Istanbul: Where Globalization is Nothing New

Keith P. Tomlinson

The Virginia Sportsman Exploration Column, August/September 2012

The crowd on the plane spoke volumes about our destination, multiple languages chatting away as we found our seats…Indians, Pakistanis, Iranians, Saudis, Somalis, Ethiopians and Turks to name a few. The all-nighter to Istanbul departs Dulles at midnight, right on time. For me this new ten hour direct flight was almost disorienting without a long layover somewhere...Rome, Frankfurt, Madrid. Like its home nation, Turkish airlines is on a bullish roll, expanding, changing, innovating. Upon boarding the plane you are met not only a Steward but the Chef too. Mid-day sun soaked the tarmac in a Mediterranean glow when we pulled up to the gate at Ataturk International Airport. On the south side of the airport a discreet village of hardened bunkers houses US made F-16s. A subtle reminder you are in one of the world’s strategic crossroads and geopolitical hot spots. Not surprisingly, Turkey fields one of the regions largest and best equipped military's. A longtime NATO member and close US ally, Turkey has lent troops to many conflicts and peace keeping missions since the Korean War.

The ancient ramparts of the old city sweep north to south on the west side to town. Highway traffic along the Sea of Marmara speeds bye without blinking an eye. Soon we arrived in Sultanahmet, heart of the tourist district and home to numerous UNESCO World Heritage sites. The view across the Bosporus beckons, Asia is just a ferry ride away. Looming over my tiny Balkan style hostel, the Blue Mosque six minarets jut skyward, neatly crowned in conical gold. A city of this caliber simply eliminates jet-lag, there's just too much to see. Into the streets I go.

At the center of downtown is the Hippodrome, an ancient chariot racing course. On the east side the Sultan Ahmed or Blue Mosque rises with an architectural grander surpassed by few manmade structures. The grand courtyard invites Worshipper and tourist alike to breath-in the exceptional antiquity steeped in Islamic faith and culture on the furthest door step of Eastern Europe. Built between 1609 and 1616 Blue Mosque defies engineering logic that such a structure could be built 400 years ago. Single marble pillars measure nearly thirty feet across and rise seventy feet to the ceiling. The name Blue Mosque derives from more than 20,000 intricately painted tiles frequently depicting flowers, fruits, trees and birds. Some 200 stained glass windows transform light into a cascading glissade of color and texture.

Typical of Istanbul, you need not walk far to encounter yet another spectacle of human agency as expressed through divine inspiration. Just to the north of the Blue Mosque the Hagia Sofia towers above Sultanahmet Park. Hawkers, chestnut vendors and self appointed tour guides ply the cobblestones among the tourist throng. The Hagia Sofia is widely regarded as the pinnacle of Byzantine architecture, containing one of the first domed ceilings ever built. Completed in 537 A.D. it makes the Blue Mosque seem downright new. For nearly 1000 years it served as the largest Christian sanctuary in the world. It is here that the Great Schism took place ultimately splitting the Roman Catholic empire and creating the Eastern Orthodox Church. But that's ancient history, as in 1453 the Ottoman Turks took Constantinople and converted it into a mosque.

Beyond the Hagia Sofia is Topkapi Palace in all its glory, complete with exquisite artwork, gardens and the site of the world’s best known Harem. The palace enjoys a commanding view of the Bosporus and the Golden Horn. On it's southern flank is the beautiful arboretum-like Gulhane Park. Alexandrine Parakeets, Eurasian grey herons and Indian house crows add an aviary quality to the park. Locals and tourist stroll this exceptional space rarely mentioned in travel guides. Walking north through the park one can access the bustling waterfront where the Golden Horn enters the Bosporus. The collective commotion of this area is both intriguing and nearly over stimulating. Shoe shiners display their ornate brass polishing stools and fisherman crowd the Galata Bridge. Gulls plunge, then float on the wind just above the snarled traffic, seeking a morsel of discarded fish. Ever-present passive cigarette smoke fills the air as a trio of blind musicians play a traditional tune in the salty breeze. Ferry's leaving for the Asian side of the city, depart hap hazardously navigating among smaller boats of all shapes and sizes. Once clearing the docks, the ferry's cross wakes with rusted freighters headed north to the Black Sea or south to the Mediterranean.

Spying the Rustem Passa Mosque across from the wharf, I duck into a pedestrian tunnel under the street. In the blink of an eye I'm consumed in a hidden bizarre. Tourist and merchants barter among the din of music and smoke. Emerging at the mosque I find a relatively quite spot to pursue one of Istanbul's great past times...people watching. Istanbul has been a global hub of humanity for millennia and the changing trends continue to present day.

Among all the grand hubbub of culture, food, scenery and street commerce Istanbul is a truly Muslim city. Indeed, five times a day the call to pray rings aloud from mosque's on nearly every city block. The faithful gather and kneel in communal rituals that transcends the cities hectic pace for a few moments. The piety is endemic and engaging but never intrusive. More a beautiful strand in the devotional fabric of a city steeped in religious tradition existing cohesively with a staunchly secular national government. On that measure, Turkey stands largely unique among Muslim nations. This is no theocracy, but the religious history and context of the city is profound, mysterious and attractive to the foreign tourist.

Just above the wharf through a few narrow ally's one can enter the Spice Bazaar...old world in it's affect, maybe Istanbul at it's best. The products extend well beyond exotic spices, sumptuous nuts and a plethora of dried fruits, vendors are hawking all types of wares from fine rugs and artwork to intricately painted dish-ware. I found a deep bucket of powdery green henna, one the most unique products for sale. The multitudes of spices are displayed in neat pyramids never far from the oft calibrated scale. In reality, the entire city is one large bazaar. While there are predictable tourist trinkets, the bazaar is generally overflowing with beautiful and interesting items. Haggling is mandatory but pleasantly lacks the intensity I've experienced in West Africa or East Asia, more requisite banter than economic duel.

On my last night in town I rested tender, walked-out feet, in an unassuming eatery filled with locals and a smattering of tourists. The indigenous Efes beer hit the spot with a lamb kabob, copious yogurt and a fine crushed pepper relish. After dinner I wondered out to a small park overlooking the Blue Mosque and Hippodrome. The setting sun bathed the building in a celestial glow as a waxing gibbous moon peaked over the central dome. With at least twenty nationalities I gazed upon a vision no photograph could effectively convey. As a group we were simply travelers, jointly mesmerized by the aesthetic prowess of our species. As individuals we are forever enriched by Istanbul's riches. Like so many before us, we are globalizers at a grand crossroads of human civilization.