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
