Istanbul- the big imperial city and how it left me with disappointing impressions

30.01.2020.

Istanbul was never my choice of destination as I didn’t feel about it to be place that would offer me surprises, enchantment and easiness. The most fascinating fact is that this city lies on two continents, the great imperial of the world once. All the important buildings are spreaded out so the most efficient way to see the city is actually to do a boat tour around Bospor.

The center itself looks so monotonus with no stylish architecture, with the buildings that all look the same. It’s not all about architecture, but all I could see were shops with baklava and lokums, restaurants with kebab.

Where is Istanbul in this story, where is its history?

Istanbul, where are you?

Around Hagia Sophia is where I was situated and getting into the story of Hagia Sofia gets me enchanted. Altough inside, it is not so extraordinary with elegant architecture but it’s the place the connects history, the place where I could see together Jesus and Kuran. Like anywhere in the world, Hagia Sofia didn’t bring decorations of lifetime.

The other attractions were rather to be skipped for inconvenience of travelling where you have to change at least 2 buses. Just roaming around Hagia Sophia was like going to the faraway quarter of Balat with colourful buildings as within few minutes I could absorb the delicacity of creativity at little hostels. Some people come to Istanbul only for Balat.

Very sympathic was to discover the creativity of sweets- the popular lokums and baklavas but at the end of the story- what will I do with so many sweets? Very delicious are they indeed, but so much sugar would not be for my health. Just for the surprises, I would buy some collection to share it with friends, to show where the culture lives. Just every restaurant that I saw around bursted with kebab that for one vegetarian shows the way of Middle East. Tahini is still my favourite with the price to admire but it only stays on the shelves of the shops. Enjoying the juice of pomegranate was the highlight, along with very cheap corn with the beginning of winter.

Taxim is where the city lies, they say. Well, I saw only shops and bars, the shops the looked all the same. Decorations were lost in the grandiosity of the big city. Nothing of the street music or similar? Where is the soul of the city? The distance to Hagia Sophia takes how many cosmic years to overreach? Like anywhere in the world, where are the sculptures, street life and art?

The Grand Bazar, this is the discovery. Colourful lamps and carpets, colourful delightful teas with the dreamy names- all under one big roof. You can taste all sorts of the historical sweets, some sorts of curative drinks. You can get lost in the streets of photogenic memories, in your own illusion of history and art, in the imagination of your perfect grabed moment.

In every city the discovery of parks and gardens gives the freshness of life, something extraordinary that opens the new eyes even in the most usual places. Something so relaxing can give new wings, I always like to see where the biodiversity lies, the authenticity of botanics. That’s how I came upon the park Emirgan where the views of the sea make the balance with the decorative pieces of art. Though a bit far, the park is easily accessible from the main road and the bus. I couldn’t see anything in December but park becomes specially joyful ride of colours and flower sculptures from April when the festival of tulips starts. Then Istanbul shines in the sea of the flowers, this huge park gets the shape it deserves. Just across Hagia Sophia in the hidden corners spreads out park Gulhane, but it’s just the shapeless image of Istanbul, the peaceful moment among the traffic of people. Nothing like the city parks I’m used to with the enchantment of history and artistic wisdom. 

What about the atmosphere of the city? Something about the crossroad of the two continents, of the ancient empire is not loosing its power, it just doesn’t bring the light in the right direction. Well, we could say that it’s so easy to meet people here as everybody is so open between the magic of ancient heart. Istanbul is the shortcut to the Middle East, to the authenticity caught in the modern life which doesn’t know how to get out.