Istanbul

After just returning from Beirut, my visit to Istanbul seems like a while ago, but it was such a great city, it warrants a post. After finishing the exam for level four, I headed to the airport for a quick two hour flight to Ataturk Airport (Ataturk is everywhere in Turkey, though his picture doesn't frequent public spaces quite as much as the Syrian president). My mom was waiting for me at our hotel when I arrived that night. Our hotel was in the perfect location. We were right behind the Blue Mosque, and could see the Marmara Sea and the Black Sea Strait from both windows.

We stayed in Istanbul for five days, and I really enjoyed just walking around the city with my mom. We visited several amazing mosques (the Blue Mosque, the New Mosque, another smaller mosque behind the Spice Market, and the exterior of Suleiman the Magnificent's mosque [the actual mosque was undergoing major restorations]). We also visited the Hagia Sophia, which is absolutely stunning. The dome is so large - Notre Dame could fit inside as could the Statue of Liberty, if that gives you any reference. First a church built under the instruction of Justinian, then turned mosque, and now a museum, it is really beautiful to explore. We also toured the Topkaci Palace, which was once home to the great sultans of the Ottoman empire. The harem was especially beautiful, with the walls covered in blue floral tiles. The palace has great views of the Golden Horn and the Black Sea Strait. Mom and I also did some shopping at the Grand Bazaar and the Spice Market, sampled turkish delights and baklava off the street (sometimes our only dinner), visited the new city, tried Raki (something we had to do in Turkey, but I won't drink it again... not a fan of licorice), and went to a Whirling Dervish performance.

Istanbul is a fairly western city. There were many tourists (one day we saw an international car rally taking place between the Hagia Sopia and the Blue Mosque). Though a large majority of the population is Muslim, women are not allowed to wear the hijab in public schools or if working for the government. Turkish hijabs are also very different from Syrian ones - they are brightly colored silk, for the most part. Turkish tea is also different - made from two kettles, one stacked on top of the other. The top kettle holds the strongly concentrated tea, and the bottom kettle has boiling water. Both kettles are poured into your tea cup. The ice cream is a very strange consistency - stretchy, if that makes sense. And no hair gel! Or at least not enough to notice.

Istanbul is a beautiful city with a lot to explore.