Incredible Istanbul. Review on Istanbul

I had been nominated to attend a training program in Istanbul. My idea of Turkey at that time was that it is bordering Iraq and frequently has skirmishes with Kurds. Given an option, I would not have volunteered to be there but since it was an official program I had to leave(and am glad I did as I will mention subsequently).

My accommodation was pre-arranged at a reputed hotel(Polat Renaissance). Surprisingly I(and my colleague who accompanied me) could not find the details of the hotel on any of the travel recommendations.

Since I was flying from the Middle East, the view from the flight window provided a breathtaking view of the diversity of lands that we overflew – the desert of Saudi Arabia, the snow of Iran and the seas dividing Asia and Europe. As the flight was landing at Istanbul, the red tops of the buildings around interspersed between the green trees and black roads were amazing. Yes! All the buildings there have red tiles and it looks great from the top.

For a first timer out of India and Middle East, the airport was so huge. From the point of landing to the immigration counter seemed to be one long unending walk. The immigration formalities were over pretty fast and there were a lot of metered cabs outside to take me to the hotel. The local currency there is Turkish New Lira but Euros and Dollars are widely accepted(infact preferred due to the steadily depreciating local currency) in tourist areas. So just a small amount of local currency would be sufficient to cover the cab fares. Tipping is a widely accepted norm and the cab guy actually pocketed the extra change himself without allowing me to decide the tip.

As I had arrived a day earlier, I had time to visit the Blue Mosque – one of the most visible symbols of Turkey(like Taj Mahal to India). The place has a remarkable history in the sense that it was the seat of Christian power before becoming an Islamic state. There is a church which was converted to a mosque and then reconverted to a church standing as a witness to this remarkable change of religion. Since it was closed by the time we went there, we went to see the Blue Mosque which was right opposite.

The Blue Mosque is a grand structure – the color blue is inside the mosque because of the blue glass(stones?) ceiling. Something which I have not noticed anywhere else is that you are allowed to carry your shoes with you in a bag so you don’t have to worry about somebody stealing your shoes while you are admiring the beauty of the mosque or praying. There is a huge open space, gardens, fountains, etc. which can soothe the most agitated mind. There is also a grand bazaar at some distance which was closed at that time and is said to contain anything and everything that you ever wanted to acquire.

Turkey is not a place for vegetarians. Almost every dish from starters to desserts will have some form of animal in it. And those who are not beef eaters must be extra careful in choosing their course. It appeared to me that beef is the most popular dish over there apart from fish. The golden rule is to check with the waiter about the ingredients before ordering. If you are fond of liquor, try the local drink called Reiki. It had a strange smell and taste something to this day I find it difficult to explain. And take the smallest glass available till you begin to get comfortable with a bigger portion.

Nearby the Blue Mosque there was a lane full of restaurants opened up for dinner that night and clearly Indian food was the flavor of that night going by the menu on the boards. We had light European snacks at one of the local restaurants nearby. I think that the food at these small restaurants was much better in quality and variety than that served by the big hotels like the one I was put up in. Two nights later, all of us people in the training program had a dinner get together at one of the local restaurants and I could once again perceive the difference. And this particular hotel also had a Pizza called ‘Bollywood Pizza’ and had a Hindi song being played.

Unfortunately I don’t remember the names – in hindsight I realize that it is more cumbersome and irritating to read signboards that are not English but look like English. For instance, if the signboard was in say Arabic I would simply have ignored it and looked for an English name, but the Turkish script is written like English so you end up reading the entire thing and then realize it makes no sense adding to your frustration levels.

However, on my return journey I realized that Turkey is a place that is paranoid about security. The departure area was a big chaos and it took me 10 minutes to figure out my checkin counter. The security check involved taking out my coat, my belt(since it beeped again), then my watch(since it beeped once again) and finally my shoes(since it beeped yet again). This was repeated again just before the boarding area. I was glad they didn’t ask me to undress any further.

All in all, the whole thing gave me an inexplicable feeling of being in the crossroads of European and Indian culture(which in a way it actually is) – and I would like to plan a personal vacation sometime in future and see the areas I missed out at a more leisurely pace.