Istanbul – I swear I can’t make this up…

Istanbul quite possibly could be my most favorite city in the world. This coming from the person who revels in dreams of times past spent in some of the most amazing cities around world. There’s just something mystical about a place where you can sit and enjoy tea with friends while looking out over a busy street with luxury cars, skyscrapers and 5th century ruins on almost every street! It’s a magical, charming city where the rich past from thousands of years ago exists side by side with a bustling cultural Mecca that is Istanbul. The pulse of history flows through the veins of every resident in Istanbul connecting them to the ancient history of civilization – grounding them to tradition. It truly is a city where the rich traditions, architecture and ancient cultures of the east, meet the modernization of the west…



We arrived to Istanbul at 2:00 a.m. on Friday morning (last Friday, it’s been a busy week so I haven’t been able to update the blog). And by the time we purchased a VISA, went through customs and got to our Hostel – it was well past 3:30 a.m. After literally not having slept longer than 4 hours in over 4 weeks, we decided to sleep in a bit so we could be well-rested and ready to tour the city! So, after climbing into my top-bunk, we all settled in for the morning, and took an 8 hour nap.

Here’s a brief glimpse into the history of the sights we caught in Istanbul…

Blue Mosque:
This mosque is actually called the “Sultan Ahmet Mosque” and was built by Sultan Ahmet in 1609. Of course, this name is too difficult for most foreigners, so we refer to this amazing structure as the “Blue Mosque” because of the beautiful blue Iznik tiles decorating the interior. We heard the “call to prayer” from this mosque 5 times a day – pretty neat stuff actually…



Haga Sophia:
Ok, this was one of the most impressive buildings I saw – only because of the shear age of the structure! Erected (for the 3rd time) in the 6th century AD, there are still some aspects to the church that remain from the 4th century! And, this is one of the only catholic structures in Istanbul, although, when the Ottoman Turks conquered the land, they added Muslim influence to the building.
Bospherus Tour:
We also took a tour of the Bospherus, which is an impressive straight connecting the Sea of Marmara to the Black Sea. Along the banks of the sea and in the surrounding hills we saw Topkapi Palace, Aya Sofya and Suleymaniye Mosque. Amazing!!



Hippodrome:
Built beginning in 203, this was the sire where ancient chariot races, athletic and gladiator competitions were held – now all the remains are a few monuments….


Underground Cistern:
Water supply from the 500s… really cool! The Romans were amazing.


Grand Bazaar:
Oldest shopping center in Turkey – omg, I LOVE this place and spent entirely too much cash here. We got to bargain with the shop owners and came away with some pretty great items!


So, after touring around, we decided to walk off the beaten-track, and found a charming coffee house and hookah bar! Love the apple tobacco and especially the mint tea! Good stuff!!



Now here's where it gets interesting - somewhere in the winding streets of Istanbul we met a Turkish dude nicknamed "JT-" No, not Justin Timberlake, rather John Travolta! "Nuri don't worry," (his real name is Nuri) spent half his time in San Diego and the other half in Turkey conducting business back and forth. For some reason, JT took it upon himself to be our own personal tour guide. I think it might have had something to do with me being his “Princess” but regardless – it was quite the adventure! Under JT’s wing, we discovered many new Turkish friends inside quaint tea houses, experienced an authentic belly dancing show, went to one of the most exclusive night clubs in Turkey, chauffeured around in his sweet BMW, and visited many “underground” shops and businesses.



Another “cultural” experience I did not learn about in Thunderbird’s cross-cultural management classes was the Turkish bath experience. HAHAHA. All I can do is laugh at this. I knew it was going to be quite the event when we walked in, and didn’t see a tourist in sight! We were swiftly escorted to a room and given a little red towel and gestured to remove our clothes and follow the brigade of naked Turkish women into another room. If my friends and I had any modesty, it was quickly overcome, as shortly into the adventure, we were placed on marble slabs in the center of the room lying practical nude with similarly clad Turkish women walking around or lounging. All that aside, it was a wonderful massage and my skin glowed after the treatments.


All in all, the trip was incredible. I absolutely loved everything from the people to the food to the sights and sounds to the culture. I’d love to go back and spend more time traveling the country exploring more of the historical sights. One day! (now, back to appraising a company's evaluation system for accounting - fun stuff, let me tell you...)