Weekend Get-Away

Compare this picture of the Blue Mosque with the one I took when Ted and I visited Istanbul in January. There is one obvious difference -- no snowman! This was my next to last weekend in Turkey, and I decided on the spur of the moment to make a trip to Istanbul. I had some very specific items I wanted to bring home and hadn't been able to find in Gaziantep. Also I wanted to check in with my friend and UW classmate Seçil. She teaches in the English Prep program at Bogazici (g is silent and the c is pronounced "ch") University.

I began my journey at 2 AM when our taxi driver picked me up at Askon Residence. On the way to the airport he stopped at an all night bakery and bought me not only a Poacha (a light, eggy roll) still hot from the oven and a small bag of cookies for the journey. Only in Turkey! The plane landed in Istanbul just as the sun came up. I got the shuttle to Taxim Square and found my way from there to my hotel on the other side of the Golden Horn. Ted and I made that trip several times during our stay so I knew where to buy tokens and how to navigate the system. It was nice to be out at that time -- you sort of felt like you had the city to yourself.

However, that didn't last long. I dropped my bags at the hotel and went for breakfast. By time I left the restaurant, the scene had changed dramatically -- the sidewalks and streets were crowded. That's the other major difference between the two Blue Mosque photos -- the big white tour bus. They were everywhere, clogging the streets and disgorging mobs of visitors.

After I finished my shopping I trudged up the the Suleiman the Magnificent mosque. It had been closed for renovation in January, but I thought I remembered reading it would be open in April. On the way there I remembered I wasn't wearing my jacket with a hood and also wasn't carrying the white scarf I usually have with me when I travel. I bought a scarf on the street for 5 TL and proceeded to the mosque -- where I saw other tourists getting out of a taxi. Guess what -- it was still closed. At least I like the scarf I had purchased.

The rest of the afternoon I kind of played tourist myself, visiting the Turkish and Islamic Art Museum, known for its fabulous rug collection, and sauntering up and down Istaklal Street. That evening I met Seçil at a falafal restaurant, and then we bussed down to the waterfront along the Bosporus north of the Golden Horn. We strolled along, nosing around in some shopping streets, looking at boats moored here and there, and generally enjoying the warm evening. We even drank smoothies in a waterfront Starbucks. We then took buses in opposite directions at about 9:30 PM. The road that runs along the water was choked with cars, and I didn't get home until after 11 PM.

The next morning I began my journey by Metro and bus to Seçil's house in Tarabya. It was at the metro stop at 9:30 AM. They trains were so crowded that I couldn't even get on the first one. The second was much better. It, but I squeezed in. It turned out that people were going down to the water, presumably to catch Bosporus tours. I made the switch to the bus at Kabatas very easily and road to the end of the line -- 40 minutes. My friend has a small apartment on the top floor of a five-story building. The reis a big deck with peak-a-boo views of the Bosporus -- quite a hilly spot and lots of trees. Far below her -- directly on the water -- is the little village center of Tarabya. It's an affluent area, as are all the neighborhoods on the Bosporus.

From Tarabya we took the bus back to Bebek, another exclusive Bosporus neighborhood. There we visited Rumeli castle, built by Sultan Mehmet II (the Conqueror) in 1452. It was built on the narrowest part of the Bosporus, and there is a companion castle on the Asian side. Mehmet II is the sultan who finally conquered Constantinople, capital of what remained of the Byzantine Empire.

This is a photo of a hooded crow. They are actually quite common in Turkey, but I still like to look at them. This one actually stood still long enough for me to get a photo.










This is one of the bridges across the Bosporus taken from the Rumeli castle. On the left is the "European" side and on the right the "Asian" side of Turkey.

The castle really is in good repair. I'm certain that reflects a certain amount of restoration work but I'm certain they didn't rebuild it entirely.

After visiting the castle we went to visit the campus of Bogazici (that's Turkish for Bosporus) University campus. It's actually on the top of the hill just behind the castle, but you can't get there directly from the castle.

Bogazici was originally an American college, Roberts College. It's now part of the public university system and the best university in Turkey. Standing in the quad and looking at the buildings makes you think you might be at Middlebury or Williams. It looks so much like a liberal arts college in the northeastern US.

This is Kennedy House. It's a faculty guest house. Apparently I could stay there if I wanted. They also hold small scholarly meetings there.




This is a view of the Bosporus looking southwest, back toward Istanbul, from the Kennedy House lawn. Apparently the lawn is a favorite place for weddings and other special celebrations.

After touring the campus we went to the street that runs along the end, Bogazici's equivalent of the AVE. We had great ice cream sundaes. Then it was time for me to head back to Taxim Square to catch the shuttle to Sabiha Goekcen airport. On the airplane I sat next to a young man who works for Philips Medical in Turkey. He lives quite close to me so gave me a ride home. I was so grateful, as it had been a long weekend and I wasn't feeling like a transportation hassle.
So now I'm into my last week at Zirve -- mostly exams and grading.