Turkey 2015 | Gary J. Kirkpatrick Art and Travel Blog

Istanbul, where the Middle East meets the West

07/07/202419/04/2022 by Gary Kirkpatrick

April, 2022

As you may have noted from my previous post, I am in France not Turkey. However I have a special correspondent in Turkey at this very moment. I have adapted her notes and used her photos.

Istanbul was once called Constantinople for the Roman Emperor who did much to open the door to Christianity. His conversion came in 312 C.E. In 313 he helped create the Edict of Milan, which declared tolerance for all faiths. However it was Theodocius 379-95 who in effect made Christianity the official state religion, according to Professor Bart Ehrman https://ehrmanblog.org/constantine-and-the-christian-faith-my-fourth-smithsonian-lecture/

Yet today the city Constantinople, renamed Istanbul in the 1920’s, is swarming with Muslim tourists in a predominantly Muslim country. That change is the story of the Ottoman Empire’s conquest of the Byzantine Empire, the eastern part of the Roman Empire.

It’s Ramadan and everyone is on holiday. Working during Ramadan is difficult. Take restaurant workers. They are around food all day. In busy restaurants they are constantly on the move. One worker, when she heard the early evening call to prayer said, “Oh, thank goodness! Now I can eat.”

Although many do fast as required during Ramadan, it is pretty clear that the Turks are not generally fundamentalists. In Istanbul most of the fancier restaurants serve alcohol. In one restaurant a waiter said it was illegal to be seen serving alcohol. They moved us away from the window. He said the other diners would not appreciate anyone drinking wine until sundown, when at least they could eat. However they were already eating. Maybe they thought that if they could not see the sun from their seat it was the equivalent to the sun setting. Or maybe they were just ignoring the rules, not having to worry about enforcement. No Taliban here. You do see women in full burka, but it seems to be a very small number. Yet Turks treat Western women respectfully and kindly, and even will joke around.

We visited the Tokapi Palace, one of the most sumptuous palaces on earth. You can visit many of the Sultan’s chambers, including the harem’s quarters. The kitchen, too, is now open for visits.

Coffee pot in the Topaki museum — Coffee pot

Coffee drinking was quite an important part of palace life. It was well established by the 17th century. It was served with sherbet and sweetmeats. There were numerous rooms dedicated to its consumption. Official visitors were served in special settings.

This coffee pot, you will notice, has a filter on it. It appears to work like a French press. You put the coffee in, add the hot water, allow the coffee to brew, and then slowing plunge the filter to remove the coffee grinds. This is notably not how coffee is served in Turkey, except in more Westernized cafes, where it can be much like anything you would get in, say, Europe. Turkish coffee is brewed in a special pot, frothed and then poured into the tiny cup in which it is served, transferring some of the grinds. The grinds settle to the bottom, so you don’t get too many of them in your mouth and none if you are careful. I dislike the flavor immensely as it is sometimes flavored with cardamom, mastic, salep or ambergris- I have no idea what the last three items are but maybe a reader will enlighten me. Per the exhibit, Turks have their own way of roasting the coffee, so perhaps this has something to do with its unique flavor.

Here are some items from the excavation of Troy, also in the Topaki Palace:

WhatsApp Image 2022-04-17 at 10.00.10 AM — From the excavations of Troy

For much more on this fascinating city, see my posts here https://garyjkirkpatrick.com /category/blog/turkey-2015/

Hagia Sophia (circa 550), one of the world’s greatest buildings

07/07/202418/10/2015 by Gary Kirkpatrick

September 20 2015 Istanbul

Hagia Sophia miniature (4" x 6") acrylics on postcard stock — Hagia Sophia miniature (4″ x 6″) acrylics on postcard stock

The Hagia (Holy) Sophia (Wisdom) is a stunning domed building built as a Greek Orthodox cathedral in 537 when Istanbul, then called Constantinople, was the capital of the Eastern Roman Empire(also known as the Byzantine Empire). Between 1204 and 1261 it was a Roman Catholic cathedral. Following the conquering of the Empire by the Ottomans in 1453, the Hagia Sofia became a mosque. In 1931 it was closed and then converted into a museum, which it is still. The minarets and round domes give it an Islamic setting, and some of the interior maintains that influence as well. Nonetheless it is an impressive structure, notably the dome, and for 1000 years it was the largest cathedral in the world, replaced in 1520 by the Cathedral in Seville.

Here are some stock photos of the interior. It is way too dark and large for me to get good photos. These are mosaics!

Istanbul Modern is another pleasant surprise

07/07/202418/10/2015 by Gary Kirkpatrick

The Istanbul Modern is another pleasant surprise in a city full of them. The artists on exhibit when I visited yesterday were mostly Turkish, some trained here and others in the US and I think one or two in Germany. Most of the work is representational but very creative in a modernist sort of way, as you can from the photos I’ve placed below.

The installations made sense- how unusual- and were interesting as well- also unusual. One was a young man playing make-shift drums, another various people lip synching Cohen’s ‘Hallelujah.’ Behind thick sets of hanging strands of fabric hangs a geographical globe with stars and planets on the walls, while in another section is a political globe. In a third room a face of a woman is projected onto a mannequin. She is singing.

Not so pleasant is the getting there. There are large signs and even an arrow pointing tot the enntrance. The large signs do not point anywhere except for the one with the arrow, which points down a lonely, shabby alley. I walked past it thinking this could not be. But it was.

The location challenge came after I ran across an angry confrontation a few hundred meters from the entrance. There was angry shouting and a man banging hard on the hood of a van. There was pushing and shoving. The police arrived. I heard four bangs, someone with a notepad came running toward me. I then turned around and scooted back a hundred meters, and crossed the street. A security guard told me it was not gun shots, just more banging on the van I suppose, so I went on. Traffic had piled up between me and the scene so I felt reasonably safe.

Here are some of the pieces I found interesting. The first is fabric sewed onto canvas, probably my favorite, which given I am not a fabric art fan in general, is a strong endorsement:

Ferry up the Bosphorous

07/07/202412/10/2015 by Gary Kirkpatrick

September 18, 2015

We took the ferry north on the Bosphorous today. The busy waterway connecting the Mediteranean with the Black Sea is lined with many palaces and houses. The constant breeze you get on shore is amplified as we head into it, keeping the boat cool in the warm sun.

The Grand Bazaar, Istanbil

07/07/202412/10/2015 by Gary Kirkpatrick

September 22, 2015

The Grand Bazaar, also called ‘Covered Bazaar’ in Turkish is one of the world’s largest and oldest covered markets in the world. There are 61 covered streets and over 3,000 shops. About 90 million enter the halls every year, the world’s most visited place (http://www.travelandleisure.com/slideshows/worlds-most-visited-tourist-attractions/2)

We came on a slow day, fortunately. The place is overwhelming just in terms of the sheer number of shops. Much of it you could buy anywhere, probably most of it. I have no idea if the deals are good. Just being there again was enough for me.

Galata Bridge, teeming with aromas, sounds and sights

07/07/202412/10/2015 by Gary Kirkpatrick

September 24, 2015

At the Galata Bridge it’s always lively. So many sights and aromas, thousands of people, ferries, trams, cars, scooters. Western dress, some women wearing scarves with western dress, in tradition attire. No hijabs today. Small groups of teen boys, few of teen girls.

Below, a small boat serves as a kitchen. They make fish sandwhiches and pass them to the land. The bones go in the water (not a good idea, as the decomposition removed the oxygen from the water)

This is a great place to people watch.

Religion in Turkey

07/07/202412/10/2015 by Gary Kirkpatrick

Walking around Istanbul I began to get the impressions that there was not a high degree of religiosity. There are some women in ha-jib, but a small percentage; otherwise it’s just head scarves if not just plain western dress. Despite the dominance of the skyline in some areas by minarets and the very loud andcalls to prayer five times a day from more than one mosque at the same time, I did not observe an influx of people heading to the mosques.

I was surprised, given the success of the AKP, an Islamic party although officially secular as the law prohibits religious parties. Even the AKP is pro-Western and pro-American. However they support the Muslim Brotherhood and have been behind efforts to allow women to wear scarves in the public schools- prohibited since the time of Ataturk.

Gallup’s 2012 survey supports my impression: 23% of Turks are religious, 73% are irreligious and 2% are Atheists (not sure what happened to the other 2%). By ‘irreligious’ I mean that religion is not important to these people but they are not (at least openly) convinced atheists. I think Gallup and others mean by ‘atheist’ that you are certain there are no deities. Atheists do not all assert this, but rather that say that the evidence for deities is absent and that condition is unlikely to ever change.

The 75%/23% is a far greater spread than one might expect given that some 95% of the population is officially Muslim. I learned that they are registered as Muslim at birth, and must be so registered, unless their parents can show they have another religion. This is an intrusion into one’s personal affairs we do not tolerate in the rest of the western world (although there are intrusions, they are of a different sort).

I do not have a sense of where Turkey is headed. The continued success of the AKP is worrisome- they have been in power since the early part of this century.

Istanbul’s Pleasant Surprises

07/07/202412/10/2015 by Gary Kirkpatrick

Istanbul’s Pleasant Surprises

Topkopi Palace, miniature (4" x 6") acrylics on postcard stock — Topkopi Palace, miniature (4″ x 6″) acrylics on postcard stock

October 1, 2015

Our two weeks in Turkey was filled with surprises. I wasn’t so surprised by the Hagia Sophia, built around 550 on same site as two previous churches- my rendition below (on postcard stock). But I was by how un-religious the people are. There are five calls to prayer per day- and they are loud and difficult to ignore. But there’s hardly a rush to the Mosque. I did a bit of research on the topic (blog entry ‘Religion in Turkey).

Another surprise was the cuisine. It is very complex, sophisticated and exquisite. The pastries! I was stunned. Now the coffee, you can have it. Stick to the tea.

The other pleasant surprise – Istanbul Modern. I’ve posted here some photos. Their modern art collection is excellent, not so far out it makes no sense, but experimental enough to hold your attention.

The other pleasant surprise – Istanbul Modern. I’ve posted some photos in another entry. Their modern art collection is excellent, not so far out it makes no sense, but experimental enough to hold your attention.

On the less surprising but very pleasant side of things, The Bosphorus, the strait that divides Turkey between the “European” side and the “Asian” side, is always busy with ferries and ships, making a lovely backdrop for countless numbers, for the city is built on hills.

The main sites include the Blue Mosque and the Hagia Sophia. The former is not all that impressive, other than its size and airy feeling, unless you are a fan of their mosaics. They can be beautiful but they seemed overwhelmed by the size of the place. The Hagia is much more interesting not only for the structure but also the lovely (and sufficiently large) mosaics. You’d be surprised by its age and beauty, but I’d been there before. Here’s my rendition:

Being unrestricted by Islamic rules governing art, they can show the human figure. It’s well worn themes, but some are beautifully executed. I was not so surprised as a bit more appreciative than the last time, not that I fell asleep in here then.

I visited the Archaeological Museum, near the Topkapi Palace (it too, but it was so crowded we left before seeing very much of it, although the view alone is almost worth it). I had no idea that there would be some excellent Roman era sculptures, notably Alexander the Great and Sappho. I felt honored to be able to stand and sketch them in my little notebook.

There is an excellent overview of the history of the city, to the dawn of its history, its establishment as the capitol of the Eastern (Byzantine) Empire by Constantine, its sacking by the Crusaders (they thought it was a Muslim city, but it was Christian at that time), and its conquest by the Ottoman Turks. The explanations are in excellent English, here and in fact everywhere we went in Istanbul (a very pleasant surprise). This museum is worth another visit as I did not finish this section and there are two more buildings.

With more time I would try to visit more of the palaces and archaeological sites I learned about at the museum. The palaces you can see along the Bosphorus are both immense and stunningly beautiful (at least from outside).

The old wall is largely gone, but here’s a rendition of it.

Istanbul's old walls — Istanbul’s old walls

If you’ve never visited, I suggest you put this city, nay, country (i’ve been elsewhere and it’s fabulous in differing ways) on your list.

The Cuisine of Istanbul

07/07/202406/10/2015 by Gary Kirkpatrick

September 2015

We ate out for every meal other than some breakfasts while in Istanbul. We went to three high class restaurants, others that were very good even excellent but the cuisine was not so fancy and the surroundings often less so. I also had kebabs from fast food places. I think I got a good sample of what Turkish cuisine or at least the Istanbul version has to offer.

The cuisine of Istanbul is largely influenced by that of the Ottoman Empire, generally subtly spiced, with more rice than bulgar, although I experienced the opposite. You can get lots of veggie stews (türlü). There are many versions with eggplant. Also there are various meat dishes featuring eggplant, which obviously the Turks really love so right there they had me. I had an eggplant stuffed with meat and others with bits of meat in a stew.

Savoy is a fancy place up the hill from us – very up the hill. Like many places, it was as much outdoor seating as indoor, the walls removed to allow unfettered access to the cool night air. They offered sea bass and a variety of other fish, all excellently prepared. One of us had a sea bass. They had a special on blue fish, which I ordered. It came as several smaller fishes, grilled, with a nice smoky flavor.

In a place owned by a Kurdish family and many of them work there, including the parents, most of the nine brothers, but not the two teen girls. It is not far from Hagia Sophia on a restaurant row. I ordered a meat stew. It came out atop a charcoal burning container. It was boiling when they sat it down. They had to remove the charcoal under the dish so I could approach things without getting burned. It was totally fabulous. I can not begin to describe the subtle blend of flavors. It might have been a Kurdish dish. It looked something like this:

We had lunch with Debbie and Kelly, whom we met in Panama. We were all in the Peace Corps. I hope they will share their memories of this lunch.

Appetizers, called mezes when accompanying an alcoholic beverage, are the best part of any meal. On one of the three fance places we visited, up the hill towards a nice selection ran as $40 including wine at $7 a glass, by far the most expensive spot we chose on this trip. It is up the hill towards the Savoy and across the street from a small stand selling tacos. Tacos?

Mezes include hummus, baba ganoush, yogurt sauces, dolams and a few other common things you can get in many places in the US and Europe. Not so easy to find in the West: a tomato/cilantro combo that’s a bit spicy, white goat cheeses, various other eggplant dishes with or without tomatoes. The possibilities are extensive.

Wine is generally expensive in Turkey. The bottle at Savoy ran about $25. Beer was generally inexpensive.

Olive oil is most commonly used in cooking. There are a variety of olives available in the grocery stores.

Kepap /kepabs are everywhere. You can get them in pita bread or a baguette of some sort. They have chicken as well as ‘duram’ (wrap) kepaps. I did not have any that were worth writing home about. Unlike what I have had elsewhere, these were plain, lacking sauce, lettuce, or tomato. They were less than $2 (4 lire). Kebaps as in shish kebaps are another matter. Skewered meat, always succulent and super tender, they came with veggies and rice or bulgar. I never went wrong with one of those.

Our favorite place was just up the street steeply from us. It was run by a couple of guys and someone’s mom, who mostly just sat there sternly. We sat outside on a level spot they’d hacked out, inside a small wall separating us from the sidewalk. They have a wood burning oven. After you order they put in some bread. It’s huge, impressive both in appearance and texture.

Wine is generally expensive in Turkey. The bottle at Savoy ran about $25. Beer was generally inexpensive.

Olive oil is most commonly used in cooking. There are a variety of olives available in the grocery stores.

They have a wood burning oven. After you order they put in some bread. It’s huge, impressive both in appearance and texture.

They serve up a pide that is out of this world! Reminds me of a pizza, but never a tomato sauce on one of these. They come with cheese or meat, usually with veggies on top too.

Turkish pizza is a rather limited affair but certainly you can’t go wrong. It’s a light and inexpensive meal.

We went down the hill for breakfast several times. There’s a small place that sits below ground level, as did the one up the street; I wonder how they keep the water out when it rains. Three steps down and you’re in this modest restaurant run by two women.

A Turkish breakfast consists of white cheese (probably goat), olives, bread, hard boiled egg, tomato, cucumber, and bread. Tea is typical and probably included in the modest price. I always got the coffee, not being a tea fan. It was the only thing I tried that I did not like very much. I am not talking just about Turkish coffee (here’s a photo I took in the restaurant):

They certainly do not skimp on the coffee grounds- that’s a toothpick you see standing up! As you see here they brew it in the cup. The ground sink to the bottom so you never get any in your mouth as long as you are reasonably careful. You can add sugar or mils and stir. The grounds are gone in a few seconds.

You can order scrambled eggs and omelettes. Breakfast here did not cost more than $3 or so, and always very good. Here’s another item you can order for breakfast. My pals really liked it at this place: