Embrace the wonderful chaos
You may find Istanbul’s crowds quite overwhelming, but if you fight your way through you will be richly rewarded in this vast and incredible ancient city, writes Ashleigh Stewart.
Don’t ever attempt to go for a run in Istanbul. In fact, don’t even try to walk anywhere with purpose. The only way to get around this city is to amble, and to try to not get trodden on. Try to disrupt the status quo by say, heading out for an early-morning jog that happens to cross over the Galata Bridge, and you will spend most of it dancing around crowds.
The key to Istanbul is forgoing those banalities of everyday life (keeping fit, getting to your destination in a reasonable time, getting to your destination without elbows to the ribs), and only then will you start to enjoy it.
The largest city in Turkey is supposedly home to between 16 and 20 million people. Its two halves are spread over two continents: Europe and Asia, cut through the middle by the Bosphorus Strait, which connects the Black Sea and Sea of Marmara. This means that not only are the footpaths and roads heavily congested most of the time, but so too are its waterways, as it’s a busy shipping route between Mediterranean countries and the likes of Ukraine, southern Russia, Bulgaria, and Georgia.
Throw a few million tourists into the mix (43 million last year, to be exact), and you have a city that has all of the activity and crowds of somewhere like Tokyo but without the order. It’s rather wonderful.
This is, after all, one of the the oldest cities in the world. Constantinople was the capital of the Roman Empire and was captured by the Ottomans in 1453. That means there’s a plethora of historic sites to visit. Even if you’re just strolling the streets aimlessly, you’re still wandering along the same streets trodden by some of the most influential people in history.
Most itineraries will have you starting your trip with a tour of the main sites.
The Blue Mosque is probably the most recognisable. It’s not particularly aesthetically pleasing outside, resembling just about every other mosque in the city, but tourists visit just to catch a glimpse of the gorgeous blue tiles adorning the walls inside.
Just try to avoid the time when these tiles are covered for renovation which, my guide tells me ‘‘won’t be too long, maybe a couple of years’’.
Hagia Sophia is a couple of hundred metres from there, and it’s arguably more impressive site, given that it’s basically a church/mosque hybrid. It was built as a Christian church and became a mosque after the city was invaded by the Ottomans. Where else can you see a mural of Jesus flanked by two scriptures in Arabic praising Allah?
From there, Topkapi Palace is a short walk. You might recognise the name as that of a popular Turkish eatery at home (Christchurch, I’m looking at you), but it was also (more importantly) the residence and administrative headquarters of the Ottoman sultans in the 15th century.
These days, it’s a sprawling museum where you can get a look into the everyday life the Ottoman elite, from the harem where their wives and concubines lived, to circumcision rooms, ornate libraries and meeting areas.
All of the above, though, are not advisable in a rainstorm, due to the queues. The line for the Blue Mosque and Hagia Sophia will arguably be the longest so arrive early, but Topkapi Palace’s
queues (of which there are several, as you go through each courtyard) will set you back up to an hour.
You’ve probably had the virtues of the Grand Bazaar extolled to you before you came to Istanbul. Believe me, while it is indeed colourful and full to bursting with shining treasures, the labyrinthine alleyways of this monstrous marketplace are best observed with prior warning.
You will find yourself beset with price discrepancies that can run into the hundreds of lira for the same item, you’ll undoubtedly get lost, and you might finally decide that souvenirs and promised gifts aren’t all that important anyway.
But don’t give up, this ancient bazaar deserves to be explored, not least because it deals in everything from lamps to carpets, food and jewellery, but also for the sheer experience of being swept up in this bustling part of locals’ everyday life. (Though, of course, it will also be teeming with tourists.)
From the Grand Bazaar, the Spice Bazaar should be next on the agenda. Not only will it likely be the first place where you finally tire of Turkish delight (full disclosure: it’s not what Cadbury told you it was), but it’s every inch as vibrant a
At the end of the day, stop in for a hammam at a traditional Turkish bath, if you can handle a topless elderly woman scrubbing you to within an inch of your life (commanding you to turn over via a slap on the butt).
marketplace – but dealing with tea, dried fruits and rose oils. Depending on the shops you go to and what you fall for, it can be a tourist trap, but you’ll also be shopping alongside locals so just keep your wits about you when haggling.
Istanbul is a vast city so there’s no better way to see it than from the water. Take a dinner cruise that will take you up and down the Bosphorus while you enjoy a three-course dinner, prime Turkish wine and some hearty entertainment.
The latter comes in the form of Turkish Shakira, two shouting men with their shirts pulled over their heads and a face drawn on their bellies and a troupe of energetic Turkish dancers performing something that is exhausting just to watch. You might be plonked in a table full of strangers if travelling alone, but is there a better way to make new friends than watching an elderly man almost pop a hip while being taught to bellydance in front of a crowd?
By day, a similar boat trip will take in both sides of the strait in detail. You’ll see the mansions and lavish architecture of the European side (including Dolmabahce Palace, which is only really viewable from the water), and the residential Asian side in all its lush, green glory.
Finally, a stroll through the lively (busy) streets of Pera/Beyoglu (depending on whether you go by its name in the Middle Ages, which is still used, or its modern name) will provide another perspective to this ancient city. It’s known as one of the city’s most lively districts, perhaps second only to Sultanahmet, and is where you’ll find the imposing Galata Tower, and a shopping street.
At the end of the day, stop in for a hammam at a traditional Turkish bath, if you’re game and can handle a topless elderly woman scrubbing you to within an inch of your life (commanding you to turn over via a slap on the butt).
Safety has been a concern for tourists since a nightclub shooting of 2017 when a gunman killed 39 people, and two years earlier when two blasts ripped through a peace rally in Ankara, killing 86 people. While it’s true tourist numbers dropped in the immediate aftermath, they surged to almost 40 million last year, and more are expected this year.
You’ll fail to find many other cities in the world with the same vastness and richness of history, spanning so many eras with such a mish-mash of cultures and religions, because of it falling under the rule of two such influential empires.
That’s perhaps easy to forget in the hustle and bustle of this manic city but, rather than fight against the chaos, it’s advisable to just give in to it. Don’t try to get anywhere at a reasonable pace and don’t be offended when people try to walk into, across and over you.
One tip: think square. Puff out your chest, jut out your shoulders and elbows, and don’t be afraid to let your arms swing. I’m not advocating shoulder-barging strangers, but the odd elbow in the side shouldn’t hurt.
The writer travelled courtesy of Innovative Travel.