Ortakoy Camii and the bridge to connect Europe and Asia
Eventhough I couldn’t finish to re-read of Pamuk’s Benim Adim Kirmizi (‘My name is red’ in english; ‘Namaku merah kirmizi’ in Indonesia), I really have to finish my Istanbul tale, as time is always very relentless, moving very fast to the time of my flight back to Indonesia.
One thing that I should have mentioned in the beginning of my tale. Three years ago, I wrote about Turkish Integration to EU and because of that I received a chance to go to Europe for my first time. Now, as three years went by, right at the same beautiful days of spring time, I have another chance, to visit the country that I wrote about. Sometimes, things are working in a funny way: we have a dream, and don’t ask how, the world will support us to have it comes true.
I had been in many beautiful places in the world, but Istanbul – is a city that long ago crossed in my mind that this is one of five cities I have to visit before I die ( people can have 100 cities to visit before die, but to me, five is just more than enough). And Istanbul is my first lucky five.
My first impression was this city is very sexy. The people are sexy, with the deep eyes – middle eastern look, but as stylist as Western European. The buidings are mixed, from Ayasofya to Blue Mosque, represented into many eras: Eastern Roman, Ottoman, and now Republic. The landscape is hilly, and it seemed every house has a chance to have the view of Marmara sea, Golden Horn, and Bosphorus straits. The sound of Azan is very sexy also, they only voiced the azan in only five minutes, five times a day, instead of echoing the praying speeches like most Mosque of Jakarta do.
Their hospitality are superb, their hearts are purely warm. But still, in the market like Grand Bazaar, cheaters are in everycorner. Beggars, eventhough can be count with our fingers, they can be very agressive. And sellers are expert to try encashing every lira that the visitors have. May be this unsterileness that to me making the city is sexier and alive – and for sure: not boring.
Derwis
If I was tired about having the tourists ( it is said 25 million tourists a year visit Turkey ) and 14 million people of Istanbulish, there were always places to escape. One was Istanbul Universitesi, the beautiful university that off limit from the tourists. To me it was a bit of an adventure trying to get in. But with a bit bravery and a smile, I finally could cajole the guard of the University that I am only a stupid Indonesian, instead of the spy.
The second was, of course, Hamami, a Turkish Bath. After realising other colleagues were tired moving around, this was the time for a secret adventure – well, not a secret anymore now. Since the Turkish bath for top end tourist that advertised everywhere is deadly expensive, I knew what to do: go to Lonely Planet. And it was true that the book knows where the cheap Hamami which the local Turkish usually go is located. And with almost one third price compared the tourist Hamami, I finally went in to the most perfect sauna I had ever gone along with the most memorable funny story that I will never forget in my life with the non english speaking big hairy mustachy masseur who are very ignorant about my moaning while he soaped and wrestled me soon after I stepped my feet on the marble old sauna.
So that is more or less of my short Istanbul tale.
Carpe Diem,
Ahmad Zae
