When: 13/10/2012                                                                                                       Where: Istanbul, Turkey                                                                                              Stayed: Muyan Suites

You know when you’re oohing and ahhhing about the food on the plane that you’re in for a real treat once you’re on terra firma. And boy did Istanbul live up to this expectation and more. In fact the food was so good that we thought about tipping the guy on the street corner an extra 20 quid for the 65p lamb doner we bought from him – where else in the world do you get restaurant quality food from a dude on the street?!

Istanbul is one of those cities that no matter how long you spend there, you feel as though you’ve only scratched the surface. Being such a melting pot of cultures, there is an incredible mix of food, fashion, languages and architecture. People watching in the different neighborhoods is almost worth paying for with a mind blowing contrast between the modern and ancient. Being the only city in the world to straddle two different continents (Europe and Asia) and with around 15 million people living there, the diversity is probably not really surprising. Istanbul is split in half by the Bosphorous straight – the stretch of water which leads from the Marmara Sea to the Black Sea. During our cruise on the Bosphorous it was quite hard to wrap your head around the fact that different sides of the boat sported views of different continents. Mansions and Palaces from the Ottoman period adorn the European sides of the Bosphorous where the most expensive real estate in Istanbul exists. The tell-tale curvy triangular roof tops indicated the Asian influence on the opposing side.

We stayed in the old town known as Sultanahmet which has retained a significant amount of it’s Ottoman and Byzantine heritage. This is where most of the Islamic treasures of the city are housed with the Blue Mosque (a beautiful building from the 1600’s with intricate blue tiling), Hagia Sophia (a grand christian church converted to a mosque after the Ottoman conquest) and the Basilica Cistern (an underground water chamber from the 6th century where Medusa’s head is housed) being some of the main attractions. Here the women still dress in the modest Muslim tradition, men push carts around selling their wares and the traditional bazaars of a bygone era still thrive. This is in stark contrast to the modern heart of the city in the north with Beyoglu and Galata bursting at the seams with bars, nightclubs and high street brands. Barely a headscarf to be seen on this side. The common thread across the entire city however is the call the prayer which rings out 5 times a day. Regardless of whether you’re shopping in Zara or bartering in the Grand Bazaar, the call to prayer reminds you of the Islamic roots of the city.

Our hotel was called Muyan Suites – a basic no frills type accommodation, within walking distance to everything and with exceptionally friendly staff. The staff jumped to their feet every time we entered reception and showed us a type of courtesy we’ve never experienced before. I had to restrain myself from saying ‘at ease’ or just run through reception to save them the trouble of getting up every single time! The nature of our hotel staff was consistent with the people of Istanbul all over the city much to our delight. The wait staff were warm and polite and very keen to have a joke with us. An exceptional grasp of the English language, many wait staff shocked us with their wit and ability to understand the confusing English idioms.

Add to this some exceptional food and it’s easy to see why eating out provided us with some of our most memorable experiences. Outstanding meze platters, mouth watering lamb, Aubergine anyway you like it, kebabs, meatballs, chicken crepes, spicy tomato dips, fresh bread that’s never tasted so good, roasted chestnuts on the street and baklava that provided an out of body experience – the list goes on. How do they get those smokey flavors into everything?! Our favorite restaurants were Amedros and a real standout – Metropolis. Turkish coffee was tough on the palate – even for us seasoned coffee drinkers – but the Turkish tea (apple flavored was the best) served in the tulip shaped glasses was incredible. Roof top bars and restaurants were also quite common across the city; especially with the temperature hovering around the mid 20’s. The best view from the Old Town was from the Seven Hills Hotel which looked across the Golden Horn taking in both the ancient and modern faces of the city.

Visiting the traditional bazaars of Istanbul gave some real insight into how business has probably been conducted here for centuries. The Grand Bazaar with it’s 4,000 shops, maze of streets and hundreds of people spruiking their wares was a bit like something out of a movie set. As Turkey’s largest undercover market with wall to wall leather, denim, jewelry and silk goods, it was easy to think you were walking in circles. It’s difficult to establish a point of reference when everything looks the same and you’re feeling overwhelmed by noise and colors! Justin and I had to wonder how on earth anyone in the Grand Bazaar made any money when you didn’t have a USP to work with.

My favorite Bazaar was Arasta Bazaar, buried in the Old Town. A far more civilized experience with charming little shops with handmade goods. Everything moved at a slower pace here and the sales men were keen to sit down and have a Turkish tea with you to discuss options. Needless to say I got sucked into making several purchases. At a ‘good price, good price for you’…of course.

The Spice market also provided a sensory overload experience. Spices, dried fruits, nuts, pastries and seeds on display with hundreds of people yelling at you from all directions made us feel a little overwhelmed. I found myself being shepherded by Justin as I turned into a stunned mullet, not knowing which way to turn. Justin aptly described it as a sweaty mass of heaving humanity. Exhausting stuff but an experience that allowed you to feel some of the true roots of the city.

Coming up for air on the northern side of the Spice market you instantly plunge headfirst into the mayhem of the Fish markets in order to reach Galata Bridge and the other side of the city. If the stench of fish doesn’t make you gag, the smell of sweat from the armpit wedged up against you probably will. It’s the kind of suffocating environment where you can’t see your feet and you find yourself getting claustrophobic within a few seconds. I’ll never complain about tube travel in London again. Nevertheless, we still found ourselves smiling as we emerged from underground to see hundreds of fishermen lined up on Galata Bridge, the backdrop of the sprawling city looking every bit picture perfect.

All in all Istanbul provided us with a cultural experience unlike anything else. Seeing the staff from our hotel standing on the road waving goodbye to us as our taxi departed for the airport was a fitting farewell to this extraordinary city. Even the erratic driving from our cab driver who even insisted on stopping for a smoke while we waited for a car to move couldn’t dampen our impressions of the city. With so much more still to see and eat, a return visit has been moved rapidly up our list of travel destinations.

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