Atlantica - 01.01.2006, Side 24

22 AT L A N T I CA
Flying into Istanbul in early November, Atlantica’s photographer
was charting our progress on his GPS. “Looks like we’re over
Poland right now,” he said.
Cutting across Poland – part of “New Europe” – on our way to Turkey,
a newbie hopeful itself, I glanced at the day’s papers. Commentators
from across Europe wrote how Turkey needed to respect human rights
in order to be considered for entrance to the European Union. Despite
the news, my mind was full of Istanbul’s iconic images, not politics.
The forecast called for rain, rain and more rain during my five-day
visit, but I was still excited to be on my way to the city’s landmarks – the
Aya Sofia, the Blue Mosque and the Grand Bazaar. I was also curious to
know what this city, always considered the crossroads of East and West,
would be like for a first time visitor.
BAKLAVA IN THE RAIN
By the time I arrived at the hotel, night had fallen. Istanbul was sparkling
under a steady drizzle, the city’s lights reflected from the puddles on the
pedestrian thoroughfare Istiklal Caddesi, and played along the waves of
the Bosphorous.
Having dinner on a rooftop terrace in the youthful Beyoglu district,
I began to plan an aimless itinerary. Would I while my days away in a
café drinking çay, the famous Turkish tea, or thick dark cups of strong
Turkish coffee, as I played backgammon with newfound friends? Would
I cruise the Bosphorous all the way to the Sea of Marmara? Or would I
learn all about the intricacies of Ottoman architecture? I was game for
anything.
By the next morning, the rain was no longer romantic for the city. It
was chilly and dreary. I ducked between raindrops on my way through
the Sultanahmet, Istanbul’s oldest district, full of ancient monuments,
mosques and the Aya Sofia, one of the world’s largest churches, which
was built in the sixth century under Emperor Justinian. It was converted
to a mosque in the 14th century and turned into a museum under the
secular reformist Kemal Attaturk.
Walking into the Aya Sofia’s entryway, I was floored by the sheer size
of the place. The keystone in the middle of the dome is 55 meters high.
Towards the back of the former church that was used as a mosque once
Istanbul & You
Adam Key Raney succumbs to the charms of the city famous as a meeting
ground of East and West. Photos by Páll Stefánsson.
“Would I while my days away in a café drinking
çay, the famous Turkish tea, or thick dark cups of
strong Turkish coffee as I played backgammon
with newfound friends?”
024-29ATL106 Istanbul.indd 22 16.12.2005 14:42:02