Iftar in Sultanahmet

The bus creeps its way through the maze of traffic just as dusk begins to settle in around the Bosphorus, bringing with it the excitement of three dozen students and teachers, one two year old boy, and a bus driver who has not allowed even water to pass through his lips all day. As we pass the crumbling, ancient Roman walls surrounding Sultanahmet, I can feel the young man beside me grow tense with anticipation. He is new to this ritual and to this city, only earlier this week having parted from his family and made his way from the small town in which he has spent his entire life. As our driver maneuvers the oversized vehicle through streets designed for horses and carts of a bygone era, it becomes increasingly apparent that we may be thwarted in our efforts to make our way through these narrow streets without some help from-but ah! Yes, the men on the street have obligingly lifted a small car and moved it aside to help us make our way around the final turn: we have arrived. I use my "teacher voice" to dole out some last-minute instructions to the students on the bus, then make my way to the street below and inhale the marvelous odors of roasting meat and frying sweets that fill the air all around me. My friends and I begin making our way through the throngs of people and soon break into smaller and smaller groups as we search for the stalls containing our favorite foods and take in the sights and sounds of the carnivalesque atmosphere. Women fully clad in traditional hijabs flock together like crows, while tourists in shorts and t-shirts jostle their way through the crowd, unaware of the disapproving looks cast by some of the more conservative members of the multitudes. Small children clutching their sticky-sweet tufts of cotton candy reluctantly allow their mothers to pull them along as they try to fill their mouths with as much of the pink sugar as they possibly can. I dodge their small bodies as my friends make their way ahead in search of roasted meats and fried doughy balls of syrupy sweetness; we snap a few "tourist photos" along the way of the more ostentatious of the local foodsellers and their wares. Eventually I part from the group after my belly is filled with spiced meats and Turkish sweets, and make my way back to the shops selling jewelry, porcelain bowls, and trinkets for the tourists that I will use for Christmas presents for my friends and family back home. After securing arkadas (friend) prices for my treasures with a few Turkish phrases and Minnesotan charm, I wander back to the entrance to the Hippodrome and take it all in one more time before returning to my friends...This is iftar, the breaking of the fast, in Sultanahmet.

Topkapi Palace

One of the first things I promised my parents I would do when I got to Istanbul was go to the famed Topkapi Palace and see the Topkapi Dagger. For those of you who haven't seen the movie "Topkapi," it is an extremely campy 1960s movie set in Istanbul, in which the main characters set out to break into Topkapi Palace and steal a jewel-hilted dagger worth millions. Well, it took me a year, but I finally made it to Topkapi. A word to the wise, by the way: when taking a tram to go to Topkapi Palace, get off at the Blue Mosque/Aya Sofia stop. Topkapi is also the name of one of the neighborhoods in the outer suburbs of Istanbul!

The day was a warm, sunny, picture-perfect summer day in Istanbul. I set out with my American colleagues Melissa and Sally, determined not to let my hangover ruin the day. Melissa speaks nearly fluent Turkish, having lived in Istanbul for many years with her Turkish husband and their three children; she is an invaluable resource on our outings around the city. We arrived in Sultanahmet around 10:00 in the morning and made our way towards the gates of the Palace, stopping along the way for a quick simit (Turkish version of a bagel) and some water.

When we entered through the palace gates, it was as though we had stepped into a whole other world. Wide open expanses of lush grass, long, tree covered walkways, and ancient walls surrounded us. This was in such stark contrast to the crowded streets and noisy traffic outside the walls, I immediately took a deep breath and relaxed. After walking though the outer courtyard, we made our way into the palace itself. A series of buildings surrounding yet another courtyard, Topkapi was designed to house the sultan's harem, a meeting hall for Privy Council, stables, the treasury, kitchens, a library, mosques to be used by staff members (includng the "White Eunuchs"), a school for pages, an audience hall, residence for the sultan's chief physician, several pavilions, gardens, and balconies, the circumcision house of the princes, and the living quarters of the sultans themselves. The various buildings now house displays of the many treasures acquired by the various sultans, the sacred relics of the Prophet Muhammed, and the many tapestries and articles of clothing of the sultans and their families. Unfortunately, cameras were forbidden in nearly every room of the treasury, including the one containing an 86 carat diamond that had apparently been found by a spoonmaker in the garbage; he traded it for three silver spoons! It was eventually brought to a jeweler, at which point the sultan ordered that it be brought to his treasury. It was then made into a ring (can you imagine?), but eventually was put on display after it was determined that it was simply too large for any form of jewelry.

At the end of our visit, after shopping in the state-run gift store, we happened upon one of the booksellers (who was definitely NOT fasting for Ramazan) and a street cat who was willing to stand up for his scraps.

(Dagger photo courtesy of insecula.com)

Summer

I'm sorry it's been so long since I have written a new entry here, but it has been a busy summer! First I went to Virginia for a week in July to spend time with my best friend Amy and my Goddaughter Chloe. Amy and I got new tattoos, the three of us joined Amy's aunt and uncle in Williamsburg for the Fourth of July, and I managed to squeeze in a day at the beach alone with Chloe, as well. Next it was off to Minnesota, with Amy in tow; we threw a party at my parents' house while they were at a family reunion in Tahoe. Nice welcome home-they left the morning after I arrived. I managed to catch up with some friends I hadn't seen in a long time, though, so it all worked out well. After resettling at my parents' house (and trying to start going through all of the stuff I had left there that should have gone to Goodwill), the folks and I set out for Michigan for my brother's second wedding reception. My dad was sick the whole time, so I ended up doing most of the driving. We went to Mackinac Island on the way, only realizing afterwards that we had been on Lake Huron at the time (I think we could all use a geography refresher!), and visited the aptly named Grand Hotel. Then it was on to Traverse City, Damon's wife Renee's home town. The reception was a luncheon at an Italian restaurant followed by an afternoon at the bride's parents' house. We got to meet a lot of Renee's family members, and had a nice afternoon relaxing in the sun. After Michigan we had planned to go to the Boundary Waters, but my dad was still recovering from his cold so we just stayed at the cabin for a few days and relaxed. When we got home, my family threw a welcome home (sort of) party for me, so I got the chance to see several of my cousins, aunts and uncles. My grandmother is still recovering from her accident last winter, so she was unable to attend, but I did manage to get over to visit her several times while I was home. The following week I managed to spend time with my cousin Stella and her baby boy Lev at the Minnesota Zoo, catch up with former colleagues, and have dinner with three of my Page cousins. That Friday was the Irish Fair in Saint Paul, with the Dropkick Murphys headlining. It was a great time, even though it rained on us. The next day I joined my parents and some friends of theirs at the cabin for some more sun and fishing, and got up with the sunrise on Monday morning to get a little more fishing in before heading back to the city. As I said, it's been a busy summer, and I will write about my visits to Topkapi Palace and the Fatih Bazaar next time...but now I need to finish getting ready for school!