Floating down the Bosphorous

Istanbul, in Turkey, is probably the only city that straddles two continents and cultures. It is the city of subtle contrasts of the ancient and recent, secular and sacred. Globetrotter Tanushree takes you through the Bosphorous channel that runs through the heart of the city, splitting it into Rumelia and Anatolia

It is a bright, sunny morning as we join the queue of eager tourists waiting to board the gleaming white cruise boat. A group of elderly Americans is discussing the cruise in loud voices over the babble. I catch a few names but the rest of the conversation dissolves in the background as more people join the babble around me. I spot the vapur tarifesi (ferry timetable) in most hands. It is the cruisers’ bible.

Every eye is trained on the boat and no one has any time to notice the lovely view of the mosque on the harbour side. I turn and click a few pictures, peppering my moves with a liberal sprinkling of ‘excuse me’.

“It is one of the things to do,” a friend has assured me. “You can’t say you’ve been to Istanbul till you have taken the Bosphorous cruise.”

Now I am as excited as the jumpy one-year-old on his father’s shoulder, next to me. The waters of the strait that separate the European from the Asian side stretch out invitingly ahead. Everyone is impatient for the queue to move ahead. And it does.

Grabbing a port side seat is paramount on everyone’s mind as the crowd jostles its way up to the top. The breeze is biting cold so standing on the deck doesn’t seem to be an attractive option. Some of us are good at jostling. Years of experience teaches you how to move before everyone and grab the most attractive seat on a bus or boat. Being a skilled jostler I manage the best seat on the port side of the boat.

The boat finally leaves the Eminonu harbour and heads towards the Black Sea. On its way, it has to cross several historical structures. My camera is poised to capture those magnificent structures in digital images even as I chomp through a paper-cone full of roasted chestnuts. The boat gracefully edges away from the land and begins its journey on the gently falling waves.

Istanbul is probably the only city that straddles two continents and cultures. The Bosphorous channel runs through the heart of the city, splitting it into Rumelia and Anatolia. The city is one of subtle contrasts – the ancient and recent, secular and sacred. Istanbul’s dichotomy, as it blends the east with the west, is both mysterious and inviting. It is a city where I have enjoyed the seductive moves of the belly dancers as well as spiritual whirls of the dervishes.

As I am mulling over the diversities, the boat glides past the magnificent Dolmabahce Palace; we are on the European side. The vast palace with 285 rooms, 43 large salons and a 4000 kg Bohemian glass chandelier is one of the grandest Ottoman palaces. It remains with us for half a kilometer – its beautiful façade brightening the shore. I guess, Sultan Abdulmecit, was a bit bored of living in the historical Topkapi Palace and decided to blend a bit of European architecture to get the Dolmabahce Palace a modern look. And of course he moved into it, once it was ready.

We had barely got over our awe of the palace when the imperial pavilions of the Yildiz Palace floated into my peripheral vision. We glided along an unending stream of landscaped parks, pavilions and palaces. In any case, that’s what the Ottoman opulence was all about. We get an overload of the palaces as the boat floated past the Ciragan Palace. Once a royal abode, it now houses a hotel. The ornate marble façade of the palace make a beautiful picture and not a tourist aboard fails to capture it in the camera, for posterity. We were to see no less than six Ottoman palaces during the cruise – all of them impressive and significant.

The minaret of the Ortaköy mosque looms in the distance even as the muezzin calls the faithful to its fold. Ortaköy, meaning ‘the village in the middle’ was literally so, once upon a time. This is the area where artists gather each Sunday to sell their creations. A walk along the street side galleries often ends up with a packaged canvas under the arm. Boutiques, bistros and cafes line the harbour side making it a quaint place for a languorous afternoon.

We go past the summer palace of the sultans; the Beylerbeyi Palace. I am told that the palace has a fountain in the main salon; some sumptuousness! No wonder it was used to house the visiting royalty.

The Anadolu Kavagi and Rumeli Kavagi are the last of the visual treats before the Black Sea. Most tourists, including yours truly, disembark at Sariyer. I have been told not to return without tasting the excellent sea food available at the riverside cafes. It is a pleasant idea, I realise as I sit facing the sea with fishing boats bobbing in the distance. Seagulls screech around me, scavenging the floors for morsels carelessly dropped by the diners.

In the distance, sitting around a table, I spot some elderly Turks engaged in a game of backgammon. Their relaxed posture says it all. This is a town for the torpid.

The menu is replete with sea food options and I am spoilt for choice. I decide to settle for Hamsi, a small fish quite similar to anchovy. The waiter tells me that it is a speciality of Black Sea and there are at least forty different dishes made with Hamsi! Not just that, the humble Hamsi has inspired umpteen poems, anecdotes and folk dances in the region. After all that eulogy, it would have been an insult to ignore the Hamsi.

A few pieces of Manti, dumplings of dough filled with meat along with a generous serving of garlic yogurt and a dash of melted butter with paprika, seem the ideal way to fill the stomach. In Turkey, the Manti serves as a Sunday lunch indulgence, followed by an afternoon siesta. I drown my frustration of the missed siesta in a generous helping of baklava and totter back to the harbour. I spend the rest of the afternoon people-watching.  My distended belly makes it difficult to undertake any other activity. It is only when the muezzin intones the last of the day’s five prayers that I travel back to Istanbul to catch a bit of the nightlife.

Reaching Istanbul
Singapore Airlines has regular flights between Singapore and Istanbul. Bosphorus Cruises start from Eminönü. The Ferryboat Docks at 10:35 AM, 12 noon and 1.35 PM.

Staying
Istanbul has an unusual number of good, inexpensive lodging options. While in Istanbul you could choose to stay in the Old City or the newer parts. If you are on a sightseeing spree, staying in the Old City would definitely be more convenient. If you have deep pockets, settle for:

Ottoman Hotel Imperial **** (tariff starts at 75 euro)
Almina Hotel (4 star boutique hotel) (tariff starts at 65 euro)

For those on a tight budget, the options are:

Cordial House Hotel ** (tariff starts at 30 euro)
Medussa Hotel ** (30 euro approx)

Shopping
The Spice Market is a good place to pick up some exotic nuts and spices. The hazelnut is something one must not forget.  The Grand Bazar with its 4000 shops and the Spice Bazar are the ideal places to shop for wood inlay worked bric-a-brac, brass and copper ware, beautiful ceramic articles, Kilims, and sheeshas. Don’t forget to splurge on apple and rose tea, Turkish Delight and the Turkish Eye. The local wines are a good buy if you are a wine lover.

Food
Turkish food is delicious. The kebaps and simits are simply yummy. For the fish lovers, Istanbul is a veritable heaven. The grilled sea bass along with mackerels, mussels and shrimps make a tempting menu. Don’t forget the Hamsi, though. The olives are to die for and so are the aubergine delicacies and the roasted tomatoes. Down it all with the local brew called Raki and sample the baklava as the grand finale.

For those looking for street food, the streets are full of vendors selling roasted chestnuts, corn on cob, and Simit.

A good meal could cost anywhere between Turkish Lira (TRY) 15-50 depending on the area and choice of dishes. A cup of coffee costs approx. TRY 5

Approximate currency conversion:
1 Turkish Lira (TRY) = 0.91 Singapore dollar (SGD)
1 Euro (EUR) = 1.9 Singapore dollar (SGD)