TRAVELLIVE 04-2016
Istanbul, the first days of spring… I’m warming myself in the sun on a café’s balcony in the Old Town. The sunbeams are as stunning as the fine strands of newly reeled silk. Meanwhile the old oak trees give their morning greeting to the glossy stone road as their red-brown leaves gently fall. The Old Town is still half-asleep, like a lazy girl who’s turned off her alarm after ringing the first time. Sunlight visits each street, dancing happily on passers-by’s shoulders, making the atmosphere more intimate to me – the traveler’s first time here. I feel more amorous in Istanbul. I’m enchanted by everything, from sweet lokum to the light sour ice-cream with ground ice on top, or from the gorgeous domes of hundreds of mosques and palaces to their uniquely designed windows, and from the discreet eyes of Muslim girls to the multitude of boards and posters with the images of Besiktas – the city’s legendary football team. I have fallen in love with Bosphorus Bay since the first time seeing the seagulls hovering in the open sky, creating invisible strings that connect the two continents – Asia and Europe. The clear blue sky is reflected on the deep blue sea, giving me tranquility. I drop my last Lira into the water of the Bosphorus, not to make a wish, but in hopes that they will preserve my memories here. And somehow, the water currents might bring them somewhere else to be found by me again, or might accidentally be stumbled upon by a boy who is playing with sand on a sunny beach. Tomorrow, I will go to Grand Bazzar, buy some postcards, and write something to leave beneath the sun near a mosque before sending them to some friends of mine. I do hope that these postcards, together with the coins, will inspire and attract more visitors to this land. Uhm… will you come there?
Istanbul, the first days of spring…
I’m warming myself in the sun on a café’s balcony in the Old Town. The sunbeams are as stunning as the fine strands of newly reeled silk. Meanwhile the old oak trees give their morning greeting to the glossy stone road as their red-brown leaves gently fall. The Old Town is still half-asleep, like a lazy girl who’s turned off her alarm after ringing the first time. Sunlight visits each street, dancing happily on passers-by’s shoulders, making the atmosphere more intimate to me – the traveler’s first time here.
I feel more amorous in Istanbul. I’m enchanted by everything, from sweet lokum to the light sour ice-cream with ground ice on top, or from the gorgeous domes of hundreds of mosques and palaces to their uniquely designed windows, and from the discreet eyes of Muslim girls to the multitude of boards and posters with the images of Besiktas – the city’s legendary football team.
I have fallen in love with Bosphorus Bay since the first time seeing the seagulls hovering in the open sky, creating invisible strings that connect the two continents – Asia and Europe. The clear blue sky is reflected on the deep blue sea, giving me tranquility. I drop my last Lira into the water of the Bosphorus, not to make a wish, but in hopes that they will preserve my memories here. And somehow, the water currents might bring them somewhere else to be found by me again, or might accidentally be stumbled upon by a boy who is playing with sand on a sunny beach.
Tomorrow, I will go to Grand Bazzar, buy some postcards, and write something to leave beneath the sun near a mosque before sending them to some friends of mine. I do hope that these postcards, together with the coins, will inspire and attract more visitors to this land. Uhm… will you come there?
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the past doesn’t sleep... you can<br />
hear Its whIsper throuGh the<br />
wInds blowInG froM the straIt<br />
to ancIent buIldInGs, froM the<br />
larGe sQuares past the doMes<br />
and stone walls of MosQues.<br />
Go upstairs to the second floor for a wider look<br />
at the mosque. From that position, you can also<br />
see two beautiful rows of columns, the giant<br />
central dome with sophisticated mosaic motifs,<br />
and ceiling frescoes depicting holy scenes. These<br />
frescoes and other features of Christianity were<br />
removed or obscured when the Ottoman Empire<br />
converted the church into a mosque. It remained<br />
a mosque until 1931 until it was re-opened in 1935<br />
as a museum by the Republic of Turkey. Hagia<br />
Sophia is now home to many valuable art works.<br />
I couldn’t help but feel reflective while standing<br />
beneath the marble columns and thinking of the<br />
empires, conflicts, and battles of the past.<br />
KeBAB, COFFee, wANdeRINg<br />
ANd SHOPPINg<br />
There are hundreds of interesting things in<br />
Istanbul that I wish to experience. I spent my little<br />
time strolling down some streets and wandering<br />
along subtly sloped lanes, guessing into and<br />
searching for their architectural riddles. When<br />
the burden of my camera became too heavy to<br />
bear and my feet were unable to walk anymore,<br />
I stopped at a beautiful cafä at the corner of a<br />
lane. Charming boys and girls were relaxing to<br />
enjoy their ice-cream and pastries. I occasionally<br />
entered in a shop, gazed at some unique souvenirs<br />
to add to my “travel collection”. There is an array<br />
of things to buy yet I had already spent most of<br />
my money on old postcards, old stamps, and<br />
landscape paintings of Istanbul’s past.<br />
You might be wondering what the most vexing<br />
part of my journey to Istanbul was. That would<br />
be the kebabs - the famed Turkish wrap. It took<br />
me lots of time to decide which type of kebab<br />
to order as there are dozens of kebabs served at<br />
a traditional restaurant. And upon choosing, I<br />
regretted not choosing others.<br />
Choosing is always difficult when we are<br />
surrounded by so many attractive options!
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