Welcome
to Istanbul
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| Taksim Square, Istanbul |
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Istanbul – it is one seriously awesome
city. A perfect destination for students.
We’ve been in town here for a few days now,
visiting Bogazici University and some other organisations, as well as getting in
a bit of sneaky down-time to scope out some of the incredible sights that this
place serves up. If you’re coming here on one of AIM Overseas’ academic short
courses you are in for the adventure of a lifetime!
Istanbul = a unique, perfect place to study
and embrace history and culture.
So let’s talk a little bit more about it.
First
Impressions
I didn’t really know what to expect when I
touched down, but the thing that really blew me away the most was the sheer
diversity of Istanbul. It is truly wonderful.
You’ll see every colour, shape and type of
people here – blond with blue eyes, Asiatic, Mediterranean or Arabic – and
they’re all Turkish. The people are wonderfully welcoming and accommodating.
The city is a blend of east and west, new
and old. You’ll see stunning Romanesque buildings beside rundown,
communist-looking pre-fab concrete architecture. Stunning Islamic mosques sit
beside boulevards that you could find anywhere in Europe. Cobbled streets lead
to nooks and crannies packed with small bars and restaurants. It’s a city of
surprises, secret little corners and, unforgettably, stunning views.
Stunning
Views
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| Ferries cross the Bosphorous - viewed from Topkapi Palace |
Located on the Bosphorous (the waterway that
joins the Mediterranean to the Black Sea), Istanbul is loaded full of
incredible views.
The city is divided into east (the ‘Asian
side’) and west (the ‘European side’) and it clings to hills that slope down to
the magnificent turquoise waters of the Bosphorous. As you walk, bus or tram
around the various areas of the city you catch glimpses of the water all over
the place…it’s truly lovely!
You could sit for hours watching the
ferries, tankers and other craft cruising up and down under the blazing blue
sky.
One of the highlights of the stay was
walking from Bebek (which is near both Bogazici University and the accommodation
that AIM Overseas uses) back towards the centre of Istanbul. The walk hugs the
edge of the Bosphorous and passes through some great places to eat, some pretty
parks, and offers stunning views that rival the best waterway views in Europe:
think lots of trees, palaces, crazy millionaire yachts and boats and even a
man-made island devoted to bars and restaurants.
Food
and Culture
Food and culture? Istanbul is loaded with
both.
Let's start with culture.
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| The Blue Mosque at Sultanahmet |
Perhaps unsurprisingly, given the strategic
value of the waterway that it encloses, Istanbul is a city with an ancient
history full of sultans and conquests.
We visited the most famous monuments and you’re
not going to be disappointed!!!
Amongst Istanbul’s treasures are some of
the true wonders of the world (and our programs will explore many of these
places as part of the culture day tours that are included).
Aya Sofra: Your
breathe will be stolen as you walk into this incredible former church and
mosque, now a museum. Its interior rivals any religious building in Europe.
The Blue Mosque:
You will feel peace inside the calm interior of the mosque – being there in
January, away from the hordes of tourists, will be a big plus.
Topkapi Palace –
Perched above the Bosphorous, the sprawling magnificence that is Topkapi offers
priceless views and limitless insight on the history of Istanbul.
The Grand Bazaar
– Words fail to capture the intrigue of the sensation of walking the Grand
Bazaar – it’s enormous and so clean and organised compared to the bazaars of
North Africa…not that the haggling is any less ferocious! You will go crazy
buying souvenirs here!
The Spice Bazaar
– even the locals shop here, and it’s the place for buying Turkisk Delight and
sampling local cheeses and spices.
Food-wise, Istanbul is just fabulous.
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| The aptly-named Spice Bazaar |
Red-blooded carnivores will adore the
unrestricted access to tasty and cheap, cheap, CHEAP kebab. It’s absolutely everywhere
and is very fine indeed.
Connoisseurs of desserts and sweet foods
will appreciate the Turks’ love of arguably the day’s most important meal –
think baklava, quality chocolate, Turkish Delight and you’ll get an idea of
what I mean. We ate at a fantastic dessert-only restaurant on Straselviler Cd
(the main ‘strip’ that runs from Taksim Square to the Bosphorous) and were in 7th
heaven. You should also also try the regional ice cream delicacy – I’ll post a
video of it that will make you crack up laughing!
Vegetarians should usually be able to get
around – there are brilliant veggie dishes based on tomato or eggplant. One of
these, pureed smoked eggplant, is now on my list of ‘foods I would eat for a
year on a desert island’…yes, it is that good!!!!
Shopping
Straselviler Cd is a cobbled street running
from Taksim Square that rivals any shopping strip in Europe. We ate here on a
Wednesday night and it was packed to the rafters – tens of thousands of Turks
and tourists out to eat, drink, shop and party the night away. A must-see
experience!
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| Entry to the Grand Bazaar |
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| Turkish towels at the Grand Bazaar |
Rob’s
‘Travel Difficulty’ Rating
5/10.
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| The incredible view from Bogazici University |
Yes, there’s the foreign language aspect,
public transport to master, the occasional tout and a new currency to get used
to, but even with those with little travel experience will find Turkey a pretty
easy place to settle into.
People are friendly and accommodating,
finding an English speaker is easy (or bumbling through in English isn’t badly
received), the public transport is intuitive and predictable and, most of all,
you’ll never be short of something to do here!
It is easier to adapt to than many places
in ‘western’ Europe.
As a place for students I would rank
Istanbul a 9/10: there’s diversity, culture, history, amazing food, great
shopping, monuments and fantastic travel opportunities. And it’s all at an
affordable (sometimes even cheap) price.
Do not miss out on your chance to study in
Turkey.
It is hosted at Bogazici University,
arguably Turkey’s finest university. The program next runs in January 2013 (check our website for all the details).
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| Aya Sofra viewed from outside |
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| Inside Aya Sofra |
Adam Saunders is completing the Political Change in the Middle East program at Boğaziçi University in Istanbul. Adam is in his 4th year of a double degree at Griffith University 
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