Michael Powell's Blog, page 113
June 11, 2013
Eyüp: At the End of the Golden Horn
Found outside the old city walls at the end of the Golden Horn, the neighborhood of Eyüp is one of the most sacred spots in the Islamic world.
The best way to get to Eyüp is aboard the Haliç (Golden Horn) ferry which leaves from Eminönu. But as luck would have it, water traffic was closed on the Saturday morning that we had chosen on our visit, after heavy fog had caused a ferry collision. So we were forced to reach Eyüp by bus… providing a lesson that we’ll now impart to you: if you have to t...
Dolmabahçe Palace on Labor Day
The irony wasn’t completely lost on us. Visiting Dolmabahçe Palace, a symbol of preposterous wealth and privilege, while just outside workers were marching in Istanbul’s infamous Labor Day protests. “What’s that smell?” I whispered to Jürgen, while admiring a carpet with more square footage than any apartment I’ve ever lived in. “Tear gas”, he said, his eyes starting to well up. “Amazing carpet, though.”
Labor Day is a big deal in Istanbul, with a history marred by violence. The march in 1977,...
Whirling Dervishes at the Galata Mevlevihanesi
With their heads slightly tilted, arms raised in exaltation and spinning in graceful circles, the whirling sufi dervishes are among the most enduring images of Turkey. Istanbul boasts a number of places in which to catch a ceremony, but we chose to attend the twice-monthly performance in the Galata Mevlevihanesi; the city’s oldest tekke.
Before the sema ceremony, I wasn’t sure what to expect apart from men in tall hats spinning slowly. And as it turns out… these expectations were spot-on. The...
June 10, 2013
Forza Beşiktaş!
As in most other European cities, soccer is king in Istanbul. But unlike most other cities, Istanbul is home to not one, not two, but three major teams. Galatasaray is currently the top dog, champions of the 2012/13 season and the league’s most accomplished side internationally. Fenerbahçe is the wealthiest and has the biggest stadium. But we chose to throw our support behind Beşiktaş.
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There are a few reasons we were drawn to Beşiktaş. Its supporters are known to be left-wing and working-class...
The Hans of the Grand Bazaar
The Grand Bazaar is really a city unto itself. The main thoroughfares are where you’ll find the most popular shops and restaurants, but just like any city, the coolest spots are tucked away in its less-visited corners.
In days past, the hans of Istanbul functioned as inns; places for traveling merchants to rest and do business. Most frequently, the hans consisted of courtyards with a fountain for washing, and a kitchen or tea house. The Grand Bazaar, naturally, was a major hub for merchants, s...
June 9, 2013
Haydarpaşa and the Crimean War Cemetery
Even more “orient” than the Orient Express, the Baghdad Railway connected Ottoman Baghdad to Istanbul. The western terminus was the massive Haydarpaşa Station, and it’s still one of the busiest train stations in Turkey. We spent a day in Haydarpaşa, exploring the neighborhood and its most prominent building.
Completed in 1910, Haydarpaşa Station was designed in an ostentatious neo-classical style by Prussian engineers, at the behest of Kaiser Wilhelm II. The Germans were big sponsors of the st...
Lost in the Grand Bazaar
With over three thousand stores in which to lose your money and 61 streets in which to lose your way, Istanbul’s Grand Bazaar is unlike any place I’ve ever been. It’s one of the world’s largest covered markets, and a visit is guaranteed to be exhilarating, frustrating and, above all, disorienting.
Casinos in the US are renowned for their intentionally disorienting designs. Mazes of slot machines, blinking lights, a lack of windows and landmarks, and even the carpet patterns all combine to make...
June 8, 2013
The Formidable Facial Hair of the Turks
Although the glory days of the Turkish mustache might have exited with the Ottomans, Istanbul is still a Mecca of facial hair. Turkish men have the innate ability to grow a lustrous mustache, and most emerge from the womb with a thick baby-stache already plastered across their upper lip. That, my friend, is a fact.
In the USA, mustaches are a trend that comes and goes. They were standard in the late 1800s and enjoyed a resurgence in the ’70s and ’80s. Magnum PI, anyone? Ravishing Rick Rude? An...
June 7, 2013
The Jewish Museum and Kamondo Steps
Under the Ottoman Empire, Istanbul was one of the world’s great ethnic smorgasbords. Greek, Armenian, Albanian and Turk all got along relatively well and lived peaceably, if not equally, under Ottoman law. So it shouldn’t be to surprising to learn that Jews fleeing persecution in Europe found a permanent home in here, and have long formed an important part of the city’s cultural fabric.
The Ottoman Empire wasn’t only one of the world’s greatest powers, but also one of its most tolerant. More o...
June 6, 2013
Karaköy
Found around the northern end of the Galata Bridge, the traditionally rough neighborhood of Karaköy is mainly visited for the purpose of transiting to other, more desirable areas. But with some nice places to eat and a boisterous local atmosphere, there’s good reason to spend some time here.
Karaköy welcomes visitors who are (a) arriving by ferry, (b) arriving by tram, (c) exiting the Tünel funicular, and (d) walking over the Galata Bridge. And so its normal state of being is commuter chaos, w...
