Days 35-39: ...Once Constantinople

Byzantium. Nova Roma. Constantinople. Istanbul has had as many names as it has had chapters in the history books or cultures who can claim it as part of their heritage. The city seemed to have so much history it didn't know what to do with it. Ruins of ancient Roman columns stood piled along the side of the road as though they could find no better place to store these treasures. Street vendors rested their wares against a section of the ancient wall that once defended against Persians, Macedonians, Romans and countless others. As I rode on the bus from the airport to my hotel, taking in the alien sights and sounds, I felt the nervous excitement of that drug that true travelers crave... culture shock. Europe is a cultural goldmine and probably the most photogenic area of the world you could visit, but I forgot how much I missed the wonder of being so unfamiliar with your environment.

I was strolling through Gulhane Park when it happened. All throughout the city, the minarets which had so far been nothing more than an architectural backdrop came alive with the evening call to prayer. For an American, the Muslim call to prayer is intensely alien and conjures up images of a foreign world of turbans, sultans and harems. With more than a little help from Hollywood and politicians, it also elicits a vague sense of fear. Fortunately I didn't count myself among that group, but I was mesmerized nonetheless. In fact I was so caught up that I almost missed the bizarre spectacle unfolding in front of me.

I was watching what appeared to be a city-wide game of musical chairs. Every man and woman, old or young, fat or skinny, immediately stopped whatever they were doing and ran for the closest food. Park benches and patches of grass which were abandoned just 15 minutes earlier were now filled with families sharing picnic dinners. Food stalls that were empty had a line of customers. A man dashed across the street in front of me, to where his friend was waiting for him with a sandwich held out. He seemed to swallow it in one bite. It was then I finally realized that, for the second year in a row, I found myself in a Muslim country during the holy Muslim month of Ramadan. The previous occasion being Malaysia during October and November of last year.

But even in Kuala Lumpur I never saw Ramadan celebrated like this. I let the crowd carry me along and found myself approaching the Blue Mosque, the cultural and religious heart of Istanbul. The entire Blue Mosque complex was lit up with lights from a vast carnival, and the crowd thickened. I was no longer letting the crowd carry me - it was taking me whether I wanted it to or not. It should've been obvious to me where everyone would be going at this time of day - into the mosque for prayers! I didn't have a chance to ask questions or consider the propriety of my actions as the crowd pushed me on. Before I knew it, I was taking off my shoes and inside the mosque, hundreds of Muslims prostrate in prayer around me. I've seen houses of worship from just about every culture and religion - Christian cathedrals, Jewish synagogues, Thai Buddhist temples, Japanese Shinto temples, even Quaker meeting houses. But the Blue Mosque seemed to leapfrog them all in that one second. Maybe I was just caught up in the moment, the energy of the crowd, or the spectacular display of lights inside the mosque, but the mosque took my breath away. I would later find out that visiting hours were closed. Not only was I not supposed to be in the mosque when I was, I entered through the gate reserved for Muslims. As I exited the mosque to the nearby Hippodrome park, the carnival raged. So many stalls selling foods that I could never hope to pronounce or identify. An emcee on the loudspeaker chanted a song as the crowd whooped and clapped along. The strangest thing was, I seemed to be the only foreigner there. After I had my full of it all, I managed to stumble back to my hotel.

The next morning, I woke up to every vacationer's nightmare - fever and chills! Maybe it was something I ate, or maybe it was the fact that I had to sleep with the window open because I had no AC in my room. Who knows, but it ruined the rest of my Istanbul visit. I managed to get out during the days but found myself curled up in bed at night. Still, I did see all the major sights in the Old Town as well as take a "cruise" down the Bopshorus (it was really just a ferry ride). Istanbul was a fantastic city, but it was time for me to get out of the city. Next stop, the cave houses of Cappadoccia.