When East Meets West, Istanbul Is The Literal Definition

It's not easy to cast my biased aside. Afterall, I did spend six healthy and happy years in the centre of the city everyone, for some reason, regardless of the fall of the Roman Empire, still calls Constantinople. It's a nostalgia thing, I imagine. However, the Ottomans weren't the only ones who conquered Istanbul and made it their own. I can count on my two hands the number of people I know who have arrived in the pristine, shiny new Ataturk Airport, wide-eyed and hopeful that they would survive to tell truly amazing stories about their trip to Istanbul. I've heard friends call it "the most beautiful city in the world." Of course, these are the friends who actually put the effort into discovering this part of the world that seems to be more closely associated with Asia, then Europe. When people plan their trip to Europe, it seems that they go as far as the Greek Islands and then they stop. What some seem to forget is that most of Ancient Greece, geographically, is nestled along the Aegean Coast of Turkey, and boy are there enough ruins to keep your head spinning for a couple weeks. I won't even bother mentioning the turquoise shores, the navy blue deep seas and beaches that extend forever. For now, let's stick to Istanbul.

You know the feeling of complete peace that you almost never get in a bustling, busy city populated with 12 million people? The way this city of seven-hills is oddly shaped, somehow, allows you to find a nook where you can just sit at a cafe, look out onto the Bosphorus, enjoy delicious Turkish tea (what we call "cay", pronounced "chay") and just be. Turks are very proud and enthusiastic about the "views" of their country, so when they find a place with a nice view, the world is their oyster. "Simple pleasures" is their philosophy. Food, a beautiful view, family, friends and enjoyment of life is what is baked in the sweet, creamy centre of this culture. The rest is all sugar-coating. When visitors decide to test their sense of adventure by visiting Istanbul, they get layers upon layers of civilization built right on top of the other like a wedding cake. Synagogues hover peacefully beside the minarets of the local Mosque forming a spiritual triangle completed with an ancient Roman basilica right around the corner. University students pile out of their classes after having learned about economic development during the Ottoman era or Turkey's cutting-edge healthcare system, as they congregate in areas like Kadikoy, Ortakoy, Taksim or Gulhane and exchange ideas about Ataturk, the father of Turkish democracy, Western fashion, Turkish ska music, history and politics. Women dressed in head dresses, others in mini-skirts, all lounge around the cities many public spaces. A majority of youth, some who have newly emigrated from different cities all across Anatolia, populate the streets of Istanbul, adding to the diverse city life, music and style. They all adapt to the quickly developing organism that is the "modern city of Istanbul." Always changing, never settling in. Modernity has quickly infiltrated all aspects of Turkish life. Loads of shopping malls with their futuristic architecture, an always-expanding subway system that rivals North American ones, a new university being founded each year, and more and more skyscrapers to add to the lot that already litter the cityscape of the "European side." All these constant developments vouch for the progress of this ancient city. When east meets west, Istanbul is where it gets complicated.

Caressing the waves of the Bosphorus, the snaking current of water that carves its way through both continents doesn't keep the citizens of each side apart enough to create separation anxiety, since there is an abundance of travel options. The first option is sipping Ayran (a refreshing yoghurt drink) while feeding the seagulls simit (another local favourite, a baked donut-shaped bread covered in sesame seed), seated on the white, wooden seats lining the sides of the "vapur," the large boats that traverse the strait from Uskudar to Eminonu, or Cengelkoy to Bebek. If a leisurely ride on the water is not what you are searching for, a "motor" will also ferry you across, but at two times the speed and exhaust fumes. To enjoy this trip from east to west from above, taxis, "dolmus" (minivans that pack 7-9 people) and local buses on one of the two bridges suspended across the water will get you where you want to go. Problem solved!

With the Aya Sofia, Blue Mosque and Basilica Sistern, the area called Sultanahmet has become one of the most visited spots in this city. Within the square footage of this part of town, tourists come in droves to see both empires, Ottoman and Roman, crash into one another in a impressionist melange of tulips and crosses. East not only meets West, but they have been practically married for hundreds of years already. Personifying the differences between Europe and Middle East helps reduce the complex relationship to a more simplistic one of friendship. It is safe to call one side the wife and the other side the husband. Amid their arguments and their constant bickering, their love is strong, their friendship runs deep and their co-habitation explodes in colours, structures, foods and people unlike the world has ever seen. Only when east meets west, can violence be so destructive, can faith be so decisive, can passion be so explosive and celebration be so vital. Side by side, so alive, these two histories, cultures and lifestyles make Istanbul a city that is often longed for. I feel it calling out to me now, I wish I was there, devouring its delicious foods, smiling at the gypsies selling flowers on the street or the vendors hollering "100% silk scarves" or "Real Turkish kilims for sale" at the Grand Bazaar. I miss walking down brightly lit, perfectly paved, tree-lined avenues bursting with European boutiques and American clothing stores, with a taste of home every fast food chain provides at each major intersection, Istanbul satisfies my craving for it all.