Istanbul, Turkey

Our trip across the Mediterranean and Agean Seas lasted only two days, but the weather changed immensely. It was quite a change from Egypt, where it was dry and about eighty or ninety. The first day we arrived, it was raining, and I stepped off the ship to see my breath for the first time in about eight months. It was rainy and cold, and I have to say, it reminded me a whole lot of home. I was starting to get use to not having to wear a jacket every time I stepped outside. Though I though I never would, being in Istanbul made me realize I missed the cold, but my yearning for the chill dissipated after about two days. In no way can someone explore all Istanbul has to offer in just five days. The city is astonishingly beautiful though. There is something about the landscape, that when the light hits it, it takes your breath away. The city continues to be littered with a lot of cats, and this has held true for a few hundred years. The cats are strays, but they seemed to be clean, well kept, and well fed. The first day, we hopped on the tram for the ten-minute ride across the bridge to Europe, and explored the famous district of Sultanhamet. Here, we visited the famous Blue Mosque, a Muslim house of prayer, and the Aga Sofia, a Christian house of prayer located a few blocks from it. Turkey was a very interested place, as Istanbul, formerly Constantinople, has been the meeting point for East and West culture throughout history. Mosques and temples sprouted above the horizon of the city for as far as one could see, and new buildings compete for space with the ones that have been there for over half a millennium. The city is so incredibly old, but very well kept and it’s civil engineering top notch. Though Turkey is 98% Muslim, its society seems to be more favorable to the Western way of life. I saw very few married women covering themselves completely with traditional Islamic basques, and women seem to be more liberal in general compared to Egypt. After we visited the historical edifices of Sultanhamet, we sat at one of the coolest little hooka bars I had ever been. We sat, smoked hooka, talked, caressed the little cats to sleep, and drank tea for a few hours. It was a relaxing Wednesday. That night, we saw a Whirling Turkish Durvish Ceremony, an ancient ceremony that consists of Durvish men in white cloaks spinning in circles as a form of becoming closer to God. The next day we explored an area of the city by the name of Taxim Square, a district situated on top of a hill with great shopping and nightlife. The style of the Turks is very cool, and I had to buy a warmer jacket, because it was freezing. There are hooka bars everywhere in Istanbul. Hooka is one ancient practice from the Muslim tradition the Turks have held onto very tightly, and a water pipe (hooka) and a cup of tea are standard after a day at work. That night I was using the Internet at a hooka bar close to the ship, and I met a group of Turkish University students. We sat and talked for a few hours, and commenced to meeting up the following day. They showed me all the cool spots to hang out in the city, and we had a few drinks with them that night. Like most Turks, they were all very nice. Just to give you an idea of how big the city is, their University is in Istanbul, but is over two hours a way by car. The coolest thing about Istanbul, I thought, was five times during a day, the numerous Muslim Mosques around the city would blast out the prayer call. The powerful prayer verse from the Qur’an could be heard loud and clear from all over the city. The last day, my roommate and I just walked around and explored some more. We found a very tall tower on top of a hill that had been built in 1432, and at the end of the day, we climbed up the Golatta Tower to watch the sun set over Europe and Asia at the same time.