being a tourist

Today was my first truly good day. But let me start with yesterday. I’d wanted to go to the historical district yesterday and see the major Istanbul sites, but I had so much trouble sleeping the night before that I let myself sleep in, and by the time I woke up (horrifically late), it wasn’t worth it to go all the way there. I spent most of the day feeling sorry for myself and having tearful conversations with my mom and Jonathan, wailing about why I decided to come here. Later on I pulled myself together, saw a bad American movie (“The Holiday” - not even my 10% rule [bad Hollywood films are 10% better if you see them overseas] could save this one), and tried to stay up late so I could sleep better.

I still had trouble sleeping, but I set my alarm for 11AM and stuck to it. After having breakfast and getting several confusing sets of directions for how to get to Sultanahmet (the neighborhood), I finally just winged it. First I took the Tünel (literally a tunnel tram) to Kadiköy (another neighborhood that I could have walked to but the tunnel was fun) and then an above-ground tram to Sultanahmet. I only made one mistake by taking the tram the wrong direction, but everything was clearly marked so I was fine.

My first stop was the Aya Sofya, a great choice for a first activity. The Aya Sofya started out as an Orthodox Church built by the Byzantines. Later on when the Ottomans conquered Constantinople, they tore down most of the gorgeous mosaic icons (but left a few), built a minaret and turned the church into a mosque. I was amused to compare this unbelievably beautiful building (as well as the other places I saw today) with the Medieval/Renaissance castles in France and Scotland that I’ve seen lately. I can’t help but feel sorry for those plagued, dirty Northern Europeans while people in the Middle East really had it going on.

My next stop was the Basilica Cistern, a cavernous underground room built in the 6^th century filled with columns and shallow water. There were also two eerie carved Medusa heads.

My third stop was the Topkapı Palace, where various sultans lived during the Ottoman Empire. The palace really deserves a full day, which I really didn’t have in me, so I will definitely go back, either tomorrow or the future (when you all visit me). The opulence of this enormous palace, filled with courtyards and gardens and ceremonial rooms (including the “circumcision room”) really cannot be described with words or even pictures. There was room after room filled with collections – clothes, jewels, beautiful tea services donated by Ottoman allies, tiles – and it was really overwhelming. I didn’t even get to the Harem, which was the family’s private residence. Maybe tomorrow!

After having some tea and patlıcan dolma (stuffed eggplant), where I was complimented on my Turkish, I wandered around some more and called it a day. I will probably go back tomorrow (with a camera, I forgot mine today) and see the Blue Mosque.

Oh yeah, also, I had my first 100% Turkish conversation, wherein I bought a hair dryer in a shop nowhere near as expensive as the other one I saw in Beyoğlu . I was very proud of myself.

Finally, I wish Joanna Newsom would come to Istanbul.