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< Back to “Sarah’s Turkish Travels” Introduction Sarah’s Turkish Travels Day 3By Sarah Yeomans, Travel Study Director and Managing Web Editor
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Istanbul Click to view a slide show of larger images and captions. This morning I managed to wake up at a relatively decent hour, and I made it in time to partake of the hotel’s wonderful breakfast. The meal was made all the more superb by the spectacular view afforded by the hotel’s 360-degree view of Istanbul, with the Galata tower immediately to the northeast and the rising minarets of the Atik Ali Paşa mosque across the Golden Horn River to the south. As you’ll notice from the photo, it was raining, and so I sat down to breakfast with my guidebook to decide on which indoor site I wanted to explore.
Breakfast was in and of itself an experience. The Anemon Galata is a well-recognized chain in Istanbul and caters to an international clientele. The selection encompassed American, European and Turkish tastes. Trays of salty cheeses sat next to baskets of pastries and bowls filled with delicious jams and fresh butter. Baskets of soft-boiled eggs (both chicken and quail eggs) were on offer, as well as breads, breakfast meats, potatoes, cucumbers and tomatoes. My favorite was the honey, served right on the honeycomb in a special wooden frame made specifically for the purpose.
 Click to view a slide show of larger images and captions.  Click to view a slide show of larger images and captions. Since tomorrow’s itinerary with the group was going to encompass many of the important sites of the Old City, I decided that today I would investigate Istanbul’s more modern side. Despite the presence of the ancient and venerable Galata tower, the side of the Golden Horn where my hotel is located is considered one of the newer portions of the city. To the northeast of my hotel, located along the shores of the Bosphorus is located the Dolmabahçe Palace—the extravagant 19th-century complex that belies the fact that the Ottoman Empire was already in decline during its construction.
Since it was raining, I took a taxi to the palace’s grand entrance, and arrived just in time for the beginning of the first of two different tours. The Dolmabahçe Palace can only be visited as part of a guided tour, of which there are two to choose from. The first takes visitors through the Selamlık, the part of the palace that was reserved for men and which contains the state rooms and the enormous ceremonial hall. The second tour guides visitors to the Harem, the private residential quarters of the sultan, his wives and children, and the other various members of his large entourage. I decided to see both.
 Click to view a slide show of larger images and captions. Be aware that each tour requires a separate ticket, and that an additional, third ticket must be purchased if you wish to be able to take photographs while inside the palace. I did not figure out this latter piece of information until a scary-looking guard grunted at me and made motions to put my camera away, while pointing at another, savvier tourist in my group who was wearing the photo permission pass pinned to her jacket. I didn’t understand the Turkish, but I got the meaning. However, since it was ignorance and not stinginess that explained my lack of a pass, my guide gave me permission to snap some clandestine photos, for which I tipped him generously.
The palace’s seemingly infinite rooms, halls and chambers were a cacophonous collision of 19th-century eastern and western decadence. Individually, each element of the rooms—the English crystal chandeliers, the massive (and priceless) Turkish carpets, the exquisite French furniture—were works of art. When placed all together in rooms decorated with silk brocade, intricate wood inlay, ornate mirrors, massive marble fireplaces and crystal and bronze lamps, the effect was overwhelming.
 Click to view a slide show of larger images and captions. Constructed by Sultan Abdüı Mecıt in 1856, the palace reflects the architectural obsession with opulence that began with King Louis XIV’s palace in Versailles, France. For the next 75 years, every monarch and noble from England to Russia imitated the Sun King’s lavish style—sometimes with rather jarring results. Sultan Abdüı Mecıt borrowed money from foreign banks to finance his modern palace, effectively abandoning the characteristically eastern Topkapı Palace across the Golden Horn in the Old City that had been the seat of the sultans since the Ottoman conquest of Constantinople in the 15th century.
One of the more astonishing features of the palace for me was the palace’s famed Crystal Staircase: A sweeping, double-horseshoe staircase with balustrades of solid Baccarat crystal, featuring a massive crystal chandelier over the center. No less jaw-dropping was the Ceremonial Hall with its massive chandelier. With 750 lamps and weighing in at 4.5 tons, the Bohemian crystal chandelier is reported to be the heaviest in the world.
 Click to view a slide show of larger images and captions. Despite the western décor, the palace retains quintessentially eastern characteristics, most obviously in the areas reserved for private life. The second tour guided us through the Harem, or the residential quarters of the palace. The word harem has rather lascivious connotations in the western mind, and I discovered that this is a symptom of the sometimes-distorted lens through which the west often views the east. In truth, a harem is the part of the house where the families reside, and the women are secluded from the eyes of visitors.
You, too, can wander through the magnificent palaces of Istanbul.
Go here to see the itinerary Sarah’s planned for you. Yes, it’s true that the sultan and many other men of means often had multiple wives. However, as our guide taught us about the political dynamics in the harem, I began to believe that most of these men, if given the choice, may have preferred to remain bachelors. Wives of higher and lower rank were constantly jockeying for position in the household rank for themselves and their children, and the entire hotbed of politics, deceit, intrigue and bickering was ruled over with the iron fist of the sultan’s mother, who had absolute power over the harem and its occupants. In fact, the only permitted exit and entrance to the palace for its female residents was through her private rooms, and could be used only with her permission and by her arrangement. Surely it was arrangements like this that contributed to the unfavorable “mother-in-law” stereotypes.
The rooms themselves were a series of lavishly appointed apartments for each wife, her children and her servants. The traditional Turkish hamman, or bath, was a feature of both the Harem and the Selamlık, and what beautiful baths! Made of white and colored marble, they must have provided a welcome and luxurious break from palace politics and life.
 Click to view a slide show of larger images and captions. Perhaps the most significant aspect of the palace for modern Turks is the suite of rooms that were used by Mustafa Kemal Atatürk (1881-1938), the founder of the Republic of Turkey and its first president. The name “Atatürk,” meaning “father of the Turks” was added to his name by the devoted people who credit him for modernizing Turkey and bring about the secular state that would allow Turkey to take its place in a world that was becoming increasingly westernized. Though he established the nascent republic’s capital in the city of Ankara, Atatürk used the palace as his base in Istanbul, and the room where he died is kept as a shrine, with an enormous Turkish flag draped over his sickbed.
 Click to view a slide show of larger images and captions. Perhaps my favorite portion of the palace was its river entrance, where visitors arriving by boat could pull up alongside the beautiful, if impractical, marble dock (marble is very slippery when it’s wet). Reminiscent of my favorite Venetian palazzos, the beauty and grandeur of such an arrival fired my imagination. I could almost see the lavishly dressed visitors arriving for parties in equally lavish boats, with the sounds of music, tinkling glasses and voices drifting out from the opulent halls inside.
 Click to view a slide show of larger images and captions. When I finally emerged from the glittering palace, it had stopped raining. I decided to walk back to the hotel along the river. As I did so, I passed cafes filled with university students, laughing and talking and puffing on water pipes. The smell of fruit-scented tobacco wafted over the riverside path as I strolled along, admiring the view of the Bosphorus and the skyline beyond it. Carts and stands selling all manner of food and beverages lined the river, and one in particular caught my eye: A cart stacked high with piping hot baked potatoes had over a dozen pots filled with potato toppings: cheeses, onions, savory yogurt and goodness knows what else. I watch as a group of students walked up, made their choices, and walked away with various versions of a potato-lovers dream. What a brilliant idea! Why don’t we see this in America? In my opinion, this would be a perfect compliment to the ubiquitous hot-dog stand. . .
Back in the area of my hotel, I strolled along the streets near the Galata tower and made a pleasant discovery. A small, delightfully-decorated shop selling handmade soaps, candles and fragrances caught my eye. The shop itself, Home Spa Lux, was lovely, and the products themselves were reasonably priced and would make the perfect, packable gifts for family and friends back home. While paying for my purchases, I realized that the owner herself was American. Her name is Stephanie de Valpine, and she personally makes or commissions all of her naturally produced products. I was fascinated by this charming woman who has made Istanbul her home for the last 20 years and managed to build and run her own business. If you find yourself in Istanbul, pay her a visit. She’s a wealth of charm and information, and her scented candles are fabulous!
Dinner tonight was with my friend Katie again, and this time we ended up in a sleek and trendy restaurant that was full of immaculately dressed Turkish men and women. I tried the Turkish variation on the Italian calzone, filled with salmon and cheese, and—fortunately—a great deal of air. It was enormous.
 Click to view a slide show of larger images and captions. I said goodnight to Katie and I walked back toward my hotel, stopping for what must have been my hundredth cup of fresh pomegranate and orange juice. As I walked and sipped, I reflected on what I had learned today. In less than 100 years, Turkey has transformed itself from an eastern sultanate to a western republic. I had to wonder—and marvel—at such dramatic changes in a country that had already experienced so many over the last 2,000 years. Perhaps that is why they were able to navigate the turmoil of the early 20th century so well: They had a lot of experience.
Turkey TourSarah- My wife and I had the awesome experience of traveling on our own in Turkey in 1986 and we've never been the same. We promised ourselves that one day we would return. We fell in love with the Turkish people and their heritage. May your group have a great trip -they'll be in good company. • • • • • • • MalcomFrom this report, one would deduce that Turkey is the richest country in the world....no sign of poverty anywhere. Thanks for adding a few words and pix of Biblical sites. • • • • • • • TurkiyeSarah, it was such a privilege meeting you on this unique trip. Zane and I had a wonderful time as it was a very educational trip Your writing of this trip came in very helpful as I will be bringing a program on our trip to our Senior Townsy Day this month. Thank you for putting me on this list. Love, Betty • • • • • • • blog on on Turkey travelI too would like to see some of the mundane itinerary details--addresses, websites, etc. Great writing, which I will use for planning my upcoming trip. • • • • • • • A New PerspectiveThank you Sarah, you have given me a new perspective on Turkey in general, but Istanbul in particular. It is really your closing comments on her transition from what was really a medieval world to a modern world in a painfully short time. I had never really considered the meaning that might have before. There armis many places in the world I don’t suppose, where you can go enjoy the modern conveniences while strolling through a medieval world and do it all is safety. There are of course the classics like Rome, Venice,and their well pedigreed ilk, but it seems to me the medieval now resides there in the architecture and emotional history alone. In Turkey I imagine it’s more palpable in the atmosphere. Thanks for the reports! • • • • • • • Turkish TravelsHaving read and re-read CS Lewis' Narnia Series, "The Lion Witch and The Wardrobe" features Turkish Delight as the temptation that almost cost one of the heroes his very soul. What IS Turkish Delight? Is it that good? • • • • • • • Turkish DelightDelightful article. The author's ability to mix vivid imagery with her historical insights -- and to spice it up with a bit of wit and humor -- makes for informative and enjoyable reading. I look forward to future installments! • • • • • • • Sarah YeomanOur "Contessa" is on the move again. Looking forward to the next installment. • • • • • • • Sarah's Turkish TravelsWonderfully written. Her excitment,energy,discovery,and honesty grabbed me and carried me into her experience. I felt like a best friend who could not go on the trip and she transended the bountries of time and space taking me with her. I look forward to "our" next adventure. • • • • • • • Reminisces of IstanbulI lived with my family in Kuwait for 12 years from 1970 to 1982. We had the opportunity to travel a great deal over those years and Istanbul was one of our favorite spots. One of our pleasures was to stand on the street and hail a taxi that was a "vintage" automobile of some sort, perhaps a 1940 Dodge or whatever. There were many auto parts shops to match the demand to keep these old cars running. The food, the people, and the sights were splendid. • • • • • • • Turkey visitI really loved reading Sarah's entry - all the more because my husband and I are leaving on Sat for a 3 week trip to Turkey and Greece. I will keep a close watch on Sarah's whereabouts -we may even catch up! • • • • • • • TurkeySarah - I loved Turkey more than I ever could have imagined. Have a wonderful time. I would go back in a heartbeat. Thank you for letting me travel along with you. Mary Anne • • • • • • • Sarah's Turkey trip.This is as close to a trip to Turkey that I'll ever make. I feel as if I'm right there in the middle of every descriptive word that Sarah uses to tell us her travel story. I look forward to every word she writes. Thank you Sarah. GiGi Orru • • • • • • • Turkey ExperienceWell written article. Felt like I was with the author. Was disappointed when I discovered there was no more to read! • • • • • • • Wonderful! I look forward to the journeyA delightful article. I have recently taken a casual interest in Turkey and istanbul in particular. I even ordered some Christmas gifts last year from some private shops I found on the web in and around istanbul. I can see how I will thoroughly enjoy this adventure and I don’t even have to leave home. Any chance of an itinerary, or list of possible sights you might be visiting? Not necessary, but nice to have. • • • • • • • |
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