TURKEY
Country Overview:
“Tasty treats, a tumultuous economy, and a love for street food”
I flew to Istanbul, Turkey from Sanya, China on Aug. 18, 2020. At the time, it was one of only several countries open to Americans that didn’t have any quarantine requirements. I spent close to 3 months exploring the city, learning the culture, and eating my way through this culinary paradise. I left in late October to fly to Serbia and although my time in Turkey was shorter than I would have liked, I will never forget the people, places, or food that made Turkey a must-see destination for any traveler.
Adios Istanbul
This afternoon I flew to Belgrade, Serbia to start my Balkan trip. I spent almost 3 months in Turkey and it was an incredible experience. If the opportunity ever presents itself, I’ll definitely be returning, if just for the kebabs and baklava.
Autumn In Istanbul
Church - Trolley - View from pool - Baklava - Istiklal street - Taksim Square - Kebab - Chicken wing takeout
Dinner In Istanbul
Istanbul has a super pretty skyline, accentuated by mosques and its hilly geography rather than large skyscrapers.
Raki Night
Raki is a sweetened, often anise-flavored, alcoholic drink that is popular in Albania, Turkic countries, Turkey, the Greek Islands and in the Balkan countries as an apéritif.
In Turkey, rakı is the national drink and is traditionally consumed with chilled water on the side or partly mixed with chilled water. Dilution with water causes rakı to turn a milky-white color.
This phenomenon has resulted in the drink being popularly referred to aslan sütü ('lion's milk') Since aslan ('lion') is a Turkish colloquial metaphor for a strong, courageous man, this gives the term a meaning close to 'the milk for the strong'.
Food In Istanbul
Food in Istanbul is fantastic. There are so many options and so many different price points, that eating out is an enjoyable experience. I can get a kebab with chicken and vegetables for $1, go to a place that has a selection of dishes (top pic) for $3, or go out and get a salad with avocado and chicken for $6. I’m also super happy to be living somewhere that values cheese as an essential part of their diet. As much as I love SE Asia and Chinese food, I missed cheese. There haven’t been a lot of pork options, likely due to the large amount of muslims, but I’m happy with beef, chicken, fish, and lamb. So far, I am loving the food here.
Kadikoy - Istanbul
Kadıköy is a large, populous, and cosmopolitan district on the Asian side of Istanbul, Turkey, on the northern shore of the Sea of Marmara, facing the historic city centre on the European side of the Bosporus.
More From Istanbul
I had seen pictures of Balat online, so I went to go see the colorful area and I’m glad I made the effort. It is an eclectic mix of lovely renovated houses and condemned and crumbling houses.
Balat is one of the Istanbul quarters in which Jews were settled after their expulsion from Spain, enlarging a community that had lived here since Byzantine times.
Church of St. Anthony of Padua & Pera Museum
First 3 pictures are of St. Anthony of Padua Church, which is the largest Roman Catholic Church in Istanbul, Turkey.
The church is considered a minor basilica and is run by Italian priests. In case anyone is curious:
Saturday Mass is in Italian and begins at 19:00
Sunday Mass is 9:30 in Polish, 10:00 in English and 17:00 in Turkish
Tuesday Mass is in Turkish and begins at 11:00
Weekday Masses are in English at 8:00
Fun Fact: Pope John XXIII preached in this church for 10 years, when he was the Vatican's ambassador to Turkey before being elected as pope. He is known in Turkey as ”The Turkish Pope" because of his fluent Turkish and his public adoration for Turkey and the city of Istanbul.
The other pictures are from Pera Museum, which was super cool. My favorite exhibition was “Constructing A Dream” which focused on the Albanian government’s attempts to build a propaganda narrative for the people to achieve socialist realism. I love propaganda art and I thought the idea of “new person” had similar parallels with China’s style of people in their propaganda posters.
The last picture in the bottom right is an exhibit made of sand. Behind it was a video of the artist sweeping up a copy of the sand installation in her home. I don’t really understand why, maybe to symbolize that art is fleeting, but I can only imagine how long it took her to make it. For 25 Lira, if you’ve got a free afternoon in Istanbul, I recommend checking out Pera Museum.
August 30 - Victory Day
Victory Day (Turkish: Zafer Bayramı), also known as Turkish Armed Forces Day, is a public holiday commemorating the decisive victory in the Battle of Dumlupınar, on August 30, 1922.
The Battle of Dumlupınar was the last battle in the Greco-Turkish War. Victory Day has been celebrated as an official holiday since 1926, and was first celebrated on 30 August 1923. Fun fact: All public transportation is free on this day.
Pictures were taken in Taksim Square which according to Wikipedia, is considered the heart of modern Istanbul. Taksim Square is also the location of the Republic Monument, which commemorates the 5th anniversary of the foundation of the Republic of Turkey in 1923, following the Turkish War of Independence.
Both Sunday and Monday don’t seem to have a whole lot going on in Istanbul. Shops are closed, all the kebab places are shut down, and the only things open are gyms and supermarkets.