Istanbul…. by Isabel Conway
We are in a Cistern (not the modern water storage tank variety!) deep under the streets of old Istanbul. The thick walls and ancient towering stone columns of the 5th Century Binbirdirek Cistern almost vibrate to the music and sensuous routine of the belly dancer.
An exotic looking woman in glittering translucent blue veils, long tresses hiding her face as she moves her body hypnotically across the stage, is mesmerizing her audience with a sultry marathon, exuding wild abandon one moment and total control the next.
Nowhere is the sexy subtle art of belly dancing better practiced than here in Istanbul, last great city of the ancient world and the crossroads between Europe and Asia. And where better to experience it than in the heart of the city’s historic district near to Istanbul’s most famous landmarks, the Blue Mosque and Hagia Sophia.? Our belly dancer “ Asena” is a household name in Turkey, performing abroad for celebrities like Mick Jagger, Tina Turner and at Buckingham Palace . She is also an ex fashion model and a champion kick boxer, we are told, explaining her fabulous shape and enviable stamina.
My day has started with another typically Istanbul experience, a visit to the hamam (Turkish bath) which you will find throughout this huge city of almost 20 million inhabitants. Hamams range from basic neighborhood baths, where you bring your own soap and pray the water supply will not be turned off, to palatial luxurious bath houses, including some true architectural gems.
As hordes of tourists plodded around old city and Sultanahmet – where you will find much of picture postcard Istanbul – I was inside a nearby building, naked under a mountain of soapsuds and laid out on a marble slab in Hurrem Sultan hamam, built in the 16th century for a Sultan’s favorite wife.
The hamam tradition, which can never be rushed – count on two hours or longer to get the most out of it – is all about feeling squeaky clean and totally relaxed. During this multi step ritual, you are assigned an attendant/ masseuse (sections are strictly separated and apparently male hamams can be larger and much grander.) .She pours water of varying temperatures from bronze faucets into embossed bowls and drenches me again and again. Like a bedraggled dog, hair dripping over my face, I am led to a heated marble slap for a vigorous restorative spate of pummeling, scrubbing, soaping and massaging. Gazing up at the high domed decorated ceiling, I fantasized about my epitaph ‘ pummeled to death’ by her muscular masseuse’on my gravestone. The finale is blissful though, wrapped in piles of snowy towels you rest on sun beds, sipping rose hip tea in a hall with marble fountains and intricately carved wooden balconies.
Prepare for an early start as you greet a day crammed with sightseeing and shopping in affordable Istanbul which has become one of Ireland’s most popular city and short breaks destinations recently, thanks to daily flights with Turkish Airlines www.turkishairlines.ie
The amplified strains of the call to prayer, coming from the numerous pencil shaped minarets all over the city and suburbs, prompting the faithful to their prayers, is bound to have you up and on the move at the crack of dawn. One of the delights of getting up just after the birds have competed with the muezzins to call the faithful to prayer is that amazing view of the water which is everywhere, boats of all shapes and sizes plying the Bosphorus on their voyage between Europe and Asia.
That essential early start usually involves sampling a typical Turkish breakfast feast to set you up for all that sightseeing and fortify you for all that inevitable retail therapy along the way. Pass on the boring cornflakes and processed tubs of yogurt laid out as a benign sop to us Irish and go native, either in your hotel or a neighboring cafeteria. A proper breakfast here includes tangy sheeps milk cheese, healthy pure natural yoghurt, fulsome tomatoes, luscious fruits, plump olives, a variety of jams, freshly baked breads, pastries and a lot more. You will be offered instant coffee and cappuccino but stand your spoon in the cup Turkish coffee is a delicious energy boost
In days gone by travelers, drawn by Istanbul’s classical wonders, would arrive in style aboard the Orient Express . They included Agatha Christie who plotted Murder on the Orient Express while staying at the elegant Pera Palace hotel www.perapalace.com overlooking the Golden Horn, in its day the city’s most luxurious hotel and now re-opened after a multi million € facelift well worth a visit to sample its fabulous afternoon tea and the wonderful elegant interior and views.
What to See:
* The three biggest jewels in the crown‘ are all close together: Hagia Sophia – one of the world’s most important ancient buildings -, The Blue Mosque and the Topkapi Palace museum . My favorite was the Topkapi Palace with all its pavilions, courtyards and gardens, the epi centre of the Ottoman empire for over 400 years. Look out for the find of all time, the 86 carat Spoonmaker’s diamond said to have been bought from a ignorant scrap merchant for just three spoons in the 17th century and the Topkapi dagger, encrusted with emeralds the size of duck eggs and other precious stones.But beware of friendly ‘free’ guides as you wander around as they usually have a relative or sidekick with a nearby carpet shop where you may unwittingly find yourself trapped beneath a mountain of rugs.
* Be sure to admire the city from the water, taking a cheap public ferry from Eminonu to the Kadikoy district full of cafes and authentic restaurants on the city’s Asian side or an excursion by boat along the Bosphorus strait to the Princes Islands . No cars are allowed and horse and carriage or rental bikes are the modes of travel. A great way of getting your city bearings is by taking a two hour cruise from Kabatas to enjoy the many faces of Istanbul from the water.
* Splurge out (it will cost around €50-60) and sample a Turkish bath (Hamam) to sooth the mind and body in a multi step ritual involving copious amounts of warm and cold water, steam and soaping down.
* The Shopping
The Grand Bazaar, as old as the Muslim conquest of Constantinople is a vast labyrinth of domed and vaulted passageways lined with thousands of booth like shops festooned with jewelry, traditional handicrafts, fancy lamps and textiles, souvenirs, carpets and leather. Check out the 17th century nearby Spice Market for culinary spices and heavenly Turkish delight and pick up packages of mixed spices that will do wonders for your cooking back home.
* The Food
Appetizing freshly made hot and cold meat, fish and veggie dishes and flavorsome salads – a whole plateful for about €7 – fill the windows of cafeteria like eateries found everywhere.
*The nightlife.
Make your way to Beyoglu, and sample a local apple flavoured Yasak Elma cocktail at a rooftop bar with stunning views over the city – currently in are X bar, Mikla and Leb-I Derya, then wander the streets of Nevizade Sokaks and around Sofyali for restaurants that stay open late.
Afterwards you can chill out, before serious nightclubbing with a glass of tea and some apple scented tobacco at one of the water pipe cafes at Tophane.
This is where locals indulge in the art of keyif (quiet relaxation) and they swear by its restorative powers….rather like the hamam but you keep your clothes on.!
* Flights and packages:
Turkish Airlines www.turkishairlines.com Flights daily ex Dublin to Istanbul. Wings Abroad www.wingsabroad.ie the Turkish holiday specialists (call +353-01-8719444) have a range of city breaks, including flights and hotels on a b and b basis from Euros 452pp for three nights close to historic sites in great locations, including renovated Ottoman mansion accommodation.
* Where to stay:
The Seres Hotel www.wings abroad.ie a reasonably priced friendly boutique hotel in the historic Sultanahmet district with fabulous views from its rooftop restaurant over the Bosphorus. The Elite World Hotel www.eliteworldhotels.com.tr is near to Taksim Square and Istiklal Caddesi, the heart of the young city’s shopping, restaurants and nightlife. The hotel’s facilities include a magnificent basement Byzantine spa and indoor pool.
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