THE SPELL OF ISTANBUL AND THE MAGIC OF BOSPORUS

 

 

Istambul not like Paris or Rome or Prague, where elegance and grandeur pour out of every side street and sprawling square. Istanbul’s beauty is nuanced and complex, and it reveals itself slowly, day by day, layer by layer. But Istanbul has the Bosphorus (or Bosporus) which will remain the envy of all cities.

Before Istanbul grew into the cosmopolitan city it is today, it was conquered, fought over, and rebuilt many times. It was Byzas the Megarian who named the city Byzantine in 700 BC, and until 300 BC a small colony of Greeks inhabited the area. For the next 1,000 years, Byzantine thrived as a trading and commercial center, which caught the eye of the Roman Empire who conquered the area in 193 AD continuing to use it as a trading hub. When Roman Emperor Constantine left Rome in the 4^th Century, he deemed Istanbul as the new capital.

History

With its seven hills, control of the Bosphorus, and easy access to the Golden Horn harbor, the city was a prime example of strategic advantage. As the empire’s new capital, it was re-organized and widened, while new temples, official buildings, palaces, hamams, and the hippodrome were built. In 330 AD, the city was declared the Eastern Roman Empire’s capital and renamed Constantinople with an official ceremony. Constantinople remained the capital for many centuries and enjoyed a golden age in the 6^th Century under Emperor Justinyen.

After several attacks, including the Arabs in the 7^th and 8^th Centuries and the Bulgars in the 9^th and 10^th Centuries, the capital fell to the Crusaders in 1204 who destroyed and raided it for many years. Even though the Byzantine Empire regained control of Constantinople by 1261, it never reached its former glory and in 1453, after a 53-day siege, the Turks conquered the city and renamed it Istanbul, capital of the Ottoman Empire. Under Ottoman rule, the city saw a rise in population with Greek, Armenian, and Jewish immigrants enjoying religious freedom and social rights. Out of all the Ottoman leaders, it was Süleyman the Magnificent (1520-66) whose military conquests brought wealth to Istanbul.

Following the death of Süleyman, the empire began to decline, losing territory to the West in the 18^th Century, and being occupied by allied troops after the end of WWI. It was with the leadership of prominent commander and war hero Mustafa Kemal Atatürk that a four-year War of Independence resulted in the establishment of the Republic of Turkey in 1923. When the capital was moved to Ankara, Istanbul remained a commercial and cultural center with its remaining historic sites left to tell the story of its exuberant past.

The Bosporus

The Bosporus is the world’s narrowest strait used for international navigation. The Bosporus connects the Black Sea with the Sea of Marmara, and, by extension via the Dardanelles, the Aegean and Mediterranean seas, and by the Kerch Strait, the sea of Azov. The Bosphorus strait is one of the world’s important maritime routes for the transportation of oil from the Caspian Sea region and Russia to regions including Asia, Western and Southern Europe.

It’s where Europe comes down to meet Asia, the heart of multiple civilizations. The Bosphorus strait draws the city of Istanbul together, connecting its European side to its Asian half with chameleon blue strokes. And while the iconic body of water has featured in more movies, songs and Instagram accounts than can be counted, the economic and strategic importance of the Bosphorus will always rival its cultural impact. 

 

The Bosporus strait has played a major role in world trade for centuries. About 48,000 vessels transit the straits each year, making this area one of the world’s busiest maritime gateways. The strait is 30 kilometers (19 miles) long with the maximum width being 3.7 kilometres (2.3 miles) at the northern entrance and minimum width 750 metres (2,450 feet) between two Ottoman-era forts, Rumeli and Anadoluhisari. The depth ranges from 36.5 metres to 124 metres (120 to 408 feet) midstream.

The Bosporus is one of the world’s most important chokepoints for the maritime transit of oil. Over 3 percent of global supply or 3 million barrels per day, mainly from Russia and the Caspian Sea, passes through the waterway. The route also ships vast amounts of grains from Russia, Ukraine and Kazakhstan to world markets.

It is also a two-way passage for sea life. It acts as an ecological tunnel between the Mediterranean and Black sea. Fish pass through the strait in order to feed on the rich nutritious waters of the Black Sea. This in turn makes the Bosporus Strait one of the most dynamic regions in the world for fishing.

Three bridges have been built across the strait with the first being the Bosphorus Bridge completed in 1973. The bridge was renamed ‘July 15^th Martyrs’ bridge after 34 civilians were killed by putschists during the 2016 coup attempt.

The locals and the Bosporus

Many Istanbulites take the Bosporus for granted, continent-hopping by passenger ferries daily to get to work, school or to conduct their daily affairs. But the ferries of the strait are special; they host the daily commuters with the spirit of Turkish hospitality. People on the ferries can find buskers and other performing artists hoping to earn some money while trying to make the cross-continental jaunt a little more pleasant.

The Bosphorus is always one of the most popular areas of Istanbul for its inhabitants, especially during hot summer days. If you will take a cruise along its shores, you will observe Ottoman palaces, old wooden villas, fortresses and fine arvelousoods. I am always fascinated by the nostalgic wooden mansions and imagine the stories behind them. Years ago they were inhabited by poets and high ranking officers. Now they belong to the wealthy or inherited from generation to generation. Some of them are also the most expensive houses in the world.

Two sporting events

The iconic Bosporus Cross-Continental Swim is a very popular event on the city’s colander. The strait in Istanbul comes to a standstill as thousands of swimmers cross from Asia to Europe in the world’s only intercontinental swimming race. As swimmers take over the Bosphorus waters and one of the busiest shipping lanes in the world is temporarily closed to traffic. The course is 6.5 kilometres (4.3 miles), the water is fast, clear and furious with a major current making the swim challenging.

The Istanbul Marathon is the only marathon in the world to be done across two continents. Runners start the race by crossing the July 15 Martyr’s Bridge giving the participants a arvelous view of the Bosphorus. The route passes many historic and iconic sites such as the Blue Mosque and Hagia Sophia and ends in Sultanahmet in the European part. All in all the race crosses three bridges, one in the Bosphorus and two over the Golden Horn.

The mythology

The name Bosporus comes from a Thracian word meaning “passage of the cow.” The name is derived from the legend of Io who was one the many lovers of the Greek god Zeus. Hera, the wife of Zeus, became suspicious and came down from Mount Olympus to see what her husband was up to. The name is derived from the legend of Io who was one the many lovers of the Greek god Zeus. Zeus in haste to hide his affair changed Io’s form to a white cow. Hera saw right through the ruse and asked to keep Io as a present, to which Zeus agreed. She had Arges, a Cyclops, watch over it, but Io got free eventually. So Hera sent flies to sting and bother Io for all time, this pushed her to madness and trying to escape, she travelled the world!

Istanbul and Bosporus a true double delight

While Istanbul is beautiful every hour of each day, the best time to see the real beauty of it is during sunset and sunrise. With its amazing silhouette, Istanbul makes both visitors and residents fall in love with the city. 

 

The city can take you back centuries with its landmarks, including Galata Tower, Maiden’s Tower, Haghia Sophia and the mosques that rise to the sky. Even when you are stuck in a traffic jam while crossing the bridge from Europe to Asia and feel completely overwhelmed, seeing the Istanbul skyline over the bridge can make you forget all the negative effects of Istanbul as a metropolis. Sunset in this city is divine. From cotton candy clouds to drama queen shades, each day ends in different colours.  

Salacak

Salacak is a perfect spot hidden away in the Üsküdar district on the Asian side. Salacak is where Maiden’s Tower salutes Istanbulites every day. The closest destination to the tower is tea houses located on the shore. All the colours of nature, from yellow to pink, give a visual feast to visitors during each sunset. Looking to the historic peninsula right behind the Maiden’s Tower, a perfect Istanbul silhouette can be seen complete clearly when the sun bids farewell behind one of the seven hills of Istanbul. If you are on holiday in Istanbul, there is a good chance you saw a photograph of the sun setting behind the Maiden’s Tower before you arrived. Yes, the photos can be stunning, but the sunset view from Salacak is more beautiful and mesmerizing that it is in the photos. The best place to see the sunset over the tower is Büfe Taner since it is located exactly in front of the tower. 

 

Camlica hill

Istanbul’s seven hills are known for their magnificent beauty. Among the hills, Çamlıca is the tallest one. If you would like to watch an incredible sunset view in the city, Çamlıca hill is a perfect spot. Including views of the Prince’s Islands, Sultanahmet Mosque, Süleymaniye Mosque, Ortaköy, Çamlıca Hill offers a host of landmarks for you to watch adorn the sunset. 

Foodie’s delight

 

If you love traversing the city for hours, walking down the streets and hopping on to local transports like the locals, which is my style, then you can never miss gorging on everything from Simit to Borek Manti while enjoying Istanbul. The locals directed us to an outdoor patio at a cafe next to the Bosphorus. These guys specialized in slices of syrup-soaked baklava served with a tulip-shaped glass filled with apple tea. Turkish food is so diverse and so innovative that if you have not tasted it you are missing out on some pleasures of life and cafes by the sides of Bosphorus offer both tasty food and breathtaking sights!

Lahmacun is a street food version of pizza minus the sauce and cheese. Dough is rolled, flattened, and spread with a premade mixture of finely minced lamb, onions, tomatoes, and parsley. It's then baked and served with a salad.

Balik Ekmek is one of their best dishes is fish preparation. A lightly seasoned filet served on a bread roll with onions, tomatoes, and lettuce, the fish is largely deboned

My local friends were avid foodies and very serious with the correct name and pronunciation of each culinary delight. People often confuse kebabs, gyro, shwarama, and doner so they helped us with their profound gastronomic knowledge. A Turk originally invented the large blocks of spinning meat you see around the world before introducing them to Greece to become what you commonly call a gyro (Greek for "turn"). The main difference between the Greek and Turkish versions is the sauces and spices: gyros have tzatziki, while kebabs do not. Shwarama is actually Arabic for the same dish so gyro, shwarama, and doner are essentially the same thing.

Kebab is any type of grilled meat on a skewer. They come in many forms, but will never be served as a wrap with the exception of a doner kebab (simply translating to “rotating meat” in Turkish), making everything technically a doner. Chunks of diced meat cooked over an open flame with vegetables, be sure to try Adana Kebab for a kick of savory Turkish spice accompanied by fresh veggies.

In a nearby narrow pedestrianised street we sampled menemen, a classic Turkish breakfast omelette-like dish, at a local al fresco café in the fashionable suburb of Kadıköy on the Asian side of the city.

The national drink of Turkey, Ayran is a cold yogurt, which you'll find all over Istanbul. It has a bitter and salty taste, but a smooth finish. It's normally served with grilled meat to cleanse the palate

The local transport

I've visited many of the great transport cities of the world such as San Francisco, Lisbon and Hong Kong but for sheer variety of public conveyances in stupendous settings, Istanbul comprehensively mows all of them down. Cities like Istanbul, possessed with intricate, colourful and at times vintage transport networks designed to conquer both land and water and which are still actively patronised by their citizens, are akin to mammoth theme parks. Every ferry, funicular, tram or train is a thrill ride of sorts to be savoured and enjoyed.

There are two Nostalgic tram lines in Istanbul - one on the European side and another on the Asian side. We caught the one on the European side. Here a diminutive, ketchup-coloured tram trundles along at barely a walking pace, the vehicle's driver furiously sounds his bell in a vain attempt to thread a path through a throng of hundreds, maybe thousands, of oblivious pedestrians. This is the less than a two-kilometre journey aboard Istanbul's so-called Nostalgic Tram, a faithful and convincing replica of the original 19th-century version which once operated along here until it was, like so many city trams around the world, withdrawn from service. Happily it was revived in 1990 with Istanbul's transport officials having to rely largely on old photographs of its predecessor in order to recreate it. Today it connects two famous squares, Tünel with Taksim, the latter being Istanbul's main public gathering point.

 

In order to reach the Asian shore, I need to take the modern Istanbul metro from Gayrettepe, the station below Raffles Istanbul, and connect to the Marmaray railway tunnel, among the great feats of modern-day engineering. The name "Marmaray" is derived from the combination of the name of the Sea of Marmara and the word "ray", Turkish for "rail".

The metro may be a great technological marvel but by taking it one misses the sheer joy of the ferry ride across the busy Bosphorous and its awesome views of the city with its emblematic dome and minaret-studded skyline. By crossing the two continents on the Bosphorus one is able to glimpse the city's magnificent historic palaces, the summer houses of the Ottoman Sultans and the famous Maiden Tower in the middle of the ever-turbulent waterway.

And then there is the Hagia Sophia, the Blue Mosque and the Spice Market and many other visual and culinary delights. We have talked about the Hagia Sophia in the past https://surajitbrainwaves.blogspot.com/2020/07/hagia-sophia-changing-with-changing.html

and we will talk about the others at a later date.