Istanbul: Tokapi Palace, the Grand Bazaar, and the Bosphorus

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Turning 40 in Istanbul:  Tokapi Palace, The Grand Bazaar and up the Bosphorus

Topkapi Palace–the Seraglio…soul of the Ottoman Empire at its zenith. Built in the mid-1400s and abandoned in 1856 for Dolmabahce Palace. And what a history of drama, intrigue and the politics of power.

I’d read about the fratricide of the sultan’s brothers to prevent them trying to take his throne and to prevent wars of succession–sometimes drowning them in the Bosphorus. And I’d read about the alternative solution to killing all his brothers, by “caging” them in the harem with the eunuchs and concubines until they were needed to assume power. This caused more crazy stuff–boredom? ennui? crazy genes? One prince liked to practice archery, but only on live targets. Concubines that got pregnant were drowned in the Bosphorous. And one strange guy that lived to see his own reign was completely paranoid…killing his grand vizier when he heard his mother complain about not enough wood in the harem and having all 280 concubines drowned in the Bosphorus when he heard of all the plotting and intrigue.

It’s no wonder that getting in the harem rooms costs more. First you wait in line and pay to get into the Palace grounds, then there’s another line and ticket price for the Harem’s 45 minute tour. It is a huge place and beautiful too. My stomach must have gotten a bad vibe from the place (I kept thinking about all those dead bodies at the bottom of the Bosphorus there…) In any case, we walked around slowly and took our time to see the whole thing. It was fascinating.

First, in the warren-like rooms of the harem, there is a dizzying amount of tile work, scrolling, calligraphy. Domes, chandeliers, divans in some corners, but for the most part, the tiny rooms were bare of furnishings, amazingly elegant in their white marble, light-filled space. Fountains and pools, nooks in the wall for candles and lanterns, fireplaces shaped like cones, and huge mirrors so the eunuchs could watch over the harem. Tours stayed really quiet, as if listening for the walls to whisper their stories and secrets. I couldn’t believe some of the chandeliers, the colorful paintings–or was it tile? or real gold in calligraphy? So much to see:  stained glass windows, ornate ironwork, lush private gardens, and my favorite–the small sinks with faucets in the window sills–which, when running–offered a chance for private conversation.

Topkapi Chandelier
Topkapi Palace Chandelier
Spigots with running water in the windows for private conversations at Topkapi
Spigots with running water in the windows for private conversations at Topkapi Palace

We also passed through the The Sacred Safekeeping Rooms in complete awe. An imam chanted the Koran from a radio box with a glass of water beside him (and a liter jug of water at his feet). The radio booth sat in front of a glassed in room of Muhammad’s relics–a piece of his cloak, hair from his beard, and his sword. Things from the prophet himself…this was a much revered and protected space. A little old woman, veiled in black stood in front of the glass window and cried. I was honored that we all could get close–Muslim or not–but I quickly ceded my place to others.

Falling leaves, a hot day, and a nasty stomach drove us back to the room, after a tiny lunch at a cafe on the Palace grounds. Bryan was hunting for the Cubs score.  They were in the playoffs and last we’d heard they were 2-to-2 out of five games. Newspapers were a couple of days old and he scoured the place looking for the most current information. At some point, we found out that the Cubs had beaten Atlanta–3 out of 5 games! Bryan was beside himself with glee…yet worried that he’d miss the first Cubs World Series championship since 1908.

On my last night of being 39, we sat in front of the Blue Mosque and watched the sun set and listened to the call to prayer at twilight.

The first thing I remember on my 40th birthday was the muezzin’s call at 6 a.m. It was still dark and I lay there on my stomach trying to imprint the memory of turning 40 in Istanbul. We took our time over breakfast and coffee–as always, marveling at old Aya Sofya. I imagined I could hear her breathing–slow and deep–not worried about her falling mosaics, or the minarets added 500 years ago, or the buttresses holding her steady.

October 7th was to be Grand Bazaar day…a place filled with rugs, carpets, kilims, bedspreads/table clothes, pillows, scarves, lanterns, backgammon, pepper mills, glasses, tea sets, evil eyes, tesbih, backgammon…and on and on it goes.

We watched tea deliveries on trays to vendors…how did they order? It was smoky with cigarette smoke and nargilye pipes. Sweaty smelling in places. Tiny sounds of backgammon pieces, tea glasses and discussion on prices. 500,000 Turkish Lira for a WC with toilet paper. 10,000,000 TL is about $7 USD in 2003.

Cat on kilims in the Grand Bazaar, Istanbul
Cat on kilims in the Grand Bazaar, Istanbul

I peeled off by myself for a little while.  “Interested in carpet? Kilim? No? How about Magic carpet?” “Are you looking for me lady” 🙂 I felt young and adventurous on my 40th.  Ben Kirk (is “I am 40” in Turkish!)

We’d eat dinner at a cave-like restaurant, Rumeli–red candles in glasses, carnations in silver bowls, Yuvek wine, steak, water, cappaccino and Tiramisu for two = 72,000,000 TL ($50). I asked Xena–a beautiful, gypsy-like, little girl sitting at the next table–to take our photo. She was shy and blushing–but did it. Fireplace with wood stacked in the corner burned and warmed the tiny place. Cats wandered in and around.

Turning 40 in Istabul: Dinner at Rumeli
Turning 40 in Istanbul: Dinner at Rumeli
Asia side of Bosphorus, near the Black Sea
On the Asia side of the Bosphorus, near the Black Sea

On the day after, we cruised up the Bosphorus, having lunch near the Black Sea on the Asian side of the straits Anadolu Kavagi. We sat in the sun and talked about “wouldn’t it be cool to have one of those Yalis on the shoreline…water lapping the house, just outside your living room window? Great breezes…and the occasional oil tanker cruising by on it’s way to the Black Sea?”  Sure would!

Yalis along the Bosphorus
Yalis along the Bosphorus

Back in Istanbul proper, we took the tram to our stop and had dinner at our regular place–Mesale. Once again, watching the seagulls catch air over the Blue Mosque, sipping tea and having a game of backgammon. Later this night, Bryan got a straight razor shave for 7,000,000 TL. Quite an experience–the warm up, the head and neck massage, the shave, the lemony splash!  I stood just outside the tiny room with the greenish light and video taped it.