Having just spent a week
in my beloved Istanbul, I
can reassure you that it’s definitely worth visiting even right now.
Tourism in Turkey seems to
have declined sharply, especially in Istanbul, since the events revolving around
the Gezi Park protests started in late May. I saw signs of this stillness nearly
everywhere I went on the European side. (For another first-hand account, please
see this July 18 blog post by Turkish travel writer Pat Yale: Silence
Falls on Sultanahmet.)
Istiklal Street at night
was eerily quiet. Usually packed cafés and restaurants were half filled (if
they were so lucky) with hungry people. My six girlfriends and I had the
normally-packed, reservation-only Sensus Wine Bar near Galata Tower
practically to ourselves.
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| A very quiet Istiklal Street in Istanbul. |
I hung out in Taksim on last Monday
afternoon and evening and for about five hours on Tuesday afternoon. No
problems. I will mention there was more police presence up by the square, but
that’s all I saw both days. However, on Saturday nights, Taksim is best avoided
as the Turkish police still get tear gas happy.
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| Here's an afternoon view of Taksim Square taken near Gezi Park, overlooking the construction. |
One of my girlfriends
stayed six nights at a boutique hotel near Galatasaray for only 35 euros per
night compared to the normal 129 euros per night. She was told she could stay
as late as she wanted when she requested a late check-out as the hotel was
dead. Because there are fewer tourists, you may get an unheard of hotel rate like my friend!
Even if it is summertime
and Ramazan,
I have never seen Istanbul this quiet in the three years that I lived here!
An afternoon visit to the
Grand Bazaar yielded the same results. My kebab guy was ecstatic to see me. “Where
have you been abla?” He served us
delicious portions of patlıcan soslu and aclılı ezme on the house.
Later on, I got a steal of
deal on a beautiful Kurdish kilim. His
friends wished him well on his sale. “Inshallah”
my girlfriend heard the Turkish rug dealer say as we returned to his third-generation
family store. I hadn’t planned to buy a kilim,
but I couldn’t resist the deal.
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| I loved both of these kilims, but I chose and purchased the one on the right. |
I’m saddened to see
Istanbul in this state. These small shopkeepers don’t deserve this treatment
that has befallen them as a result of the actions by the Turkish government.
Less adventurous tourists are afraid to travel here as they see images of the
Turkish police reacting haphazardly with water cannons and tear gas in the
Taksim area.
I’m certainly not happy
with the Turkish government and their ridiculous responses to the protesters.
However, I won’t get into that rant right now.
But I do want to remind
you why you should visit and love Istanbul as much as I do!
7 Reasons to Love Istanbul
Bosphorus
The changing colors of the
Bosphorus is
one of the many things I miss about Istanbul. The early mornings can turn the
waters a hard, steel gray and then a sparkling, brilliant shade of blue or
turquoise in the afternoon and even a murky black as the day wears on. Find a café
and enjoy the cool sea breeze, or take a vapur
ride along the Bosphorus.
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| A view of the Bosphorus from the Bostanci neighborhood on the Asian side of the city. |
Regular readers know how
much I love visiting this bustling neighborhood. On my first full day in
Istanbul, I paid a visit to Bilge, my favorite spice girl at Ucuzcular
in the Mısır
Çarşısı (Spice
Bazaar).
This is THE place to stock up on high quality Turkish spices. I spent 150 tl on
my supplies because I’m not sure when I’ll be back again yet.
Pazar
Every neighborhood in
Istanbul hosts a pazar (outdoor market) on different days of the week. This
visit, I stopped at the Tuesday 4Levent pazar
(a 5-minute walk from the Yenilevent exit at the 4Levent metro stop). I enjoyed
a cheese and spinach gözleme as a late breakfast. Going to a pazar gives you a chance to see the local color of the city.
Turkish Food
I could go on and on about
the Turkish food I ate on this trip in Istanbul. I’m pretty sure I gained
another kilo. How could I turn down my favorite balkaymak or künefe? There were kebabs
and mezes galore! I’ll tell you more in another post.
Even if you aren’t a
regular customer, you’re bound to get offered çay as soon as you walk into a shop.
From the Spice Bazaar to the Grand Bazaar to my shoe repair guy to my Turkish towel
shop, I was offered copious amounts of çay. Even if my Turkish was a little rusty, I enjoyed
having conversations here. I miss the welcoming Turkish hospitality.
History
I think one of the things that’s always fascinated
me about Istanbul is its long, rich and colorful history. The city is ancient
compared to America where I’m from. I still love seeing the city’s historic
Byzantine walls, the minarets of the Blue Mosque, the
Galata Tower and cobblestone streets. These are things that make Istanbul
unique and why tourists come to visit.
Friends
Most importantly, I miss
all my friends in Istanbul. I have cried, laughed, lamented over Turkish,
traveled, confided in and celebrated with these friends. It’s been difficult
moving to a new city and starting the process of making friends all over again.
I have a feeling though many of my Istanbul friends will be friends for life.
Even if you are a tourist in Istanbul, don’t be surprised if make a Turkish
friend or two.
I could go on and on about
why I love Istanbul, but you should really see this beautiful city for
yourself. The city and its shopkeepers need your support!
(For additional reading,
please see this July 20 article in The Guardian: The
ongoing Turkish protests have left us enlightened and emboldened.)
