Inestimable Istanbul, Turkey
Like taking an historical
curve a bit too fast, we passed from Granada, Spain to Istanbul, Turkey in a
day. The crescent moon and a single bright star out the taxi window on the 4:00 am drive to Malaga airport foretold our destination. The
particular symbolism of this trip persisted, for we passed from a world in
Granada where every mosque had in the 15th century seen conversion to a church,
to a place where the opposite had occurred at just about the same time. The
connections run deeper, of course, for the Jews expelled from Spain in early sixteenth century went to Istanbul
and the Ottoman menace became a preoccupation of the Spanish kings. Malaga itself had controlled trade with Byzantium in earlier times, though riding on the aging 757 and MD87
jets of Iberia Airlines made the trip much faster than for our forebears.
Istanbul charms. Rome
amazes, but Istanbul charms. Rome has always been Roma, while Istanbul
stands as itself and its predecessors, all at once: Byzantium and
Constantinople and Istanbul. It's a hackneyed truism to talk about Istanbul
serving as the bridge between east and west, between Asia and Europe, but it is
truer than one can put into words.
We speak to people who drive nonchalant confidence to Afghanistan, we feel the East in every crowded street, we breath Asia from across the Bosphorus, and sense the frontiers. The city exudes an indelible cosmopolitan air that gives true meaning to this overused word. It is an Islamic place, there's no mistaking it, but not the Arabian Muslim ethic; another more practical, perhaps more mercantile spirit dwells here.
Food-wise Istanbul ingratiated herself to us. The cuisine is noble and well-established, and being a coastal place, replete with seafood. The Mediterranean has left its strong impression here, but so too has the interior and the intermingling of so many cultures over time: Hungarian, Central Asian, Caucasian, French & Italian, the latter two being at different time cultural models for sultans bent on modernizing their country. Let's not forget that much of the French patisserie tradition passed via Austria direct from the Ottoman Empire.
In Istanbul, buying a rug is
almost obligatory, and though it's a racket, the kilims, sumacs, and carpets
assembled in Istanbul's shops will not disappoint. Kilims are flat-woven rugs
(no pile); carpets have pile; and 
sumacs combine sections of flat-weave and carpet in a
single rug. We spent perhaps too much time rug shopping, trying to learn, to
distinguish qualities, to compare prices. Many places obviously offer tourist
fare, poor quality, intentionally aged, with terrible dye quality. With a
little time and forethought, you can weed out such offerings. Don't be offended
by the rug hawkers constantly trying to grab your attention--simply be polite,
engage in a little conversation, and then tell them you're still thinking and
you'll come back to their shop later.
We stayed at a small hotel with a
wonderful location just off the ancient Hippodrome, and near the Islamic Art
Museum, Blue Mosque and Haggia Sophia. The latter counts among the
architectural treasures of the 
world, and would be worth a trip to Istanbul on its own.
Our hotel, the Ibrahim Pasha, has
teeny-tiny rooms, unless you get the "deluxe" on the 4th floor, which
has a bit more space and a bath tub. The staff are incredibly helpful, the
rooms clean and well-appointed. Breakfast is included, and there's a pleasant
lobby with a fireplace (if you visit in winter as we did, it's a nice touch).
Recommended, but don't expect luxury. Istanbul also has a full selection of
international tourist- and luxury-class hotels, with the Kempinski being
perhaps the best (and most dear). Our strong recommendation, however, would be
to stay in Sultanhammet, the historic center.
For eating, consider the numerous seafood restaurants of Kumkapi, a good choice being Okyanus. Here, you can select from about 20 restaurants next door to one another, all providing fresh seafood and live music. The atmosphere is very pleasant. You might also venture across the highway to the shore of the Marmara Sea, where there are additional restaurants, some with pleasant views.
Balikci Sabahattin gets our best recommendation, in the center of Sultanhammet, with skillfully prepared and presented cuisine in a traditional wooden house of some elegance, all for an excellent price. You can order a six course dinner topped of by a Turkish liqueur for 25 euros. Tel. (0212) 458 18 24.