Istanbul:

*Note*: This article is a personal travel narrative based on my time in Istanbul. While grounded in factual observations, it reflects my unique perspective and experiences.

Introduction

Last August, on our way back from Romania to Madagascar, my family and I stayed a day in Istanbul, one of Turkey’s greatest cities, filled with cultural, historical and culinary richness, and located on two continents, separated by a strait river, the Bosphorus. It was such a beautiful trip, and an enriching experience. I would like to share that with you, so strap your seatbelts, and hold on, we’re going on a trip to Istanbul!

Arrival

It's August 19th, the family just left Romania to go back to Madagascar, where we serve as missionaries. The plane trip is about three hours long; we have one left to go. We are flying over the Black Sea, the full moon shines brightly on the right side of the plane, reflected on the calm waters below. The traveller on the right spots a boat, and then another, and another and again, another! Slowly, but constantly, more and more boats appear on the Black Sea, all filled with yellow lights, giving friendly, magical vibes. Then, Istanbul appears on the horizon – a big city, lit up from one side to the other. Lights everywhere, cars rolling, planes flying, boats celebrating, the city looked more alive than New York, but in an Eastern, civilised and friendly manner, not in an aggressive, chaotic western manner. The plane flew over the city for nearly twenty minutes, when finally, it landed. Istanbul's massive, C-shaped airport buzzed with life as we collected our luggage and cleared customs, finally stepping out to begin our adventure.

The hotel where we stayed sent a car to pick us up at the airport. We checked in, put our luggage aside, and after talking for a little while with the young men working at the reception, we went to sleep. The next morning, we got ready for the adventure: we had summer, comfortable clothes, yet out of decency and respect for the locals and their culture, we, the girls, covered our skin as much as possible. Some of us wore shorts and a t-shirt while others, like me, wore long trousers with a nice, squared shirt. During breakfast, the receptionist taught us Turkish words, and served us Turkish tea! Black Turkish tea (ceai, in Turkish) is like a red-ish, really hot, really strong and highly perfumed black tea. It was delicious!

A road trip…

After breakfast, we headed towards the Bosphorus, in a very elegant and large taxi that the hotel booked for us. The one-hour trip to the Bosphorus was captivating: The buildings lining the roads were a fascinating mix—some ultra-modern with sleek, futuristic designs, others classic or even ancient, blending harmoniously into Istanbul's vibrant cityscape. Some buildings were super modern with complicated shapes and forms, while others were more classic or completely ancient! It was amazing to see how well a futurist-like modern building blended in a landscape with part of the city’s ancient walls from the Byzantine Empire and the Bosphorus right behind it. At some point, we got off the car and headed to the busy streets, looking for the Bosphorus. We got a little lost at some point, but we managed to find our way to the boat. The people were very nice and friendly, and we could ask them for help, even if some of them didn’t know English very well. We arrived just on time, but thankfully, Turkish people don’t work around the same time as the Western Europeans, so we were actually early compared to the time we actually left. :))

… and a boat trip

And so, we embarked on a two-hours journey on the Bosphorus. We crossed it from one side to the other and then back. The Bosphorus is a natural strait canal that links the Mediterranean Sea to the Black Sea. It also cuts the city in two continents. On the left side was Europe and on the right side, Asia, and then the reverse. It was so interesting to see the differences! On the European side, sleek modern architecture dominated, while the Asian side charmed us with its traditional, timeworn structures, showcasing Istanbul’s rich historical tapestry. The religious differences were also very striking. Although Turkey is a Muslim country, as seen by the clothing worn by the locals, and by the number of mosques around the city (there was almost, if not even more, a mosque on every corner) the difference was striking. On the European side, women wore more European clothing, pants, colours, and most did not wear hijabs. On the Asian side however, most women wore a hijab and a black burka. It was really interesting to see.

The sound of calling to prayer was heard everywhere. It was like a united calling, letting everyone know that the city is Muslim, and that visitors have to obey the local rules. We saw the Topkapi Palace, a huge palace, made of a mix of Ottoman architecture mixed with European, medieval architecture. The legends, stories and folklore were seen and heard everywhere. Along with the small rain that came while we were on the boat, the trip created a melancholic setting, that stirred in me an amalgam of thoughts and feelings.

Local culture and people

Despite Istanbul's deep-rooted Islamic traditions, the city's residents were warm, respectful, and welcoming, embracing visitors of all backgrounds. People were really friendly. I wore my necklace, (my cross necklace), over my shirt, and no one had any problem with it. Everyone was still very nice and welcoming.

After the Bosphorus trip was over, we ate at a local restaurant right across the street, and then we made our way to the Grand Bazaar. It was beautiful! A mix of ancient, modern, Eastern and Western cultures, and a whole mix of flavours. Everything was beautifully crafted and hand-made, with complex patterns, showing once again, the patience and intelligence of the Turkish people. They were also really sweet and extremely good at selling. And really friendly and generous. In one of the shops, the gentleman gave us multiple cups of tea for free for us to see if we like them. They were soo good! We had a good time with the gentleman, and I left him two pieces of Malagasy vanilla, as a thank you for his hospitality. I also got a nice silky blue scarf from his scarf shop. They were so detailed!

Our last destination for the day was Hagia Sophia, just a couple of minutes away from the Grand Bazaar. Hagia Sophia is a massive mosque that was once the biggest cathedral in the world. It was a beautiful architectural masterpiece, filled with cultural and historical value, showing Turkey’s important geographical location between Europe, Asia, and the Middle East, as well as the Mediterranean Sea. The history of the mosque reflected the religious history of Turkey from an early polytheism to Christianity to Islam. It was really interesting!

 In the area where Hagia Sophia sits, there was also a large park, around an artificial fountain. On the place, there are three massive mosques, one in front of the other, and sooo many people, and food.  We took some nice pictures in the park, bought Baklava and Turkish Delight, as well as chestnuts. It was so good! We had a good time.

The people were super nice, and friendly. They were really sweet and warm. I truly enjoyed it. And the food was delicious, and very varied. The diversity of the place and the unique mixture of European and Asian, traditional and modern as well as the contrast between historical artefacts and recent technology made Istanbul a truly fairytale destination.

Back to the hotel… and to Madagascar

Afterwards, we bargained really hard with a taxi driver that just wanted to charge us way more than he should have for the ride home. It was really funny, because we actually bargained with him while we were being in his car. Eventually he lowered a bit the price and my Dad accepted to give him more than the price should’ve been. Then, they started talking and having a good time, while in the back, we started to fall asleep one by one. When we got to the hotel, we rested a little, we took a shower, and prepared our hand luggage. Later on, we prepared to go to the airport, where we boarded for Madagascar.

Personal insight

It was a beautiful trip, a lot of adventure and enriching experiences. I really enjoyed it. I also learned some Turkish words! Although some were really hard to remember, some were very similar to Romanian (I might have forgotten to mention, but I come from Romania :). Also, people knew where Romania was! Well, it is kinda normal, as Romania and Turkey have a lot in common, a lot of treaties and a lot of exchanges, and we are geographically close to each other, but still, it was really nice. I think Turkish sounds really good, and the food is surely delicious. And the people are very friendly and kind. Not to mention handsome as well… most Turkish boys are quite handsome, and the girls are gorgeous! My only regret is that the trip was really short, and I didn’t get to interact with the local people more. They have so many things to share with others, and we can learn so much from them! I’m looking forward to visit Turkey again, and I encourage any of you who enjoy travelling, next time you go to Europe, take a couple of days out to visit Istanbul. You will certainly not regret it. And if you have time to take a full week aside, make sure you visit the rest of Turkey as well. It’s a beautiful country, and the visit promises to be full of adventures and breath-taking landscapes. I’m sure you will make plenty of beautiful memories with your loved ones there. :)

Conclusion

Well, that’s it for our trip in Istanbul! Ladies and gentlemen, I hope you enjoyed our brief tour together and that this glimpse into the city inspires your future travels.

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*”Hoşçakal” -> “good-bye” in Turkish