Turkey for Turkey Day
Even though we are now officially in the new year and the roaring 2020s, this blog will be about Thanksgiving weekend đ. I have fallen very behind on blogs because we have been busy visiting Istanbul, Turkey as well as going all around Bavaria for Christmas markets galore. We also got to go home for a very brief visit and I got to meet my sweet new and FIRST baby nephew as well as catch up with some friends and family. We are now officially exhausted from a crazy December, but Iâve been excited to write this blog because of how truly incredible Istanbul is. The first weekend trip Matthew and I went on was to Rome, and so far, that has still been Matthewâs absolute favorite. Istanbul, however, was a very close second for him! This is no doubt due to its incredible history, delicious foods, and extravagant bazaars and mosques, but also to the fact that the WHOLE city has literally been taken over by cats. Welcome to Istanbul AKA HEAVEN!
Because of the two-hour time difference between Munich and Istanbul, it was after midnight by the time we reached our hotel (which was super awesome, thanks for using points mom đ). This really ensured that we only got one full day in Istanbul sadly, but we made the most of it. In the morning, we walked around Galata Tower, Karaköy (an artsy neighborhood of Istanbul), along the harbor, and Sultanahmet Square and had some photos taken. Matthew wasnât too excited about more photos shockingly, but the walk all around Istanbul to less clichĂ© tourist areas enabled us to experience the city more as the natives do, which we loved.
(Click image above for more pics)
After we returned to our hotel and changed, we decided to get an early lunch by Dolmabahçe Palace, which is located on the Bosphorus. When I was in Istanbul previously, we went on a long tour of Dolmabahçe Palace, but Matt and I were too limited on time to go into each of the rooms and decided to walk around the perimeter instead. The palace was built in the 1800s by a Sultan of the Ottoman Empire in an attempt to match the luxurious and contemporary castles enjoyed by the Europeans. It served as the main center of the Ottoman Empire until its end in 1922. Before I continue on with our day, it makes sense at this point to talk about the transition of the Roman and Byzantine rules (âConstantinopleâ) to Ottoman rule and eventually the Turkish Republic (âIstanbulâ). Istanbul was initially named âByzantium,â which was thought to have been named by Megarean colonists in the 600s BCE, and became an important city due to its strategic geographical location - half of Istanbul is in Europe and the other half is in Asia, separated by the Bosphorus strait. After the Roman Constantine established it as the âNew Romeâ in 330 CE, the cityâs name changed to âConstantinople.â This period symbolized the shift of Roman power to eastern territories and many churches and the Hippodrome was built. When Constantine died however, the city was split into Eastern and Western sections. The west was continuously attacked by the German Visigoths who essentially ensured that Roman control no longer extended past Italy, while the eastern half was less geographically vulnerable and more politically structured, thus becoming the Byzantine Empire.
The Byzantine emperor was the leader of most European Christians, but this eventually changed as the Crusades began, which was started by the European Christians against Muslims. Throughout the Crusades, tension grew between Byzantium and the West, and eventually the city was sacked in 1204, which greatly weakened the Byzantine Empire. By the middle of the 14th century, the Ottoman Turks began to take smaller towns and cities around Constantinople and eventually conquered the city in 1453. Here forth, Constantinople became the new capital of the Ottoman empire and the city was transformed from Christianity to Islamic rule, including the conversion of churches (like the Hagia Sophia) to mosques. The reach of the Ottoman Empire extended throughout the Middle East, Eastern Europe, and North Africa and offered a period of stability for the people. There was also emphasis on the forward progress of arts, science (particularly medicine), and religion. Eventually, however, their power weakened and they lost most of their territories during the Balkan Wars (1912-1913). Ottoman power officially ended after they sided with the Central Powers in WWI, were defeated, and became the Turkish Republic in 1923, which is when it was urged to start calling the city âIstanbulâ as it is called today.
Entrance to Dolmabahçe Palace
(Click image above for more pics)
And now that youâre likely confused, weâll continue on with our day đ. We found a cool little cafĂ© on the Bosphorus outside of Dolmabahçe Palace. We enjoyed a very tasty meal and coffee and enjoyed the stunning views as the people sitting closest to the water got attacked by seagulls attempting to eat their food - it was extremely entertaining. Then we walked around the harbor for a bit and made our way back to our hotel where our tour guide would soon be picking us up. On the walk, we decided to stop through a random park which was no joke a safe haven for cats. We immediately see 20-30 cats and kittens just running around and decide to walk through paradise for a bit. Note the cat slideshow below - I am not kidding when I say that I think we saw at least 200 cats in Istanbul.
(Click image above for more glorious cat pics)
Finally we arrive back at the hotel around lunchtime and are picked up to go on our tour. We were the first people picked up however and it took over an hour to get everyone and the tour started, which was super annoying. As a huge perk though, we randomly stopped on top of this hill waiting for other people to board the bus and got some truly spectacular overhead views of Istanbul. When the tour finally got going, we went to Sultanahmet Square and began with a walk through the Hippodrome. The Hippodrome of Constantinople was the cityâs social center throughout its history, hosting chariot races, sporting events, and displaying monuments to demonstrate the conquests, including the Serpent Column (signified victory of Greeks over Persians) and the Obelisk of Theodosius (obtained from Egypt).
The Serpent Column and the Obelisk of Theodosius in the Hippodrome
(Click image below for an additional pic)
We then went to the Sultan Ahmed Mosque, colloquially referred to as the Blue Mosque. It was constructed during Ottoman rule and is still a functioning mosque today. To enter, we had to take off our shoes and carry them with us in plastic bags. I also had to get a large scarf and make sure my head and shoulders were completely covered. The inside was partly under construction, but the intricate mosaic tiles reminded me of the Taj Mahal and were very beautiful. Afterwards, we walked the very short distance to the Hagia Sophia, which as mentioned before, was a Christian cathedral turned Ottoman mosque. It has since been secularized and is now a museum which is breathtaking. It is hard to describe the immense beauty of the Hagia Sophia, and it is no wonder that it represents the peak of Byzantine architecture.
The Blue Mosque
(Click image below for more pics of the Blue Mosque)
Outside the Hagia Sophia
Inside the Hagia Sophia
(Click image below for more pics of the beautiful Hagia Sophia)
When we finished the historical buildings, we got to go through the Grand Bazaar and Spice Market, for which we were both so excited. We tried street food (corn and chestnuts), bought all sorts of spices and teas, and watched as people tried to sell us everything from rugs to lamps to Turkish delights. This was definitely both of our favorite areas - we bought the very well known Turkish saffron, apple tea, and a huge assortment of cooking spices at a spice shop. We also bought an obscene amount of baklava and a Turkish delight (and ate almost all of it immediately) as well as some truly hilarious cat souvenirs that Matt insisted on (not even kidding). We randomly stopped at a Turkish restaurant for dinner and ate like kings - Matt had some incredible assorted kebabs and I had an eggplant dish. Hilariously enough, as we were walking around, I was reminded that this was Mattâs first time in a predominantly Muslim country (~98% of the population). The call to prayer in Islam occurs 5 times a day and is broadcasted over a loud speaker of sorts. When we heard it for the first time, we were walking down the street and Matt basically grabs my arm and pulls me out of the way, and I was like, âWhatâs going on?â He thought the call to prayer was a siren, like an ambulance siren coming near us, and I just busted out laughing because heâs so sweet and had no idea. Iâm sure I made the same mistake when I heard it for the first time, but I was glad to explain to him what it was shortly before our tour guide explained it much better to the whole group.
Entrance to the Grand Bazaar
(Click image above for more pics of the spice market and goods sold at the Grand Bazaar)
(Click image below for more pics of random sights around Istanbul, which is honestly most food)
At this point though, we were pretty exhausted and headed back to the hotel after walking around for awhile and spent at least another hour at the cat park. A kitten kept jumping on my lap and letting me play with it, while this grumpy old man cat comes up out of nowhere, meows super deeply, and sits on Mattâs lap, demanding to be pet. We were in love. Though one day was certainly no where near enough, Istanbul enraptured Matt as much as it did for me the first time I visited. Though it was very difficult being away from everyone for Thanksgiving this year, going to Turkey was definitely a pretty great substitute :) Luckily, Matt spoiled us by making Thanksgiving dinner when we got back in the worldâs tiniest kitchen - apple cider glazed turkey breast, cheesy potatoes, balsamic-glazed Brussels sprouts, and a pumpkin pie. Fun fact, Germans use pumpkins for savory foods predominantly, so we could not find pumpkin puree anywhere and had to make it ourselves. But HOLY COW it was so so good - even my Turkish coworker and soulmate at work, Hande, who was NOT a fan of pumpkin spice lattes, loved the pie. All in all, I highly recommend Turkey (the place) and turkey (the food), especially with a wonderful guy who happens to be a great chef.
(Click above for more pics of the Turkey Day feast)
Until next time!
Alexandra