At the end of December 2012 through the beginning of January 2013 our program gave us a 2 week period break from school for the traditional holidays :) Because it was the longest break it was also the most difficult break to decide what to do. Do I spend the whole time traveling? Do I stay and enjoy Italy since, after all, it was the country I had decided to live within and the one I was most excited to experience fully immersed inside the culture. In the end however, I decided I wanted to at least travel for a part of it. Now... how to choose from the hundreds of possibilities. This choice was a lot easier since there was one place that I absolutely wanted to see, as well as one person I desperately wanted to see: my best friend Keri. Keri moved to Istanbul about 2 years previously to be with her boyfriend/ fiance Burak. Her and I had become great friends previously when we became roommates after we met each other through our boyfriends (now my ex). She is one of my favorite people and an amazing friend and it was so sad to see her go. The greatest thing about coming to Europe however is it had given us opportunities to see each other so much more! By the time of Christmas break we had met in both Florence and Venice. Now we would have a bit more time to hang out and I would get to see where her and Burak lived!
I couldn't be more excited for my holiday plans to see Keri for at least a few days. I left immediately after school was done for December with another girl from my program Christina who I had lived with and visited London with in October. Keri and Burak were amazingly hospitable and allowed both of us to stay with them at their apartment. The first day getting there was amazingly long as I had hoped to save some money by taking a very early train to Bologna, then had to wait for my flight, then the flight itself. But arriving there and meeting Keri at the gate was the happiest I had felt in months. It just felt so amazing to see a long time best friend after missing everyone from back home so much. We spent the night in at her apartment, ordering in food and watching movies. It was just so comfortable.
The next day was so exciting. Since I hadn't really researched Istanbul I had no idea what to expect. I left that all up to my local, Keri :) It was by far the biggest cultural shock I had since arriving in Italy and settling in to live there. Not only is there an obvious difference in culture and language, the architecture and just the overall essence of the city is entirely different. It seems a drastic cross of Islamic history and modernism. Our first visit was to Dolmabache Palace. I loved so much how the different palaces of the sultans were constructed along the Bosphorus, the water channel that divides Istanbul into 2 different continents, a part of Europe and a part of Asia. The palace was amazing and the tour guide so informative. My favorite part by far was the giant chandelier inside which according to the tour guide (and Keri) is one of the largest in the world. I wish so desperately I was able to take a photo because the extravagance was mind-blowing. Anyone who knows me knows my fascination with extravagant rooms with giant or unique chandeliers. Also learning about the Harem's, since it is not considered a western tradition, was fascinating. Not that women haven't been traditionally considered inferior but it seemed the tradition of the Ottoman empire was to separate the females entirely, not even allowing them into certain areas of the palace. As much as I want to be offended by this tradition, it is only from these traditions that modern ones have attempted to correct the stigma of women and their role within society. So I do feel it is vital to learn and understand how difficult that struggle has been, to feel empowered.
After visiting the palace we took a walk around the city to see more of what Istanbul had to offer, including the Grand Bazaar. It was initially incredibly overwhelming. I have never been so grateful to have a friend who can speak the language and act as my guide as well as negotiate prices for me. It was crazy going through all of the different tunnels and seeing all the different products available such as clothes, pottery, soaps, spices and so much more. I made a couple of great finds including some great souvenirs for my family and friends. We also had time to visit the Blue Mosque and the Hagia Sophia. Though we ran out of time to visit the inside of the Sophia that day, we did have enough time to visit the Mosque. As per the tradition we used our scarves to cover our face and head and due to the cold the rest of our bodies were already covered. It was so beautiful inside between the intricate mosaic work and the lighting around the floor in which people went to pray. That night Keri and Burak surprised us by taking us to an amazing meal and club on the man made islands. The food was incredible, which is saying something from me since until my arrival in Europe I would typically classify myself as a difficult and picky eater. However, I experienced new dishes including those with vegetables and fish, which i for the most part never ate.
The next day was exciting as we went inside the Hagia Sophia which was totally breathtaking. It was so large and the extravagant giant medallions plus the extremely high balcony and all the intricate wall art that has mostly faded overtime yet still has pieces that are recoverable were fantastic to see. But my favorite place I saw during my visit was the Basilica Cistern nearby the Hagia Sophia. The cistern is an underground aqueduct system with these interesting archways and pillars that are lit up in an otherwise pitch black underground. What makes it more famous is the presence of the 2 Medusa head sculptures. There was something beautiful yet terrifying about their presence in the underground. This is something I highly recommend for people to see if they are to visit Istanbul.
Definitely my favorite thing about the whole trip was just getting to spend so much time with Keri. I miss her so much while living in California, especially since we are also on opposite time zones. It was just so great over the past year to be able to be near the same time zone so that we could talk all day, but also to periodically meet up. And of course getting to see where she has made a home with Burak was fantastic. I couldn't be more grateful for them allowing me to come and stay with them. And during this time we got to talk about their upcoming wedding when I returned to Turkey in May 2013, and even had time to go check out a couple dresses for my gorgeous friend.
I'll leave the events of her amazing wedding to another posting so for now... enjoy!
ciao! ci vediamo! :)
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