Turkish Delight: Five Glorious Days in Istanbul

Whether it is because Istanbul has very likely the most visually spectacular harbor in the world, a European flavor (even though 97% of Turkey is in Asia), spectacular mosques and museums, fewer veils and headscarves on women than in Egypt, Turkey as one of the US’s most strategic partners, or great shopping in age-old bazaars, we loved it. We didn’t get out of Istanbul…didn’t really see much of Turkey, but knew we had to come back. Perhaps more than any predominantly Islamic country, Turkey is a model of democratic secularism and a viable candidate for the European Union, resistance to which many faculty on the ship say is a form of bare-knuckled prejudice against Islam. (Tom and I are writing this together and I'm not sure I agree with his political assessment but we can discuss that later when we get home!) I DO agree with the fact that we did love the city even though we didn't expect to, a humungous city of 17,000,000. Yep--the number of zeroes is correct! We could not figure out where everyone lived since in the Old Town, a very large area, there are no high rises. However we took a ride on the tram (great public transportation) all the way to the end of the line and did see some city squalor and huge high rise apartment buildings that seemed to be falling into decay even though brand new ones were being built right next door and none was very old. Based on the friendly people, the great food (especially the shish-kabob, and the helva), the endless walking around Kapali Carsi Bazaar, the Spice Bazaar, Hagia Sophia, Topkapi Palace, the Sultanahmet Mosque (the Blue Mosque), the Hippodrome, the city of Taksim (a short tram and then funicular ride from our ship), and the Mosque of Suleyman the Magnificent, we couldn’t get enough of the city, Europe’s largest. The mosques, particularly those built by the architect, Sinan, rivaled some of the cathedrals in Europe--just different while still beautiful. Tom also found "bead heaven" two long streets of wholesale beads in silver and gold and precious and semi-precious stones and glass ....most to our amazement had still been made in China!

I spent a morning with a shipboard friend while Dianne slept(knocked out from a sea sick pill). Rich, an interesting guy, both a documentary maker and a bee keeper, and I hopped on the tram for a short ride into downtown Istanbul, with the intention of riding it to the outskirts of the city to let what happened happen. Three quarters into the ride we saw an antiquated sign on an antiquated building which read Istanbul University. We consulted quickly and decided to hop off to visit the English, Entemology and Film departments.

Little did we know that Ist. U. has multiple branches located all over the city and that we stood at the gates of the Medical campus. Undeterred, the third person we asked for directions from was a PHD candidate IN the British Literature Department, and he kindly wrote us the names of two head professors in that department on our notepad, sent us packing back to the tram. Three stops later we exited, found another University entrance, this one heavily blocked with guards. We spent almost thirty minutes sweet talking them into letting us through the hallowed gates. The scribbled names of two profs were ouro ticket, and four phone calls to the Brit Lit department got us a pass. Three custodians later, we were sitting in a small room with five old wooden desks, four faculty and five graduate students, only to discover that what had once been the Literature Department had had a schism years ago, and was now divided into two departments, one for British literature, the other for American. Training English teachers was handled by yet another form of English department.

With tea cups in hand, we shared our stories. The atmosphere and curriculum were what one would expect from almost any American campus in the 1950’s. They told us their 100 undergraduate majors often missed classes, their curriculum was narrow where students took few courses outside of their specialization, the graduate dissertations were on Shakespeare, Marlow and Chaucer. The senior professor, a short haired and stocky fellow in his 50’s, told us he had studied in Illinois twenty years ago, loved Istanbul…”a city where you can have any kind of fun you want 24 hours a day.” The department had few adjunct or part time faculty…when they did, they usually didn’t get any state support. They had an occasional Fulbright lecturer, but that was rare.

When we talked about my learning community experiences, most of the students and faculty were surprised. “Nothing like that could happen here. Ankora (the capital) would never allow it.” Like what we’re already learning about education in Croatia, Turkey educated students in strict disciplinary silos; LC’s are a long way off!

Istanbul is a beautiful city, full of ancient but still beautiful mosques, wide avenues and bustling people 52% under the age of 30, yet one can still see its incredibly ancient roots, parts of the city wall that Constantine built in the 4th century! Unlike India, the air is brisk (cold) and the people dressed warmly in dark clothes, hats and jackets, all muted and subdued. Old women which we deemed "babushka women" (probably OUR age) sat covered in headscarves in a park dotted with Roman ruins and a shoeshine man busily brushing shoes worn by businessmen in three piece Western suits and ties. Everywhere in the city were small cemeteries with tall stones decorated with calligraphy and arabesques. Stray cats and many stray dogs went about their business all looking as if they knew where they were going and maybe were a bit late for appointments. This is the first country, however, while having many, many strays, where the strays looked pretty healthy.

Each day and evening men fished from the Galatea Bridge and night markets sold everything along the ferry piers, from underwear to leather jackets to fresh fish sandwiches and beer. Hawkers tried to entice customers into seaside restaurants and a strip of water pipe bars pulled in many of the students. However, absolute NO hookahs would be permitted on board the ship warned our Dean's Memo and the ship loudspeaker announcements! Darn--and I wanted to bring everybody a pipe. So don't be too disappointed when you don't get one!!

We had such a nice time we'd like to return to Turkey combined with a trip to Greece. I, Dianne, would like to go to Ephesus and the site of Troy--and other archeological sites. Tom likes the idea of more city and city life.