on a steep slope in Sultanahmet, Sokollu Mosque is another fine remnant from master Ottoman architect Mimar Sinan. The Mosque was dedicated to Esma Sultan, the daughter of Selim II and wife of Grand Vizier Sokollu Mehmed Pasha, of whom the official name was granted to.”

Breakfast meal in Turkey is called Kahvalti which means ‘before coffee’ in Turkish. Our host at Sokullu Mehmet Pasha apartments offered us a lavish breakfast meal. We were served three types of cheeses, tomatoes, cucumbers, eggs, apples, oranges, simit, bread, orange juice, Turkish tea, olives, butter and honey.

How much food can you pack in a day? Here is all that I was able to get a taste of on my first day in Istanbul with two of my friends.  1. Islak Hamburger (Wet Burger) – It is wet burger with a small beef/lamb patty inside it. It is available in Taksim Square at many spots. Look for a case where you find steaming small burgers stacked in a small case. It can be bought for 2 Turkish Lira. Called Wet burger, Islak hamburger is a small, moist burger with beef and lamb patty Steaming case – Small case to put in Islak hamburgers to keep them hot and moist 2. Simit – It is a bagel covered with sesame seeds.  3. Salep – The drink was served during the Ottoman rein. It is made out of roots of orchids. Can be bought for 3 Lira. A poster on the Salep selling cart displaying key ingredients of the drink. Special metal dispenser with fire underneath to keep the drink hot. Cinnamon dusted cup of Sahlep/Salep 4. Iskender Kebabs – thinly cut lamb like doner kebab and some pita bread pieces soaked in tomato sauce with butter and yogurt. The dish is named after the person who invented it. Iskender Kebab, Chicken Seekh and Turkish bread 5. Chicken Pide – it is a variety of Turkish Pizza. Very delicious but different from Lahmacun, they say in terms of shape and thickness.  Bits of Chicken Pide 6. Baklava – yes, I managed to eat some Baklava but my friend who ordered the dish lapped it all up. May I daresay that whose baklava is it anyway is won by Turkey. Turkish Baklava is better than Greek.  Pistachio baklava and cappuccino at a cafe in Taksim Square 7. Mezze – Yummy cold mezze gave me …

I have arrived into Istanbul and settled in a comfortable one bed apartment in Sultanahmet House. I am planning the travel itinerary and alongside I have put together a list of 15 must eats in Istanbul that I will try out: Kebabs – this is the land of Kebabs – Doner, Kofte, Shawarma, lamb chops- the list is long and my appetite is huge Simit – a snack between doughnut and pretzel Wet burger – yes, a burger filled with meat and then wet in garlic tomato sauce…heading tomorrow night to Taksim square for a bite into this one Firin Sutlac – Oven baked rice pudding sounds like Indian kheer. Let’s see what they got. Hummus – this tahini chick pea delight is alchemy. I have spent days dipping my carrots into it for lunch. I feel fortunate to come to a land where it is a traditional and not exotic food.  Lahmacun – referred to as Turkish pizza, it is flat bread with minced meat Pilav rice – Pulao is a big part of Indian cuisine. I want to eat Pilav in Istanbul to compare it to the Indian variety I was brought up on Aubergine mezze- Aubergine is much disliked in India but egg plant seems to be to Middle East what potatoes are to British isles. I am waiting to dip my breads into smoked egg plant salads, egg plant with yogurt, fried egg plant!  Baklava – Come on, who am I kidding! That is one of the key reasons for going to Istanbul – to have some fresh Baklava. It is a pastry dessert.  Tea: They say, tea is inescapable in Istanbul and I am going to plunge right into its arms! Prices look affordable so between much walking small tea stops will be perfect! Tavuk Gogsu – milk pudding with chicken breast. (To …

I read about it in history books – Constantinople – the capital city of three empires – A gem that glitters on the body of world history. The name itself has kick in its sound – Is-tan-bul, the land where East and West, Europe and Asia visibly meet. But honestly, Turkey never figured in the top five on my must visit list. But with less than 24 hours to my flight to Istanbul. I am getting super excited! Here is why: The weather – From wet rainy, cold chilly London at 10 degrees, Istanbul will be a delightful 18 degrees, 10 degrees warmer for the last gasp of newness in.  The culture – Both European and Asian cultures come mix here. I am looking forward to be in the milieu and witness what it feels to be in midst of this confluence of this culture. Cheap Prices – I found a room at £13 per night per person. I am hoping all the awesome museum visits, travel, food -kebabs, tea, baklava will come in great quantities for cheap.  History – Istanbul is not just nestled in between two continents, by the sea of Marmara, but its history dates back to the 660 BC Orhan Pamuk – There is something about Orhan Pamuk’s works that make you feel that you are entering into the veins of Istanbul.  It makes the city, its streets, its landmarks, its people – real, something that makes I feel will help me go beyond the superficiality of a two day tourist. So unsuspectingly, Orhan Pamuk’s “Museum of innocence” made me want to travel to the grand, historical city of Istanbul.