Instanbul – A Turkish delight

Turkiye – As I walked the Istiklal Caddesi in old Istanbul and saw the familiar brands; Adidas, Zara, Starbucks, Diesel, Gap, Sketchers, and the women wearing summer dresses, jeans, T-shirts and mini skirts, I realized this is not the traditional, conservative city I thought it was.

It has a progressive Western culture, that reminds me of a place that doesn’t exist: New York with European architecture, consumerism on cobblestone streets that lead to meyhanes (bars) serving meze and raki while hanging mosaic lamps play on my sense of nostalgia for a place I only know from pictures. I am in Turkiye and I am delighted and surprised every time I turn a corner.

When I take the elevator up the centuries-old Galata Tower for a panoramic view of this sprawling metropolis of 16 million people I realize it is so much bigger and better than I expected. It’s chic, hip, trendy, cool and cosmopolitan. Most of the merchants in the Grand Bazaar shout out welcomes and can haggle in Turkish, French and English.

Instanbul has been ruled by the Romans, the Byzantines, the Ottomans and they have all left their mark. The city has been ransacked, rebuilt, added to and changed with each new conqueror. Churches became mosques, mosques became museums, museums became mosques. Officially Turkiye is a non-religion country and 99 percent of its popular is Muslim. It sounds strange but Hijabs (head scarves) were once banned; thankfully everyone can now wear what they want, and only when entering a mosque will you be asked to cover up.