A rumour, however short-lived, is all it takes to create an enterprise. The rumour in question was spread by an Australian tourist visiting Cappadocia; he said that a portion of Star Wars had been shot here. In reality, the shooting of ‘planet Tatooine’ that he was referring to, took place in Tunisia. But the presence of a Star Wars cafe in Cappadocia is indicative of what the Turks still want to believe.
As the release of the seventh movie of the franchise was going to coincide with my trip, I had planned to watch it in Istanbul. Unfortunately, movie theatres here screen the Turkish version. But that’s the thing about Turkey. If you ever plan to visit, I recommend you carry a phrase book with you because the locals although extremely helpful, struggle to construct even a sentence in English. The standard reply is in Turkish, followed by, “No speak the English.” Fortunately, during my 12-day trip I manage to pick up a few words: Güllüoğlu (sweet shop), cay (pronounced chai, is tea) and muzesi (museum). Thanks to its position on the world map and importance in history–both modern and ancient–Turkey has several museums, both open air and enclosed, including some converted from legendary monuments such as Hagia Sophia and the Topkapi Palace. But more on them later.
Bazaars with history and Bollywood
There’s something exciting about being in a city, whose history can fill thousands of books. Istanbul’s history goes back to the Byzantine Empire that was followed by the Roman Empire and finally the Ottoman Empire. The city (originally called Byzantium, then Constantinople after Roman Emperor Constantine and finally Istanbul) has seen several cultures and traditions come and go over the centuries.
As I walk uphill along the cobble-stone streets from my service apartment to Sultan Ahmed Square, I pass a variety of traditional shops selling everything from lamps, teas and trinkets, to aphrodisiacs. While the old-school salesmen go, “Yes please. Come inside”, the younger ones serenade us with Bollywood songs, “Dil Toh Pagal Hai! Dil Deewana Hai!” Amused, I enter a souvenir shop and bargain for a lamp till the store owner says, “My friend, this is the best price you’ll get. If you don’t believe us, go to another shop”.
Apart from visiting The Grand Bazaar–a 15th century market that today comprises 61 streets and over 3,000 shops, I do other touristy stuff such as going to the Blue Mosque (to scratch it off my bucket list), Hagia Sofia (a revelation with a mixture of Islamic and Christian art) and a two-hour ride along the Bosphorus. The boat guide keeps pointing out houses of the rich and famous, specifying the price of each. The cheapest room at Ciragan Palace Kempinski, Istanbul’s costliest hotel, is around `80,000. However, the most striking place we discover is Chora Church, which despite being a two-room structure has some of the best art that I have seen. The mosaic of Jesus Christ and his 12 disciples on the ceiling keeps tourists busy taking pictures.
Bus rides to the past
After six days in Istanbul, I spend a few nights travelling between cities in what appears to be the best way to move around Turkey–private buses. They are 50-seater Mercedes models with a screen in front of each seat, much like an international airline. Best of all, along with the ticket (which costs 40 Turkish Lira), you also get two cups of any warm or cold beverage and a sponge cake.
Travelling from Istanbul to Cappadocia and onwards from Konya to Izmir we can’t see much outside as it’s night. It’s difficult to sleep with the constant sound of children crying. And as we near Izmir, it doesn’t help that the heater is overworked. I sleep in just a t-shirt and jeans, though outside it’s -5 degreesC.
But the day trips make up for the trouble–the short journey from Cappadocia to Konya takes us through pretty mountains and snowfall and the locations are totally worth it. When it comes to open air structures, Ephesus, near Izmir, is right up there. The Roman city was rediscovered in the 19th century. It has ancient baths (where Romans socialised and shared important information), a church dedicated to Mother Mary and a structure that historians and archaeologists say was Mary’s home.Marble placards offer explanations in Turkish, English, German and French. Instead of spending 30 Turkish Liras (approximately `600) to see the house, we decide to explore other marvels such as statues of Roman Gods. It’s hard to miss the irony of modern beings taking selfies, juxtaposed against this ancient backdrop. After Izmir, the final leg of our trip is to Troy, where the tourism department has built a horse as an attraction, but it is the ruins that you must check out. We take 45 minutes to explore its broken walls, small open-air theatre and remains of a 5th-century well.
Even the the six-hour journeys between Izmir and Canakkale and back to Istanbul are beautiful; we drive along the Turkish coastline, a brilliant shade of blue that blends with the sky such that we can’t tell where one ends and the other starts. There on, it’s a hilly ride up and despite the spectacular roads many of us feel nauseated thanks to the speed.
If I were to do the trip again, I’d most certainly ensure it is just as strenuous and wouldn’t eliminate any city, except Konya, which is freezing. You can’t skip it if you’re taking the bus from Capadocia to Izmir, but you can, if you’re willing to spend a little more and take a train. The thing is, despite its beauty, Konya doesn’t have much to offer; anything that you want to buy from here, you can get at Istanbul too.
(This article originally appeared in DNA on February 21, 2016)
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