Istanbul (No, not Constantinople)

Posted on March 20th, 2010 under Turkey

Istanbul, Turkey

Turkey is a country of its own kind: not exactly Western or Eastern but a strange mix of the two. After the Ottoman Empire came undone with WWI, a man named Mustafa Kemal Ataturk took the reigns and established today’s Republic of Turkey. His aim was set on modernity/westernization to the nth degree. His project was a success in many ways and his name is still pressed in the mind of every Turkish citizen. He’s like our George Washington. So much has happened since then in a short amount of time that I would like to explain but I suppose I should save that for another time. Whoever would like to know always has our beloved search engine: Google.

The dynamics of this country are like none other. Every other Islamic country has been so weary of modernity and westernization in some way, shape or form, but not Turkey. Here, citizens actually assume modernity and Islam are compatible with one another. It comes through in the politics as quickly as it does the fashion. The women wear far more vibrant headscarves than the women in Egypt, some while strutting in tight jeans and heels but these fashionable headscarves are statements of political concern. In a country full of so many vying for secularism (Muslim and non-Muslim alike), they believe this public religiosity can be trouble, perhaps even a form of moving “backward” like all those Islamic neighbors out East.

Istanbul is a megacity, once the capital city of the Roman Empire, Byzantine Empire, Latin Empire and Ottoman Empire so it should be no surprise to hear me say this place is stunning in culture, art and architecture. The first day here I rode a ferry along the Bosphorus and stared for I cannot remember how long at this city’s waterfront. I admit: I was struck like the stereotypical starry-eyed tourist. This place sends a vibe, like the whole place knows a secret I don’t.

Golden Horn, Blue Mosque, Hagia Sophia, Sultan’s Palace, that thick mud they call Turkish coffee, sweet dripping Baklava, fish sandwiches, meerschaum pipes, obscure antique shops along steep cobble roads with Ottoman iron keys and Soviet Union flasks against the windows: I am getting Turkish culture by the loads but all this time as a tourist is split with being a student. At night we read books and articles in our hotel rooms and in the day meet with journalists, political representatives and professors, hearing lectures, having discussions forming our questions. One week ago I barely knew anything about this country and now… I still know next to nothing. But hey, it’s a lot more than last week.

P.S. I shaved my beard before leaving Egypt. Kept the mustache for a day, though. Found it hilarious. Then shaved it off too.