The Nerdy Nomad: Turkey
- Nov 1, 2022
- 8 min read
Updated: Jul 11, 2023
There is a tradition in my family of sending postcards when you travel. Well, ok, it is just my uncle and I, but it is fun. Or it used to be. Postcards are a dying art. Gavin Haynes attributes the rise of social media as a major cause (Source). Not only is it now difficult to find postcards when you travel, snail mail is not as reliable as it used to be. So consider the Nerdy Nomad series as my postcard to you.
The hubster and I took some vacation days in Istanbul in June 2022. Turkey is located on both the Asian and European Continents. In fact, we continent hopped by ferry back and forth across the Bosporus Straight almost everyday. Istanbul has such a laid back environment. We were very surprised that it gets dark very late in the evening. It was still light outside close to 8-9 pm.
A Map of Istanbul with European Landmarks (Source).
Istanbul is a port city and the largest city in Turkey (Source). It is a large, well developed and clean city. Traveling by taxi found you on narrow streets that meander and weave through various neighborhoods. All vehicles drive on the right side of the street. Public transportation is readily available: taxis, trams, metro, ferries, and buses. They were also very easy to navigate. (Side Note: Get your City Transport Card early in your trip for all public transportation).
The currency is the Turkish Lira. It was 17 TL to $1 USD while we were there (Source).
A Historical City
Istanbul is rich in history. "For more than 2,500 years [it] has stood between conflicting surges of religion, culture, and imperial power. For most of those years it was one of the most coveted cities in the world" (Source). There were historical sites just about on every corner, including Roman, Byzantine, Christian, Muslim, and Jewish monuments. Some sites even pre-date the Roman period. Some locations had a small sign if you were interested in knowing more. UNESCO World Heritage sites also abound at every turn. There were many rooftop restaurants where the picturesque background included the Hagia Sofia and the Blue Mosque. Our hotel was between the Obelisk of Theodesius and the Blue Mosque.
My Prince Charming is a history buff and a biblical scholar, so of course we had to plan time to visit some well-known ancient and biblical historical sites. We visited the locations where 5 of the first 7 ecumenical church councils were head: Constantinople (Istanbul) in 381, 553 and 680 AD, Ephesus in 431 AD, and Chalcedon (on the Asian side of Istanbul) in 451 AD (Source).
The Walls of Constantinople
These impenetrable walls defended the city from land and sea for 800 years from the Persians, Arabs, Slavs, and Russians. In 1204 AD, the Fourth Crusade did breach the defenses, "although the attackers got in through a carelessly left-open door and not because the fortifications themselves had failed in their purpose" (Source). In 1453 AD, the Ottomans severely damaged the walls with canon fire and eventually breached the city. The impressive Golden Gate, which is over 12 meters high, still stands today (Source). (Side Note: to enter, they only accept cash and the ATM is super hard to find.)
Galata Tower
This tower that goes by many names, like the Tower of Christ, is the best place for panoramic views of the city. The Tower is one of the oldest and most iconic of Istanbul. It was constructed around 530 AD. It is 219 feet high, with 9 stories, and for a small fee you can climb to the top (Source; Source). You can even feast your eyes on part of the Golden Horn chain. Dating back to the 8th century, the chain was a defensive mechanism to defend against enemy ships entering into the vulnerable Golden Horn estuary. It stretched across the entire waterway (Source). (Side note: The kiosk is not obvious to purchase tickets. Take the subway to the top of the hill and then walk down to the tower to save your knees.)
The Hagia Sofia
This 1,500 year old architectural marvel is an important and iconic Istanbul landmark. Originally a Greek Orthodox Christian basilica, built in 360 AD, it morphed into a mosque when the Ottomans sacked the city in 1453 AD. From 1935 to 2020, the Sofia was classified as a museum. In 1985, it became a UNESCO World Heritage site. July 2020 brought a change, the museum status was stripped from the landmark, and now is operated as a mosque to this day. A lot of the beautiful mosaics from the Christian religion have been covered and the upstairs is "under renovation" and is no longer accessible for the foreseeable future (Source; Source; Source; Source). (Side note: The times this marvel is open is wrong on the website, check with the guard the day before. Ladies bring a scarf to cover your hair. Dress modestly with sleeves, also no shorts, unless you want to be issued a disposable cover up).
The People
The people are very proud of their heritage. We couldn't get very far in English. We had an entire conversation through Google Translate with a taxi driver one day. Many are suspicious of foreigners. Our hotel manager was convinced we were working for a government agency, and even told us straight out his suspicions. Almost everyone smoked. The younger generation were very fashionably dressed and many had visible tattoos. Street performers can be found almost everywhere, especially around restaurants and public transportation terminals.
Büyükada Island & The Monastery of St. George
It was well worth the trip to one of The Princes' Islands, on the Asian side of Istanbul. It was even worth trekking up the ginormous hill, 203 meters (222 yards) high, to see the amazing panoramic views "encompassing all of the Princes’ Isles and the Asian shore of the Sea of Marmara" (Source). Pictures were not allowed in the Monastery, but all of the artifacts and paintings were amazing to behold. (Source). (Side note: Get to the island early and find the taxi stall first thing. The wait for the taxi was excruciating in the sun. Also residents of the island get dibs on the taxis before the tourists.)
Culture & Art
With such a rich history, it is no surprise that museums and art would also abound. I don't think I have been anywhere else in the world where you can just walk up and touch exhibits in museums or see so many excavated artifacts just sitting outside on the lawn or against the buildings. Want to sit on an excavated part of a marble column? No problem, take a breather. There will not be anyone coming to tell you not to do so. The museums were amazing and well worth it. There were also open and free gardens and grounds that were well tended. The Topkapi Palace grounds were very relaxing. I loved all of the statues, mosaics and street art as well.
Istanbul Arkeoloji Muzesi (Archeological Museum)
This complex of museums, including The Archaeological Museum, The Museum of Ancient Oriental Works, and The Tiled Kiosk Museum, hold over 1 million artifacts from various cultures and time periods, including the Alexander Sarcophagus. There was a whole series of ancient coins, marble busts, sarcophagi and grave markers. The most notable was one from a dog's grave. It pretty much said, "He was a good boy" (Source; Source).
Street Animals
If you are an avid reader of this blog, you already know that Istanbul has many street cats that are well taken care of by all residents. The Nerdy Nomad even unlocked an achievement on this trip: Disney Princess Status (Click here to read this blog post). What you may not know is that there are also a lot of street dogs, which are also "adopted" and taken care of by all residents of Istanbul. Their ears are even tagged so they can be located when their next vaccines are due (Source). What is so amazing about these street dogs you may ask? Well, most countries have street dogs that look very similar to one another. It is like there is a "street dog breed," but not in Turkey. These were some fat and well-known mixed breeds, like Mastiff, Retriever and German Shepherd street dogs.
The Food
Turkish tea and coffee are amazing and you can order them at any street café, restaurant or ferry. Enjoying a cup of tea on the ferry was a favorite experience of ours while watching the sunset. Fresh fruit and vegetables were readily available. We even took a walk around the Egyptian Spice Bazaar and bought spices by the kg. The Turkish people know how to do breakfast. Our hotel spread included yogurt, olives, bread, seasoned boiled eggs, coffee cake, tomatoes, fruit, Turkish tea and more. The food available in Istanbul was all delicious, the highlights were the kebabs, fresh seafood, a pastry with a chocolate spread inside, Turkish delight, and real baklava. I think my absolute favorite was vegan (non-dairy) ice cream.
A Map of Turkey with Landmarks (Source).
A Day Trip to Ephesus
Domestic flights were very inexpensive, so we took a day trip to explore the ruins of Ephesus. We flew on Pegasus Air; I purposely wore my shirt with a pegasus on it (although no one noticed). We flew into Izmir and rented a car.
Ephesus is "one of the best preserved ancient cities of the world" (Source). It is also a UNESCO World Heritage site. It was first constructed in 10 BC by Greek colonists. It used to be an important port city (Source), but by the late Byzantine era, around 1400 AD, the water source began to recede away from the city (Source). The city is currently situated 7.5 km (4.5 miles) from the Icarian Sea.
From a biblical standpoint, Ephesus is an important landmark city. Ephesus was one of the seven churches of Asia Minor mentioned in the book of Revelation. In Acts 19, Paul's 2nd missionary journey, he initiated a riot with a seller of Artemis's idols. It was also the location where Paul wrote 1 Corinthians (Source). Christian tradition has it that Mary, the mother of Jesus, spent her last years here and is buried near the Basilica of St John. St John was also rumored to have written his gospel at this location, and it is the location of his burial (Source; Source).
The easiest way to tour the city ruins is to take a surrey, ours had fringe on the top, to the top of the city and slowly work your way down the hill and see all the sites. This horse drawn carriage ride was very inexpensive and was enjoyable, especially if you sing the song in your head (# iykyk). You can pay a bit extra to see an active excavation site of romans terrace houses. This site was the only shady location in the whole of Ephesus, make sure you take a hat and plenty of sunscreen. Near the bottom of the ruins, you can take a scenic path towards the Church of Mary. We had lunch at the bottom of the hill, the food was delicious of course.
Make sure you visit the Temple of Artemis, which is 2 kilometers (1.2 miles) away. One of the Seven Wonders and the first marble temple of the ancient world is sitting in ruins since being destroyed around 400 AD. It was constructed in the 6th century BC, and is awaiting excavation. From this location you can see 3 different religions present: the Temple of Artemis, the Isa Bey Mosque and the Basilica of St. John (Source). It really is a testament that all things on earth, including Wonders of the Ancient World, will lay in ruins and fade away. BUT the Word of God will stand forever and will not fade away (Isaiah 40:6-8).
Final Thoughts
Istanbul has moved into "one of my favorite cities in the world" status. If and when we have a chance to return, I will definitely remember to bring my allergy meds due to the abundance of smokers, but this was a minor inconvenience given how much we enjoyed everything else. The people, the ambiance, the sites, the history, the food, I am not actually sure which would be the siren to draw me back. I would definitely return, at least for the desserts and dairy-free ice cream. (Picture Source).
*Edited 11 July 2023. Removed potentially copyrighted photos and/or replaced with open source. Organized photos in a better way.
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