strolling through stamboul

after our last overnight journey it was back to istanbul. after some snacks and phone games we hunkered down for another night of bus sleeping, pros by now. in the morning we were shuttled off the bus to a parking lot where we waited for a van to (we hoped) deposit us downtown. it worked out and by 10 or so we found ourselves back in - where else? - good old taksim square.

we made our way back down tarlabaşı boulevard, that wide avenue lined with restaurants and shops. we were in search of a cheap spot for a bit of lunch but it seemed we were a tad early. after some slight soul-searching we settled on mcdonald's because, man, that soft serve looked good. judge us if you must.

just a little fishin' hole

then the name of the game was shopping. courtney only had a few hours remaining in the city so it was time to pick up gifts - turkish delight, fresh pepper, evil eyes, spices, that sort of thing. we wandered through some alleys near taksim and got what we needed, electing not to venture across the river to the chaotic bazaar (although we did stop to admire all the fishing poles along the bridge). we made our way up towards galata, where we found some turkish music shops for a CD and music recommendations and some slightly more unique crafts. here we found a lovely streetside eatery for lunch. much more accommodating about swapping bread for rice than elsewhere (thankfully!), although the iskender kebab i had paled in comparison to the ones in bursa. i guess that's the risk you take having the real thing.

a tableful of treats & tea

we did some more meandering and people-watching around taksim and made our way to a cafe where we found we could have a plateful of assorted turkish delights and baklava. seemed like an ideal spot to spent our last hours together. we recapped the trip and lingered over tea, but eventually it was time for courtney to catch her bus to the airport (coughfourhoursearly). thus abandoned, i made a few essential stops (read: internet cafe) and caught up on some journaling. when dinnertime rolled around i took my time deciding between various outdoor establishments. the owners' cajoling did little to entice me (quite the reverse actually) and i settled on a place where i could get a nice platter and a cold beer without being troubled too much. there was a soccer match on inside, which might have helped with the latter. i spent a pleasant hour eating and writing postcards before making my way back north to büşra's place where, by now, she would have returned from university.

don't worry, she wasn't really touching it

while sad to have been left by my good friend, i was very fortunate in having büşra as a host and guide. she really helped me see a side of istanbul i never would have. we started off taking the bus downtown and made our way to the central touristy spot. our first stop was the turkish and islamic art museum, which was first on my list (not a surprise, if you know anything about me). we both delighted in the beautiful examples they had - elaborate illuminated Qur'ans, carved wooden boxes, iznik tiles.. so much more. turns out büşra shares my love for traditional carpets. (i don't usually include many people shots, but isn't she just adorable?) we steppe out the large wooden doors and into the green courtyard just as the call to prayer was beginning at the blue mosque. a lovely end to our visit. actually the real end to our visit was the gift shop, which was full of postcards and bookmarks of tiles, which i also found lovely.

we thought of trying to go in said mosque but it was particularly crowded so we thought better of it. i was itching to go to haggia sophia (since the last time i'd been there was massive scaffolding all the way up to the dome) and büşra thought she might take the time to go pray. she would have probably joined me but for the cost of admission, which is prohibitive. i myself was on the fence about going, despite really wanting to get a good look at the interior. but büşra graciously offered to let me use her student pass for a discount (not terribly ethical of us, perhaps. but her heart was in the right place, and really i'm just as poor as most students.) i tried to get in unnoticed when, much to my chagrin, i was pulled aside and questioned for not being 'büşra.' so much for that, i thought. well my ordeal was far from over. before i knew what was happening they had confiscated my friend's card and said i couldn't get it back until she came. i protested, explaining that she would be gone for over half an hour and that it was a nice gesture on her part that she shouldn't be punished for. i stubbornly waited at the ticket window, saying i'd wait as long as i needed to, until the brutish cashier called for a guard to come escort me away. the guard came over, looking apologetic and asked if i'd step to the side, which i did. i continued to wait and the macedonian oaf of a cashier (fear not, turks, this was not one of your compatriots) had himself a little power trip, mocking me and telling me off. when my friend returned i sheepishly explained to her what had happened and, even still, they wouldn't give her back the card! and, bear in mind, she was much more graceful and tactful than i! ugh. feeling pretty lousy for having her card confiscated i apologized profusely, but büşra, been the sweet person she is, brushed it off good-naturedly.

doesn't get much more turkish than this

we decided to forget that unpleasantness over some lunch, in a bustling upstairs eatery just off the main square. a good meal, and not too pricey considering its touristy locale. next we made our way into sultan ahmat (the blue mosque) despite the crowds who, we figured, were always going to be there. the interior is as charming as i remember - soaring domed ceilings, dappled light from the stained glass and chandeliers suspended over our heads. but still full of people, and quite a difference from the tranquility of the sülemaniye mosque a few days before. from there we made our way downhill toward a shopping area i remembered visiting years ago. my friend patiently accompanied me as a searched for some factory-made tiles suitable for making a tray (felt weird to be passing up the handmade goods, which seemed to be more abundant). thought touristy, this seemed like our best bet for finding what i was looking for, which we eventually did. then it was time for a stop and another turkish treat - backgammon! accompanied by çay of course. (amazing how many culture love their tea, isn't it?) in fact i think i may have learned backgammon from a friendly carpet salesman in that very spot years earlier.

simit, mosque - very istanbul

our lokma

we continued on, winding our way through the streets until we reached the water. it was the beginning of that golden hour, when the afternoon gives way to evening and the sunlight over the water was beautiful. near the bridge families gathered for street food and, most likely, a break from the chaos of the nearby bazaar. simit, rings of bread with sesame seeds, seems to be particularly ubiquitous. we opted instead for lokma, a sweet, syrupy tread pretty that's somewhat similar to gulab jamun (sorry, still thinking in terms of india). büşra said it wasn't the best sampling but i had little to compare it with and was happy enough. side note: does it seem like my days/pictures revolve around food..? well perhaps they do.

evening sets in on the golden horn

onward! by bus, this time, to pierre loti hill. ol' pierre, as you may have guessed, was a frenchmen by birth but lived and wrote novels in istanbul, his writings garnering him a hill in his name as well as some criticism from later turkish writers. the hill, as you might expect in a 'city of seven hills,' was quite high and required a cable car trip. (is is me or does it seem like a lot of cities claim to be built on seven hills? edit: upon very cursory searching i uncovered wiki-corroboration) the destination is popular, resulting in a long line with a mix of people from pre-teen girls on an early summer outing to a bride and groom. we made it to the top, though, and just as the sun was set and the sky was fading from gray to blue. it was a lovely sight - istanbul is replete with those, it seems. we watched as each of the mosques dotting the hillside lit up and boats floated up and down the golden horn. when we were satisfied we walked along pierre loti cafe, filled with couples out for a romantic evening and families out for a holiday.

another food shot

it was dark and getting chilly so we made our way back down and onto another bus (so nice to have locals with you who know the bus routes!) back north to boğaziçi where we stopped along büşra's street for some pide, often described as turkish pizza. it was an unassuming place, with simple booths and several students milling about but, man, was that stuff delicious! i left full and very happy. once back at büşra's place we had plans to watch a movie but we were both so tired we just conked out.

so much bread!

up early the next day, we started out at a place on the corner with a big breakfast of bread (still very grateful to have fluffy bread back in my life) and tea. this proved to be good fuel for a big day of exploring. we started on foot, walking through the university campus, which was pretty similar to a college campus you might see in the states. interesting fact: they tried putting in a starbucks where one of the student cafés was but everyone just wanted çay so eventually they took the starbucks out in favor of the former café. i wonder how many times that's happened! we walked towards the water at the top of the hill and along the remnants of the wall of rumelihisarı castle, a fortress built by mehmet the conquerer, an ottoman sultan, in the 15th century. not a bad site to border your college.

castle, yalı, cafe: istanbul through the ages

we made our way downhill and ended up right along the water. we walked up the street, passing beautiful homes and bistros that somehow reminded me of san francisco. maybe it was the seagulls along the water, or the bridges we were passing under, but something reminded me of the west coast waterfront. one clear difference was the sporadic siting of the traditional wooden houses, or yalı, which i was more aware of, having just finished orhan pamuk's description of them in istanbul. a thoroughly pleasant stroll on a beautiful, blue-skyed morning.

from there it was another bus south along the water until we arrived at bebek, a very busy area filled with buses, ferries, businesspeople and shoppers. we popped into the little nearby mall so i could look for some shoes (what? turks have cute shoes; i wanted some) which i found for only 20 TL (about 10 dollars). then it was onto the ferry and over to asia. unlike the first time i rode one of these ferries, this was not the first time i'd been to asia, so in some ways it was a bit less exciting. but it was also a lovely ride across the water. and soon we were out and about on the asian side of town.

turkish delights

we walked quite a ways to meet büşra's friend, stopping only when essential (read: for window-shopping). eventually though we made it to a rather delightful little place, a charming cafe atop a small hill where families were dining or lingering over tea. it was quickly obvious why these two were such close friends, both have such sweet dispositions. we talked over tea, enjoying the sunlit view from our cafe table. after we were feeling sated we set out for another long walk, this time along the water. after a quick stop for an afternoon prayer we made it to our destination, the maiden's tower (whose legend naturally involves a beloved yet isolated daughter). it's quite a romantic sight, alone there in the water. but the view is enhanced by the ambiance - cushioned seats, plentiful tea and snacks, backgammon games and, in our case, golden afternoon light on the bosphorus. a pretty perfect way to spend my last evening in istanbul. as we boarded the boat to take us back to the western side of the city we were still treated to that dazzling sunlight glittering on the water.

boats on the bosphorus, a twinkling farewell

we boarded the necessary trams and buses to make our way back up north to büşra's neighborhood, stopping only when we got to the university area for one last taste of pide, at my request. we did take one last walk, to again admire the nighttime view from the hills of boğaziçi. as breathtaking on my last night as it was on my first, if a little more bittersweet. i'm sure i only scratched the surface of what istanbul has to offer. it's a city i could see myself spending lots more time exploring, although i think i'd need a few years to do it justice. so don't worry, istanbul. as i so often say, i'll be back!

seljuk sites

a rather uncomfortable overnight bus ride (i guess i got spoiled with those semi-sleepers to goa) and we woke up at the konya bus station. we made our way out and to the nearby tram stop. we took it a few stops and got off at the apartment complex our would-be couchsurfing host had arranged (he ended up being full but his friend elif was closer to the station so it worked out). we waited out front for a while, eventually found a payphone to get a hold of her (again, the whole no cell phone thing proving a hindrance) and soon were brought right up. elif had a great place, complete with a guest bedroom with a bunk bed. elif had to run off to work but graciously left us to rest and freshen up. we had a much-needed rest to make up for our night on the bus and then  left refreshed.

gardens over lunch

so we hopped back on the tram and after about 15 minutes found ourselves in the center of downtown. it seemed konya was quite a bit smaller than bursa. the center of town was quite nice. immediately to our right was a large outdoor cafe that looked like it belonged in vienna or next to an ice skating rink. in front of us was the central alaeddin hill, around which the town centers. we walked a little up and around the hill and continued towards the historic part of town. we were searching for a restaurant the guide book had recommended that had a nice view of the mevlana complex. we found it but they were evidently booked up with tour buses. thanks but no thanks. we found another place not too far and had it almost to ourselves (well, until a bus group showed up. i guess you can't avoid them.) the view, though, for our meal was lovely. we could see right over the walls into the grounds of the complex. turns out, rose gardens look pretty good from any angle.

those turkish roses

back to ground level, we followed the walls around to the entrance of the grounds. the complex, or mevlana dergahı, was originally the site of the rose garden for the seljuk palace. the seljuks, who predated the ottoman empire, settled both in anatolia and iran (obviously these were the former). i was particularly excited to see their former capital due to their penchant for using turquoise and black tiles. the conical tower at right being one of the most prominent examples. we spent quite a while taking pictures in the gardens and generally enjoying being surrounded by roses before making our way to what is now the mevlana museum. the museum is devoted to telling the story of the original whirling dervishes. they do so with life-size dioramas and text panels in the original cells where the dervishes would have stayed. it gave a pretty good impression of what their daily lives would have been like, not bad.

bells and stones

then we made our way into the mausoleum itself. the tomb was built for mevlâna jelaleddin rumî, commonly known as rumi, the sufi poet. he was also the founder of the order of the dervishes and so naturally his tomb became a rather important pilgrimage site, and consequently rather crowded. inside the building was quite elaborate - gold and decoration on every surface that glittered in the low light of the glass lanterns. and just outside, tombstones with carved calligraphy and surrounded by (guess what) roses and small fountain. unfortunately the selimiye mosque was closed for renovations. we took a final stroll through the grounds and made our way out.

famous candies

we walked up a smaller street, past stalls overflowing with bags and bags of the chalky white candies apparently famous to the city. a little farther on we passed a later, 18th century mosque. quite different in appearance, more like a church of the time. we passed on without going inside and continued back towards the big street that led to the hill. we stopped into an internet cafe to catch up on some things and i nibbled on some of the aforementioned candies. they taste exactly like you'd expect them to. we walked on, and on the way we noticed even the post offices and banks had colorful tiles built into their facades. i like that in a town.

ceiling tiles

our next stop, fittingly, was the tile museum. i was more than a little excited about a museum filled with tiles (just to reiterate here, i really like tiles). after paying a modest price we slipped in to the small museum, just a few rooms - formerly the karatay medrese (school). the walls were covered - well, almost covered, with tiles recovered from the seljuk era. that same turquoise and black, with all types of geometric patterns and kufic scripts. it's so striking - i often wonder why we only see iznik-style tiles reproduced today. i think the seljuk ones would be just as beautiful. the museum itself was small but had some nice literature on how and the tiles were made and what the common motifs were. during the seljuk era konya was a major center for glazed tiles and brick, which is evident in the extant architecture. in a smaller room there were examples of different one of a kind hand-painted tiles that often featured figures and animals, most in that distinctive eight-point star shape.

this doesn't quite capture it

we walked out into the museum's small courtyard that featured some lovely flowers and a sun-dappled leafy trellis. when we left we took a look at the impressive facade to the small complex. with its muqarnas niche over the doorway, dark stone patterns, and petals filled with script, it was quite elaborate. even better, across the street we found a little ice cream shop. we had been hoping to find a place, as i was having trouble putting into words the unique consistency of turkish ice cream. we paid more for the ice cream than we had for the museum tickets, but it was worth it for the experience. it had that signature taffy-esque, almost chewy quality to it. it actually broke my spoon! still quite tasty. oh, and the shop itself seemed to be an old little building too. nice in its own right.

incredible minbar and tiles behind

our next destination was back up the hill to the alaeddin mosque complex. the mosque wasn't much to look at from the exterior; with its plain walls it almost looked more like a castle complex. we went in what seemed to be the side entrance - there was a large door was in the middle of the adjacent wall and into the mosque. it was very plain inside, and looked surprisingly modern, in spite of the marble columns. kind of like a church basement. but then we got to the mihrab (it wasn't visible right away) - it was spectacular! that same marble muqarnas vaulting bordered by band after band of seljuk tiles. all kinds of patterns in those same two shades. and the size was just monumental. next to it was the wooden minbar (stairs) that was just as intricate - perhaps more. it was created with the kündekari technique, whereby a wooden structure is assembled using only fitted wooden grooves on the sides of each piece - no nails or glue. then of course each of those geometric pieces has elaborate carvings of interlaced arabesques. quite remarkable. (i had studied a similar piece earlier, if you're wondering why i know so much about this rather obscure practice.) as we were leaving we were informed that we were not supposed to take pictures (which we honestly didn't know - i say this despite my somewhat blemished track record); luckily i had already got what i wanted.

minaret in brick and tile

from there it was down the other side of the hill. we went off in search of an interesting looking mosque i had seen somewhere and, after wandering through a few side streets and consulting a few locals, we found the mosque on an otherwise unassuming street. it had quite a unique minaret, with patterns made in that distinctive glazed brick. the mosque was very small but had a nice little courtyard surrounding it.

yes, that glob is butter

we stopped for a bit and then made our way back towards that central circle. on the ring road we discovered a place that advertised knafeh. of course i insisted that we stop in. i've been drooling over thoughts of knafeh since the last time i'd had it in jordan. it wasn't quite as good as what i'd had in amman, but still good in its oily gooeyness.

by then we had just a few minutes until we were supposed to meet our couchsurfing host (the original one). we grabbed a table at the central cafe - the last one, though there were many - for some tea and postcard writing while we waited for görkem. after a few minutes he found us, evidently coming straight from work in his nice suit. he came bearing gift bags, full of pamphlets and info on konya.

konya from above

we followed him to the hace veys zade mosque, the largest and newest in the city, where we were meeting sally, another couchsurfer from montana. she was hard to miss - super tall with a short pixie cut. we popped into the mosque briefly, spacious and empty inside. after that we hurried off to the restaurant görkem had picked out for us; he wanted us to make it before the sun had set. when we got there we understood why. he took us to a revolving restaurant - at the 42nd floor of the seljuk tower (sort of a misnomer, obviously it's a rather new building). we made it in time for the sunset and took a walk around the observation deck. konya's not much from above but it was a nice way to get perspective on the city. once inside we were treated to what was a rather expensive meal (all on the company card) - we were each more or less instructed to order one of the traditional dishes on the menu. various combinations of spiced meat, peppers, onions, rice and baskets full of bread. it wasn't bad, although a less formal meal would have been more our speed. still, we'd never been to a revolving restaurant so it was novel if nothing else.

from there we left to meet elif and some other friends at an outdoor cafe. there were seats all around a lovely pond, illuminated with colored lights, complete with passing swans. we met the other group, about six of them were there already, and joined them for çay and hookah. we had a lovely time discussing this and that - traveling and impressions of turkey. around 11 or 12 we headed back with elif on the tram (and learned that the city apparently bought them from germany) to her place and promptly collapsed into our bunk beds.

so there you have it, a pretty perfect 24 hours in konya.

turkey trot

in leaving india fulbright told us they would cover our airfare - for any layovers we had to pay the difference. basically a two-week vacation for total transportation costs of $180. yes please. so, while i was of course upset at having to leave india, the blow was softened by a little side-trip to turkey and, better still, getting to meet up with my best friend and travel buddy courtney.

i arrived in istanbul (via london - i know!) and was presented with the prospect of having to get myself - and my three giant bags to taksim square. luckily i managed to find the right bus that went directly there and i could even stow my luggage below. glorious. i ended up on a street right off of taksim square, the heart and soul of the city waiting for my friend büşra (ş='sh') to meet me. i got a bit nervous when i realized i had no way to contact her and that i was much later than expected. luckily, she was too and eventually we were reunited after parting two years before in jordan, where we'd met.

büşra was very sweet and graciously helped me cart my enormously heavy bags through the turnstiles and down to the metro. we carted the things onto the train at rush hour, back outside and into a cab that we eventually hailed not far from her place. her place, as it turns out, is wonderfully situated very near her school, boğaziçi university. her place is on cute residential street with several small cafes populated by students. i was amazed as the size of her flat - the living room was enormous. and the bathroom! i could probably do a handstand in there. you know, if i could do a handstand. and best of all she generously offered to hold my heavy bags for the duration of my trek around turkey. definitely a huge load off - literally.

we caught up over a glass of çay, then went out walking. at a nearby restaurant our waitress was an american (from fairfax, no less!) speaking flawless turkish. another place, another fun language to learn. i did at least get the basics of pronunciation down (that funny ğ? it elongates the letter after it). we ordered some traditional turkish fare, including dolma and ayran, the yogurt drink of choice. after dinner we went for a post-dinner stroll, where büşra showed me the incredible view of the bosphorus from their university. stunning! and really gave me a good idea of just how huge the city really is.

we were both exhausted - büşra from her finals and the stress of coming to get me, me from 20some odd hours of travel - and slept like the dead. büşra took me to a little breakfast place on the corner for a cheese pastry to go (real cheese! real pastries! heaven!) which ended up being the perfect morning snack.

it's got it all.. gold, tiles, stained glass, carpets

i managed (with lots of coaching) to successfully take the bus and then tram to the center of the tourist area and eventually wound up at topkapı palace where i was meeting courtney. i wasn't sure what entrance she'd be at but apparently she spotted me from across a big field (the giveaway: i was scrunching my hair, oh geez). after more than 19 months apart being reunited was almost surreal! we got caught up over a glass of juice and then made our way into the palace. it was courtney's first time here but also nice for me to revisit after being here seven years before. it was as beautiful as i remembered, and courtney and i were quite content taking pictures all over the place. between roses, tiles and carpets, there was no shortage of colorful subjects for us. once we had tramped all over and read about its various inhabitants we made our way out through a pleasant park on the opposite side of where we had come in.

we were in search of lunch somewhere nearby. well, apparently we picked the wrong exit. we ended up on a highway next to the bosphorus. but we walked on, figuring we'd eventually hit some sort of commercial street. indeed we did. we wandered into a little restaurant that, upon closer inspection, appeared to have garnered some acclaim from local newspapers and food guides. the food was just what we were looking for - some eggplant and lamb in nice tomatoey sauces, bread and rice.

lights all around

by then we weren't far from the spice market. we walked on, passing mosques with all sorts of domes. the spice market itself was as frenetic as you would imagine a spice market in istanbul to be on a saturday. since we weren't really looking for foods just yet, and didn't love being hassled and jostled, we made our way out and on toward the süleymaniye mosque. i was particularly excited about this first because it was designed by the eminent sinan and second because i had neglected to visit it the first time around (because, in my defense, i didn't know who sinan was at the time). it was up a bit of a hill but the mosque itself was dazzling. courtney commented on how much quieter it was than the blue mosque, in the midst of the tourist area, since she'd visited there just the day before. it certainly was pleasantly tranquil inside. and, although i realized the carpets were much more comfortable, that slight odor of feet made me thankful that temples in india all have stone floors.

see what i mean about the weather?

after lingering a bit to admire the view from the small hill, we went back down and boarded the tram to cross the river. from there we walked up another hill to galata, an area that reminded me a lot of the croix rousse in lyon, a little artsy with some neat little shops and cafés. we made our way to the galata tower, which looks very italian romanesque. paid a few lire to get to the top and were rewarded with a view of the sea and the red roofs of the city. beautiful weather, i might add.

old streetcar on its way to taksim

we made our way back down the hill and towards taksim, or so we thought (we had to get reoriented a few times..), as the sun began to go down. we walked along istiklâl caddesi (the c? it's pronounced like a j), one of the big pedestrian streets, admiring shops and searching for a nice place to sit outside and people watch. we eventually found a spot down a side street where we could enjoy our kebabs outside, which we did happily. after a leisurely meal we arrived in taksim, still buzzing with energy. undeniably the nerve center of the city. we were hoping for more people watching and settled on a little bistro just off the square where we enjoyed some wine and surprisingly good live jazz. a perfect spot to sit and watch the light fade from the city. eventually we went our separate ways and agreed to meet back in the morning.

next stop: bursa!