My first visit to Istanbul

I took a trip to Istanbul for business. I ended up being there for three nights. This was my first time in Turkey -- a very interesting visit!

I arrived Tuesday just in time for rush hour. The international airport is on the European side of the city, and I needed to get to my hotel (and meetings) on the Asian side. Istanbul doesn't have a great train system, so I got a taxi. I showed the taxi driver the hotel and address (all in Turkish) . . . he thought for a bit . . . then said "OK" and off we went. Istanbul is HOT. Hot and humid. I was told specifically to get a taxi with AC. Now I know why. After driving for a bit I asked to have the AC on, and the driver put it on. Much better. We "chatted" a bit as I tried to get him to tell me how long it would take to drive to the hotel, how to say "thank you", "yes", "no", etc.

Istanbul is one of those places where traffic laws are treated as suggestions only. We wove in and out of lanes.

Lanes? Another suggestion. People drove wherever they could fit. Somehow, with lots of honking, no one actually hits anyone else, but it's all very exciting in the meantime.

As we drove, I saw a bit of the city. It's a bit like Los Angeles. LA with no zoning, apartment blocks instead of houses, and mosques scattered throughout. Hills, freeways, people everywhere. The mosques are interesting because they are everywhere and they all seem to be built to the same design. They all have the same domes and minarets with loud speakers.

Here is a picture of a mosque near my hotel. What you can't see is that there were businesses under the mosque. Food, newsstand, and a laser hair removal service. (Note all of these terrible photos are from my mobile phone.)


The taxi ride ended up being two hours because of the traffic. The driver stopped chatting about halfway through. After that he just drove. We went over a bridge across the Bosphorus. My first time in Asia! (Well, I guess Moscow is in Asia?)

After all that, the ride ended up being about $45 including tip. My hotel was new, very nice, and had wireless internet. Staff everywhere, trying to help and carry things, so you have to keep some change around for tips.

I spent the next 2 1/2 days on meetings. I was taken out to some nice lunches and dinners. One unifying theme to Turkish cuisine is grilled sheep. Sheep in all its forms -- chops, sliced, meat balls etc. I remember Kerem, Kia's husband (from Turkey), talking about how the Turks love to grill. I can report it is true. And all tasty. They also have very good watermelon there. Other notable foods included special Turkish beans, in a kind of chili sauce; red carrot juice (sour, salty, quite a shock at first!); raki, an anise-flavored spirit drunk with dinner. I asked about pork. My hosts, Turks but not practicing Muslims, said no one eats pork. They said they had tried it, but didn't like it. It was too greasy and heavy in their opinion, not like lovely lamb.

My last night there I moved to a hotel on the European side, in fact in the center of the historical city. This was a little hotel right by the Hagia Sophia. (only $55 per night for a queen size bed ensuite, air conditioned!) I wandered around a bit to get a snack for dinner (after 2 days of large lunches and dinners.) While wandering, I went to look at the Blue Mosque. A man started speaking to me. I knew he was trying to work a line on me, but I figured I just be careful and see where this led. He took me over to the Mosque, and offered to show me the inside. But we would have to hurry as it was almost time for prayers. Well, we got there and they had a sign up saying "No Tourists -- Prayer Time". My guide said, no mind, just get your shoes off and come in. So in we went. You take your shoes off outside and carry them in a little plastic bag. They have shelves inside to stack up your shoes.

The inside is amazing. A huge space, entirely covered with rugs. The rugs are marked with person-sized rectangular patterns so everyone has a little space to kneel on. As we looked around, people were streaming in and lining up at the front. No one hangs back. You just fill in at the next space, right across the front. Eventually the Imam started the service, and people were standing, bowing, kneeling. My guide said it would be OK to take a picture . . . it seemed strange, but what the heck, so I took a camera phone picture.


We wandered back outside and he mentioned he had a family business selling carpets. I said I was not going to buy anything, but he wanted to show me anyway, so OK, I'll go and see some carpets. We wander past many many shops and eventually get to his. I am shown upstairs to a "showroom" and handed off to the real salesman. Very organized and professional, this getting people into the shop. I repeat that I will not be buying anything, but they jump in anyway. I end up liking the most expensive, nicest carpet (silk on silk). The price is $2500 for a 5'x3' carpet. I say I could possibly spend $500 maximum. Looks of disbelief abound (I realize later I am still in my work clothes, so I look like a good customer.) The price comes down to $1500. Still no from me. They show me how if you spin it around the colors change. I feel the soft silk. They show me how it is made, with double knotting.

Still no sale. $1200. $1000. At this point I feel bad, and insist on leaving since I really do have no intention of buying. My guide walks back out with me to the mosque and makes a final offer of $800. I again refuse and leave him to look for another mark.


Now I look for a kebab stand. Along the way I get snagged by another carpet salesman. This one is very friendly, tells me he lived in Alaska, and begs me to see his store. Well, ok, it will be interesting to see prices in one more place. So I go in, have some tea, sit and look at some carpets. Again I am handed off to the real salesman. But after I make it clear I will not be buying, he loses heart. So I look some and leave. On the way out, I run into the ex-Alaskan. He thanks me for giving him respect, and wishes me a good night. I mention I'm looking for a quick meal and he knows just the place! So he wisks we around the corner to a place that specializes in "meatballs". He orders some meatballs, bread, beans and vegetables for me. Shows me to a stand outside for drinks -- a 1.5 litre bottle of water and a yoghurt drink. Total food cost about $5. He then gives me a card and email address and says goodnight. No attempt to get a tip or pickpocket me. These Turks are really nice! Yes, they want to sell you things, but friendly even when you don't buy. So I march back to my hotel to eat, shower and get ready for the next day.

The next day I finish up my meetings, then have some hours before I need to get to the airport. So I march off to the Hagia Sofia, a basilica turned mosque turned museum first built in the 400s. It was burned down, and rebuilt in 516. When the muslims came they turned it into a mosque by adding some minerettes. It already had the big dome, and is suspiciously aligned with Mecca (what's the required accuracy?) The inside had been covered with mosaics and crosses. When the muslims came, they frescoed over everything, but didn't actually destroy the mosaics. So they have now uncovered some of the mosaics. Amazingly detailed mosaic work, very beautiful. And everywhere that is not frescoed or mosaiced is paneled with choice marble slabs.



After some time there, I marched over to the Tokapi Palace on the promise of finding swords. This was a seasonal palace for the Ottoman emperors. This is a large complex, with and inner and outer courtyard. Many rooms around the courtyards. They have artefacts said to date back to the Prophet himself! Including his sword (now unusably encrusted with jewels), his bow, some letters. Many other swords, jewels, thrones, water flasks. The emperor always had someone nearby with a water flask. The Ottomans hold their own against the other empires in terms of wealth collected.

Finally, I march over to the Grand Bazaar. I had no idea what it was, but saw signs and it sounded interesting. It turned out to be the grandfather of our shopping malls. It is a HUGE covered maze of shops and stalls. I only spent 15 minutes inside because I quickly realized I had bitten off more than I could chew. The stalls stretch off farther than you can see in every direction. Worth a longer visit. I marched back to my hotel to pick up my bags and get a taxi. While I'm marching up, I run into another store owner. He has a little store right next to the hotel, and I had blown him off the night before. So he insists I come in, though I swear I'm not buying and about to get in a taxi. Sure enough, my taxi comes, and as I am getting in, he is offering his $1200 kilim (silk on cotton embroidered) for $250 cash. Just keep saying no to get those prices down.

A note about the climate and marching around. As I said, Istanbul is HOT and HUMID. As you walk around, you sweat. You notice that everyone, natives as well as tourists, are carrying water bottles. Each evening I would find myself soaked. In fact, I discovered salt stains on my shirts and socks from sweating so much. So it is a must to drink water. Luckily, the Turks don't believe in ripping you off for water. A bottle of cold water costs about $0.40, even in a tourist area like Tokapi. In Switzerland the same bottle would cost at least $2.50.

I did end up buying some things -- a necklace and a picture. I probably paid too much, as I only talked them down 50% or so, but they could tell I liked them and was ready to buy.

This was a great trip. Successful on the business side, and very interesting on the personal side. A very unique place to visit for this American boy. Next time I'll try to take Emma along to look at the carpets. That's why I say this was my first visit.