Ten days in Turkey - Part 9

The Bosphorus, Spice Bazaar and Hamam

Every great city has a river. In Istanbul, it is the Bosphorus, Bogaziçi to the Istanbullus. No visit is complete without a boat ride up and down the Bosphorus. We boarded a cruise boat at the Eminönü docks, paying 5 YTL per person for a two-hour cruise. It was a two-level boat that could easily accommodate about 300 people. As the boat leaves the dock one sees fantastic views of the city skyline dominated by architectural delights on the various hills that are part of Istanbul. There is the Yeni Camii next to the docks, the Suleimaniye Camii, the Galata Tower, the Topkapi Palace and various other mosques.

Travelling up the Bosphorus from the Golden Horn towards the Black Sea, the Asian part of Istanbul is on the right shore and the European part on the left shore. From the panoramic views, one cannot help notice the European bank to be dominated with the most important historical monuments of Istanbul. The Asian bank appears largely residential with Ottoman houses dominating the hills and fancy (and very expensive villas) along the river. Orhan Pamuk’s description of the Bosphorus in his “Istanbul: Memories of a City” comes alive. The Bosphorus yalis (Ottoman houses) Pamuk describes from his childhood are gone, but one can occasionally spot an odd one, half burnt, standing by itself, waiting to be torn down and replaced by an expensive villa.

A tower with smaller buildings around it stands in the water. This is the Kiz Kulesi also called Leander’s Tower. Originally built in 4th century BC and used by Greeks to regulate Bosphorus traffic, the tower was rebuilt by Sultan Mehmed II and then again in 1716 by the Grand Vizier Ibrahim Pasha. As the Ottomans consolidated their Empire the tower lost its defensive function and was used as a lighthouse. Legend has it that a fortuneteller predicted a princess to die of snakebite. The hapless girl was sent to this tower away from land to save her; the snake however made its way to the girl in a basket of fruits brought on by the locals. Historical records however reveal other uses for this tower.

The boat goes under the first bridge that connects the Asian and European sides of Istanbul. From here on, one building clearly dominates the Asian bank of the Bosphorus. This is the Çiragan Palace, now the Çiragan Hotel. This wooden palace of Fatima Sultan, wife of the Grand Vizier Ibrahim Pasha, was named Çiragan due to its night parties. Later it became a summer resort for the sultans. The main structure came up in the mid-19th century during the rule of Sultan Abdulaziz. This palace had a troubled history of imprisonments, rescue efforts and murders, but also served as a meeting place for the Ottoman Parliament. In 1910, at the time of the Turkish Revolution, the palace was burnt down to its bare walls and was reconstructed as a hotel in 1980.

As the boat approaches the second bridge across the Bosphorus, it starts turning back. The sun is low and colors the Bosphorus silver-grey. At this point the Rumeli Hisari (Rumelian or European Fortress) dominates the view. Sultan Mehmed II built this fortress in 1452 while preparing for the final assault on Constantinople. Built at the narrowest point on the Bosphorus, its purpose was to prevent the entry of Byzantine ships. With canons placed on the fortress walls, the channel was completely closed to the passage of ships. After the conquest of Constantinople, the fortress served no military purpose and has been used over the years as a prison and now as a museum.

Riding back, the European part of Istanbul that is on our right. At the suburb of Ortaköy the view is dominated by the small but beautiful Ortaköy Camii. Built by Sultan Abdulmecit in 1853, this mosque in Baroque style has wide and high windows to bring in the changing lights of the Bosphorus. The Istanbul skyline dominated by the hills and mosques comes in view again as we come to the end of a wonderful excursion over the Bosphorus. A trip to Istanbul is indeed incomplete without seeing the city views from this lovely channel connecting the Golden Horn to the Black Sea.

Across from the ferry docks in Eminönü stands the Yeni Camii (New Mosque). Only in Istanbul you have a 450-year old mosque called the New Mosque! Next to it is the Spice Bazaar. Good-natured shopkeepers recognized us as Indians and greet us with names of Indian movie stars. Indian movies are quite popular in Turkey and are dubbed in Turkish. I would really like to see how they dub Bollywood songs in Turkish. It was fun. We bought black olives, olive paste, and loads of lokum (Turkish delight), a form of gooey candy filled with nuts. This market is filled with interesting stuff such as tea in all flavours and “natural Turkish viagra”. Whether the stuff works is anyone’s guess.

After an early and lazy supper and on my son's insistence, we decided to visit a Turkish hamam. Public baths (or hamams) are an inseparable part of the Middle Eastern and Mediterranean culture, many still in operation across this region. Unfortunately, many public baths, especially those in the West, have gained notoriety in this AIDS-sensitized world. We were told that Turkey is different and going to the hamam as a family is still a tradition here.

The Çemberlitas Hamam is Istanbul’s oldest and best. Based on a 16th century design of the master architect Sinan, this hamam has been in continuous operation for the last 145 years. It has separate sections for men and women, is pricey at 36 YTL per head for a 45-minute session, but comes highly recommended. We changed into wrapping cloth and were led into the public central room that was hot and humid. We lay there on the central marble slab and sweated for the next 20 minutes. The sinuses clear up and all the aches and pains disappear. The massage had not begun yet. A good natured and burly masseur started working and for the next 15 minutes it was pure bliss. The first part was a scrubbing with a coarse mitten that is meant to loosen the dirt and get rid of dead skin. This is followed by a soapy massage and a thorough wash down. Later we were wrapped in thick towels and asked to rest in our cubicle for the next 30 minutes. A glass of freshly squeezed orange juice to end the experience and you already feel like a new person for whom no challenge is too great.

For once, I was glad I listened to my son.