Kay Corcoran
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Last Day in Turkey

7/20/2011

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Knowing it was my last day in this wondrous city, I got up early, had breakfast as usual on the seventh floor, and then went to Starbucks down the street for my cappuccino power drink. After a stop at the ATM, I made my way as if by magnetic force to the Grand Bazaar. Previously we'd gone as a group and were given all of one small hour for this place -- hardly adequate for the "grandmother of the shopping mall." With perhaps 4,000 stalls, sixteen entrances, and covering over 65 streets, this place required my full attention. The Grand Bazaar began in the 15th century and has always been the major marketplace of Istanbul, known all over the world.
This time I arrived at the west entrance and rather than finding a straight indoor lane, I found a series of winding passageways. First I noticed beautiful Rajasthani-style, beaded skirts, but soon crossed the way to the shop of a Turkman who was born in Afghanistan. He invited me into his shop for tea and together we looked at many pieces. He showed me photos of his store in Kabul, later the one in Peshawar, and now he's here in Istanbul. From what I could understand, he was a refugee at the time of the Russian invasion and lived in Pakistan for most of previous thirty years. He gave me a pendant, and I bought a Mongolian style hat. It's covered with metal ingots and has long tassels with beads. I'm not sure why I bought this, but I liked this man and sensed a great weariness in him. Probably it brought back memories of when I was in Kabul and Peshawar in the late 1970s. He gave me his business card; maybe one day I'll come see if he's still there.

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There are literally millions of things to buy here, and the streets are packed with shoppers from all over the world. You can buy t-shirts, jeans, silks, purses, oriental carpets, and jewelry of every kind. It's really overwhelming. There are also small cafes where people are taking a break from it all. The actual "old bazaar" part has vaulted brick ceilings and survived a fire in the 1950s because of the large walls and doors of this part are closed and locked at night. Most of the ornamental painted ceilings have survived for ages.
Next I came upon a lovely jewelry shop. I like the owner's Elvis Presley-style haircut so I decided to stay awhile. Perhaps I tried on everything in the store. Ultimately I only bought one pair of Ottoman-style gold earrings. One thing has disappointed me here, and that's how high the prices are. Probably I'm just comparing it to the bargains one finds in South and Southeast Asia. Istanbul is a world market, with merchants who know the value of their goods. (sigh) There are loads of Arabs here that seem to be affluent:  with their Chanel handbags, Burberry scarves, and iPhones, loaded down with packages. Do I sound envious?
Two handsome, young men had a stall the sold mirrors and knick knacks. I bought a small pocket mirror that had a beautiful Selcuk design on it. One of them attends UCLA in electrical engineering. It was fun talking to them. They were surprised that an American was familiar with Selcuk patterns. I went to get my silver ring repaired and found those sellers to be unpleasant to others, and I was glad to be done with that place. I had to run past some overly-aggressive carpet sellers.
Finally, I went into the shop of an art print seller. An old Persian painting of an elephant had caught my eye. Inside his shop, we talked about Turkish history and the strange truth that Americans know hardly anything about the Byzantine and Ottoman Empires' achievements. He wanted to meet me after his shop closed; though I declined, he gave me some very kind words that I hope to remember.

With the afternoon drawing to a close, I hurried to visit the Istanbul Museum of Modern Art. There was not so much to see, but at least I made the effort with a good deal of walking. Then it was time to suitably end this last day, and I made my way to the Pera Palace Hotel, the destination for those who once traveled overland to Istanbul on the fabled Orient Express. Unfortunately, the tea costs $30, so I settled for cappuccino and almond cakes which I enjoyed immensely as I listened to the pianist playing something from the 1930s. I contemplated the Victorian decor and carefully set aside 40 Turkish lira for my cab ride to the airport in the morning. 
I truly love this city and would come back in a heartbeat! 
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I Love Istanbul!

7/19/2011

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We arrived here nearly a week a ago, and I haven't been motivated to update this blog. It could be that we are having such a marvelous time, but I'm also certain that I can't find the words to adequately describe my new "favorite city." Istanbul struck all of us immediately as vibrant, modern, energized, hip, and multicultural. At the same time i's also an ancient city, more than 2,500 years old, still retaining walls from when it was Byzantium and later Constantinople. It's a very large and sprawling city with a population of 15,000,000 or so. Immigrants from the rural areas and neighboring countries pour in each day to find work. We are staying at the Richmond Hotel in Beyoglu, the "new town", a century old, but newly modernized. It's where the cool restaurants, coffee houses, and night clubs are. Each afternoon and into the evening, thousands of people and familes are walking or dining in outdoor cafes. There are street musicians and vendors and stores along the main boulevard and also along the narrow, winding side streets. Women dress in everything from modern chic clothing to being completely concealed by black veils. A great many Turkish women cover their hair with scarves, tied under their chins. When I was a kid, my mom used the term "babushka" for those who dressed this way, though it's a Russian term. One can catch views of the Golden Horn and the Bosphorus down side streets. People are friendly and feel of the Mediterranean in summer fills the air. Of course I love this city!

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Images of Istanbul

7/18/2011

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Istanbul Demonstration

7/17/2011

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A few days ago, thirteen Turkish soldiers were killed in a terrorist attack by Kurdish extremists who claimed credit for the attack. This same day we'd gone on a beautiful cruise on the Bosphorus and learned that Hilary Clinton was also in Istanbul this day. Of course we hoped that we'd encounter her somewhere, but that didn't happen... When we got back to Beyoglu, we saw groups of protesters clustering and as our bus neared our hotel, I noticed riot police with shields standing on a side street. An undercurrent of tension was noticeable...Soon the main street was filled with thousands upon thousands of demonstrators who were carrying Turkey's distinctive red flag. We were told that it was a protest against the Kurdish separatists in reaction to the death of the soldiers. However I noticed a large sign that included the word "Amerika" on it. I asked a Turkish man what it said, and he shook his head as if reluctant to tell me. "It's a problem," he said, "America and Israel."
Until the start of the Iraq war, the US has had a fairly good relationship with Turkey, whom we regard as an important ally in the Middle East. Though this is a secular nation, nearly 97% of the people are Muslim. There has been a turn to fundamentalism in the past few years which disturbs some in the educated circles. Nearly everyone agrees there has been a decline in American prestige and influence in Turkey. The protest was loud, organized, and large. I stood on the steps of our hotel as suggested by Ali, our guide, as I watched and took photos. Later I learned that the police had to use tear gas to disperse the crowds as Taksim Square. We shall see...

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Dolmabace Palace & Yidiz ParkĀ 

7/16/2011

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Our cruise on the Bosphorus River was such a wonderful way to relax. This was another one of those experiences where I had no idea what it would look like, so that was especially wonderful. Everything was surprising. The bright blue waters, the wind, and the beautiful skyline reminded me in a way of the San Francisco Bay. Earlier in the day we'd gone to see the Dolmabace Palace (shown here) which was a palace built in the mid-1800s by an Ottoman sultan. Though they had other pleasure palaces in Istanbul, this sultan wanted one in the "modern, European" style. It cost the equivalent of $1.5 billion in today's dollars. It was occupied from the 1850s to the end of the caliphate in the 1920s. It has more than 285 rooms, 46 halls, and 68 toilets. It just went on and on and on. It's easily the largest palace in Turkey. We were not allowed to take photos inside the place, but you can get an idea of the curious blend of Ottoman, Baroque, Rococo, and Neoclassical styles that this monstrous place contains. The harem area had eight interconnected apartments for the wives of the sultan, for his favourites and concubines, and for his mother, each with its own bathroom. Overdone" does not adequately describe it. Once outside, there are classically-laid out gardens and fountains to stroll through. My mind was filled with images of what it must've been like to live there a century earlier...

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Cruising along the Bosphorus was especially relaxing after all the site-seeing we'd been doing. It was pretty fascinating to see all the fancy, luxurious homes along the shore. Many had yachts and piers, and in the beautiful summer weather, it seemed like the perfect place to be. Liza said, "Kay, it looks like Tiburon!" which was quite true, except that it extended for what seemed like miles and miles of homes. We pulled to the shore and had a wonderful lunch outdoors. Perfect. 
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Topkapi & Harem

7/15/2011

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Topkapi Palace
Archaeological Museum
Lunch
Harem
waiting on lawn
Spice Bazaar

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Glorious Sightseeing in Istanbul

7/14/2011

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St. Sophia 
Blue Mosque
Hippodrome
Turkish & Islamic Arts Museum
Basilica Cistern
Grand Bazaar

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Gallipoli

7/13/2011

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This morning we boarded the bus for the final leg of our trip -- we're going to Istanbul! First we crossed the Strait of the Dardanelles by ferry. It was a short, twenty-minute ride that was cool and windy from the upper deck. What a welcome from the heat of the past weeks. Technically we are now back in "Europe." Whether Turkey is European or Asian is now debatable. 
Before we headed anywhere, we had to get a flat tire fixed. This gave us the opportunity to walk down to the shore where we sat on the rocks and gazed at the sea for a half hour. It was relaxing. Dunn sang "I Did It My Way" and I enjoyed that. 

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Soon we were on our way to visit five monuments to the enormous numbers of soldiers who did during World War I in the misguided effort of the Allies to take the Canakkale and Gallipoli Peninsula. As many as 500,000 soldiers may have died here and the monuments to their memory are deeply moving. Each year, nearly a century later, the Turkish government holds a big memorial here where as many as 20,000 Australians, New Zealanders, and British join together to honor those who lost their lives at the place. This is where Kemal Ataturk famously triumphed, bringing him to prominence as the great leader he was to become. One of his well-known quotes was, "I order you not just to fight, but to die." The battle lasted more than eight months with young soldiers facing their "enemy"  in trenches just 25 feet away, suffering unimaginable hardships. Many died just because of the conditions and disease. 

The first monument is at ANZAC (to Australian New Zealand Army Corps) where so many who died on the beaches there lie in unmarked graves. Farther up the hill there is a memorial to the New Zealand troops with a monument that displays these words by Ataturk:


     "Those heroes that shed their blood and lost their lives!
      You are now lying in the soil of a friendly country, therefore rest in peace.
      There is no difference between the Johnnies and the Mehmet to us
      where they lie side by side in this country of ours.
      You, the mothers who sent your sons from faraway countries, wipe away your tears.
      You sons are now lying in our bosom, and are at peace.
      After having lost their lives on this land, they have become our sons as well."


Soberly we boarded the bus to head farther up the mountain to the Lone Pine Memorial, the site of the fiercest fighting of all. Men fought in hand-to-hand combat and many tombstones honor the men there. Another memorial honors the far greater number of Turks who died to win this war -- perhaps 250,000. At the top of the mountain there is a monument to Ataturk where the red flag of Turkey waves. 
It is hard to comprehend the depth of damage caused by war. Why does it have to happen? Why do we celebrate it in great movies and art? Why do epic tales such as the Iliad endure over the centuries? It's a conundrum.

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    by Kay

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