Istanbul, Turkey

Istanbul, Turkey has definitely been the most interesting, culturally unique port so far. The first day started with a presentation for one of my classes about advertising in Turkey. It was intriguing to walk around the streets and look at how they advertise differently for people who practice Islam. Once the presentation and tour was done, I took a short tram ride to the Spice Bazaar, which is a huge covered market that sells spices, teas, and candies. The people in the shops would invite you in to try different Turkish teas and candies, and they were all really tasty. The traditional Turkish tea is quite sweet and comes in a variety of different fruity flavors. After sipping on some tea, I made my way over to the Grand Bazaar, which is the largest covered market in the world. It was pretty overwhelming because it was so massive, but you could find almost anything you wanted in this place. It was fun bargaining with the people and getting a few souvenirs.

The second day involved a lot of walking and sight seeing. We started by going to the two largest mosques in Istanbul. I went in the one mosque, called The Blue Mosque, to see the beautiful painting and decoration on the enormous domes. I also got to watch people pray because they have a “call to prayer” five times everyday, in which the Muslim people kneel on the ground and face Mecca to worship Muhammad. The call to prayer can be heard from almost anywhere in the city because there are so many mosques around, and all of them have loud speakers that have the prayer/singing blaring from them. After seeing the mosques, I went to check out an ancient underground water system. There were large columns underground that were partially covered by water that the people of the ancient world used to use for irrigation and domestic purposes. They had some cool art displays hanging and floating in the water with colored lights that gave an eerie feeling when coupled with the almost mystical music and darkness.

On the third day, I took a ferry trip down the Bosphorus, which is a strategic waterway that separates Istanbul into Europe and Asia. I cruised to the Asian side to get off and take a hike up a hill to a small castle with a wonderful view overlooking the waterway. It was pretty cool to be able to go to Asia for a few hours just to say I’ve been to Asia before. After I got back to the European side of Istanbul, it was time for a Turkish kabob filled with chicken, lettuce, tomatoes, and french fries. At night I went out again for a delicious glass of cherry tea and some baklava.

Today I spent my time relaxing at a traditional Turkish bath that is the oldest bath in all of Turkey, made in the 15 hundreds. I started by lying on a hot granite slab in a sauna-like room that has been there since the place was built. Next, I got scrubbed down by a course scrubber thing that took all the dead skin off of my body, leaving my skin super smooth. That was followed by a massage scrub with a bunch of suds, and then a drenching by a cold bucket of water. I ended the experience with a glass of fresh squeezed orange juice.

Istanbul claims to be the “European capital of culture,” and I couldn’t agree more. I’ve really enjoyed seeing how this different society lives and functions with many people practicing Islam, even though Turkey is a secular country. I’m going to go take a jog now down by the water, and then have some tea. I’ll spend tomorrow at the Grand Bazaar buying some souvenirs with the little money I have left before I get back on the ship to head to Egypt!