Turkish Delight
Where to go on holiday is often a tough question for me to answer. Do I choose a beach bumming Bali trip or an epicurean and soul stirring Italian one? Do I take on the Mayan ruins or should I stick to riding out the summer in cool Coonoor? But sometimes, one doesn’t have to choose. Sometimes one holiday can cover all the bases and satisfy the lustiest wanderer. For me, that destination was Turkey.
The gleaming spires of Istanbul sparkle with the morning sun reflected off the mighty Bosphorous. From our little terrace (‘with mosque-view’) we eat a local breakfast or do shots of a Turkish brew that can make espresso beg for mercy. After our day’s exertions, we watch the sunset and the hundreds of birds that alight on the magnificent dome of the Blue Mosque. Below us is the bustling quarter of Sultanhamet, the old city… exotic, yet oh so familiar. It’s Chikpet in harem pants. For 2 days we wander the lanes and by-lanes smiling at the catcalls and sales pitches of a hundred vendors of food and scarves, attar and jewellery. Whenever we tire, we stop at roadside stalls to drink the glorious, freshly squeezed juice of oranges the like of which we have never seen or tasted before.
Within shouting distance of our hotel and each other, are the beautiful landmarks of Ottoman architecture and faith. We like the Mosque, a living place of prayer, cavernous and strung with a chandelier of wrought iron candelabra as well as scaffolding for internal repairs. We heed the many signs that warn us to cover our heads and wear sensible clothing, feeling perfectly at home. Right across from the Mosque is the Haigha Sophia, a Byzantine splendour that was once a church, then a mosque and now a museum. Gives a new angle to secularism! My favourite is the Basilica Cistern, the largest in a series of waterways under the city. Called the ‘Sunken Palace’ in Turkish, this yawning, subterranean space feels cool and ancient, with the hushed charm of a cathedral.
After a day of soaking in the finer points of medieval culture, we decide to head to the six hundred year-old Grand Bazaar for some retail action. We walk through crumbling, old gates and are instantly surrounded by a profusion of colour and sound. Stalls selling ceramics, fabrics, leather jackets, gemstones and silver overwhelm our senses. We bargain ferociously for exquisite little coffee glasses with gold filigree work and escape relatively unscathed, clutching our bundles. The next day we spend hours wandering the Top Kapi Palace, admiring the intricate mosaics reminiscent of our very own Taj Mahal. And in the evening, as a reward for being such good little sightseers, we treat ourselves to the legendary hammam bath once used by the Sultan’s harem, where we are steamed, soaped and scrubbed down by poker-faced and muscular middle-aged women. We emerge glowing, and head for dinner to one of the little touristy yet quaint restaurants that dot the area, where we feast on dolmas and juicy yogurtlu kebaps while being entertained by live dancing and music.
The rest of our time in this marvellous city is spent in exploring its newer areas with their riverfront mansions and parks, and eating at fish restaurants along the river (avoid the ones in the fancy neighbourhood of Bebek if you’re on a budget). We are not very impressed by Taksim which is sort of the Oxford Street of Istanbul, but we fall in love with Ortakoi with its bunch of riverside eateries and its maze of stores selling gorgeous jewellery and local designer crafts. We also check out fabulous Dolmabahce Palace, the larger-than-life abode of the sultans on the banks of the river. At night we party it up with some of our Turkish friends at a multilevel nightclub called Rayna, with a spectacular view of the bridge that connects the European part of Istanbul (where we are) to its Asian side.
Next, we take a 3-4 day trip to Cappadocia. We are awestruck by its stunning, otherworldly landscape of wind-sculpted stone that stands like some ancient homage to installation design. We stay in little hotels carved out of caves in small villages and towns with curious names like Urgup and Ayvali. We picnic under cashew trees with views of other man made caves densely dotting the sides of rocky hills, forming huge stone beehives. We learn that this is where the Christians hid from the Ottomans, cowering in their hideaways, and painting beautiful murals depicting the life of Jesus on the walls. The region is famous for stunning ceramic-ware and we see how it is made, trying our hands at the potter’s wheel. We find it expensive to buy, though. Getting into conversation with one such store-owner, we learn he is a fan of ShahRukh Khan, just as his father was of Raj Kapoor. He proves his point by singing us a wonderfully accented version of ‘mera joota hai japaani’!
Cesme. Beautiful town on the unbelievably blue Aegean Sea. It’s like the Turkish version of Goa to our eyes, complete with clothing boutiques and stores selling nothing but hammocks. I buy a gorgeous bikini and spend the rest of our trip sitting in a lagoon sipping cocktails, and being gently caressed by the two currents, one warm and one cold, that meet like lovers in this magical sea that borders this magical country.
In Istanbul, stay in one of the little hotels around the Blue Mosque in the Sultanhamet area. We stayed at the Hotel Turkoman. Everything is walking distance in the old city. If you want to go to other parts of the city by taxi, plan in advance – the traffic jams are monumental. You can take a tram or the metro as well.
For Cappadocia and Ephesus, get a package bus tour from one of the travel offices near the Grand Bazaar (pretty reliable), or if you want to do it yourself, go to the bus station and ask around. Things are a bit disorganised, but we Indians can handle that! The bus journeys to both these destinations are very long though, between 10-12 hours, so if you can, fly. Don’t take the trains, they are not very safe between cities. Women need to be a little aware – the Turkish roadside romeos are just as pesky as our local heroes, but they only whistle and look, they don’t usually touch. Keep your eyes open, be polite but firm, and you’ll be ok.
Have fun!
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