This past October, I ran away from home again. This time, my destination was Turkey, a country that had been on my wish list since before the pandemic. I was scheduled for a 3 ½ week trip with Overseas Adventure Travel, a trip I had already rescheduled at least twice. But I almost backed out at the last minute. The October 7 attack by Hamas terrorists and the subsequent Israeli response made me reconsider. With war in the Middle East, would it be safe to travel, and specifically, to travel as a Jew and an American to a predominantly Muslim country at this point in time? I followed the news, checked the State Department website, and pondered whether I was about to make a reckless decision. Ultimately, a conversation with my Istanbul-based OAT tour leader, Ulaş, assured me that I had no reason to be concerned about my safety.
In the few days between the initial attack and my departure, I was so preoccupied with events in Israel and Gaza that it was hard to focus on preparing and packing for the trip. But once I boarded my Turkish Airlines flight, I was able to concentrate on the upcoming adventure. I’d have a full day on my own in Istanbul before the official start of the OAT program and I had several ideas in mind.
After landing at Istanbul’s beautiful new airport (the largest in the world in a single terminal), I realized that I hadn’t given much thought to what the modern city of Istanbul would look like. I’d taken a class on the medieval Byzantine Empire and I’d done some reading and viewing on Turkey’s history during Ottoman times, but I was extremely uninformed about Turkey today. During the hour-long drive into the heart of the city, I was surprised by the modern highways and the high-rise residential buildings and commercial centers. The city seemed never-ending. I later learned that Istanbul’s population is over 15 million.
As we got closer to the city center, traffic got heavier. The narrow streets in the older part of the city were choked with cars. After driving along the seaside, the driver suddenly turned through an archway in the thick defensive walls and I found myself in front of my home for the next several days, the Armada Old City Hotel.
The hotel was an atmospheric smaller property that evoked the later years of the Ottoman Empire. And, for some reason, there were turtles swimming in a small pool in the lobby.
The hotel also had a wonderful rooftop terrace that was open for dining. Looking out in one direction, I had a view of the Sea of Marmara where there’s non-stop marine traffic. A picturesque mosque (I wasn't sure which one) rose above the rooftops as I looked out in the other direction.
After a couple of hours, exhaustion (and hunger) caught up with me and I found my way back to the hotel’s restaurant. It was a little breezy but I was determined to dine outside on the terrace and soak up the view as the sun was setting. Sampling the local cuisine is one of the greatest pleasures of travel but as a single diner eager to try as many dishes as possible, I always end up over-ordering. I started the meal with an assortment of Turkish böreks. The very tasty fillings of the stuffed pastries included cheese; spinach; and Turkish pastirma (similar to pastrami). I tried to be healthy by ordering a salad topped with grilled salmon as my main course. It was all delicious – and way too much to consume. Regretfully, dessert would have to wait for another occasion.
I recovered my appetite in time for breakfast the next morning. Breakfast buffets are usually my favorite meal of the day. I fortified myself with yogurt, fresh fruit, several different kinds of cheese, a slice of frittata with potatoes and peppers, tomatoes and cucumbers drizzled with olive oil, mini-böreks, simit (a circular bread covered with sesame seeds), and grape molasses. I also acquired my first words of Turkish – yeşil çay(pronounced yeshil chai) – when I asked for green tea.
Shortly after breakfast, I met up with my tour leader, Ulaş (pronounced “Ulash”), and a few other travelers who had also arrived the previous day.
The weather promised to be ideal for sightseeing. The sun was already shining brightly in the clear blue sky and the temperature was forecast to reach the mid-70s. Although our tour wouldn’t officially begin until tomorrow, Ulaş was eager to take us on an orientation walk around the area. About a block from the hotel, he pointed out a nondescript pale green building. Akbıyık Camii, the oldest mosque in Istanbul, dates back to 1453, the year the Ottomans conquered Byzantium.
From there it was an easy uphill walk to the sprawling plaza dominated by Hagia Sophia and the Blue Mosque. Ulaş pointed out the security barrier around the plaza, with entrances monitored by armed guards. The plaza was even more crowded than I expected. Judging from their attire and the languages I heard, I’m sure there were tourists from all over the world. According to Ulaş, many were passengers from the cruise ships that were currently docked in Istanbul.
Along with the tourists were plenty of vendors, selling simits, grilled corn, chestnuts, and, of course, souvenirs.
After walking for a while, we were all ready for lunch. Ulaş guided us to a very crowded and noisy köfte restaurant for some traditional Turkish meatballs and salad. My bill came to about $7.
At nearby Mado (a Turkish chain of ice cream shops), I sampled goat milk ice cream. It didn’t taste particularly “goaty” but the texture was somehow stickier than other ice cream.
Following lunch, I headed to the National Museum of Archaeology along with Fay and John, a couple from California. Ulaş had given us directions and we easily found the building, just a short walk from Hagia Sophia.
The museum’s collection was very impressive and I greatly appreciated the helpful maps, timelines, and explanatory text posted in English as well as in Turkish. Looking at the map reminded me that ancient Greece included much of today’s Turkey. In addition, an Anatolian-Persian style developed during the 200 years of Persian occupation. And of course, at a later time, the Romans were in control of the area for several centuries.
There was an entire room dedicated to 4th-5th century BCE Phoenician marble sarcophaguses (sarcophagi?) from the Royal Necropolis of Sidon, in today’s Lebanon. Traces of brightly colored paint were still evident.
Some of the earliest objects on display in the museum date back to the what historians call the Archaic Period of ancient Greek culture and civilization. These include a 6th century marble relief of a chariot racer.
From the Classical Period, I recall seeing a 5th century BCE funerary stele and 4th century BCE sculpture of a lion’s head.
There were several rooms of sculpture from what is called the Hellenistic Period, which followed the Classical Period. This period lasted for three centuries, beginning with the death of Alexander the Great in 323 BCE and ending with the rise of Emperor Augustus in Rome in 31 BCE. In Hellenistic art, the faces of the figures were much more expressive. This can be seen in the statue of Alexander the Great and the relief of a muse playing an early musical instrument called a cithara.
There was a large collection of sculpture from Roman times, including statues of 2nd century CE emperors Marcus Aurelius and Hadrian.
The cities of Anatolia flourished during the Pax Romana, a 200-year period of peace that began with the rule of Emperor Octavian (Augustus Caesar) in 27 BCE. The city of Ephesus, in particular, rose in importance, becoming the capital of the Roman province of Asia. Many fine examples of art from Ephesus were displayed in the museum, such as the 2nd century CE Head of Aphrodite.
I found it very interesting to learn about the indigenous religion and art of Anatolia. The indigenous agrarian people of the region interacted with ancient Greeks who arrived later and settled on the coast. As a result, a certain mingling of religious traditions and beliefs took place and new cults developed. One of the indigenous goddesses portrayed was Kybele (also spelled Cybele), an Anatolian goddess of fertility.
A couple of hours wasn’t sufficient to see all of the exhibits but that’s about my limit for any museum. Together, the three of us set out to walk back to the hotel, trying to remember the directions Ulaş had given us.
I’m a firm believer in the value of getting lost whenever you’re in a new city. So, thank you to John and Fay for assisting me in getting lost – and then getting un-lost. In the process, we discovered Gulhane Park, a lovely and shady green space adjacent to the Topkapı Palace complex. The park was filled with local families out enjoying the fine weather. We eventually found our way back to the hotel, taking a somewhat circuitous route.
For dinner on my second night in Istanbul, I decided to try Albura Kathisma, a restaurant that Ulaş had recommended. It was located on the way to Hagia Sophia, on a street he referred to as the restaurant street. GT, another member of my OAT group, joined me for dinner.
I started with a smoky eggplant salad, embellished with chunks of tomato. Then I tried a Turkish speciality called manti – described as Turkish ravioli but that doesn’t do it justice. They’re tiny dumplings stuffed with seasoned meat, resting on a bed of tangy, mint-flecked thick yogurt and drizzled with a tomato-y sauce. There was puffy bread and complimentary apple tea (which I later learned is consumed primarily by tourists).
We walked down the restaurant street afterwards, which looked festive with its brightly colored lights.
It was a quick downhill walk back to the hotel (we didn’t get lost!), where I lingered on the roof terrace, looking out at the Blue Mosque, before turning in for the night.
In a little over 24 hours in Istanbul, I’d been captivated by the city, and I could hardly wait to continue my adventure.
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