Turkey – Istanbul (back on the ‘bul)

Early in the morning, the kebab chef begins his humble but virtuous work.  A giant needle pointing upward sits before him.  Next to it, a stack of 150 chicken breasts.  One by one, the chicken breasts are threaded, creating an interlocking mass of white meat three feet tall, one foot in diameter, and 40 pounds in weight.  For the next 12 hours, he will watch over its rotation and the condition of its surface as God watches over the Earth.  As the outer-most layer becomes fully-cooked and starts to crisp, he will slice it off thin using a razor-sharp, sword-length carving knife.  The juicy, bubbling bits rendered by his blade will be lovingly tucked into a warm bread–maybe a wrap, maybe a circular pita, maybe a white roll–and perhaps garnished with a few vegetables and a sauce.  He hands you this stunning work of artisan craftsmanship and you pay the cashier $4 U.S. dollars.  Ladies and gentlemen, behold: the doner kebab!

Chicken Doner

Beef and Lamb Doner

Dual Doners

Further on the subject of Ottoman cuisine, if you find yourself near the Spice Bazaar and the New Mosque, I recommend that you follow the tram tracks a short distance toward Sultanahmet to the confectioner and cafe Hafiz Mustafa.  Sit down and you will be handed a small phone book (which is in fact the menu) complete with glossy glamor shots of the offerings–all desserts!  The Turkish run some serious dessert game, especially the candy.  I love Snickers and M&M’s and Starburst, but the Turkish Delight here is on another level; as are the candied green figs; as is the baklava, oozing honey from between layers of flaky pastry every time your fork sinks in.

Deliciousness beckons from within, Hafiz Mustafa

This being my first time in an Islamic country, I have been particularly inspired by Muslim devotion.  Seeing the women dressed in black, floor-length burkas covering all but their eyes, watching men and women wash their faces, heads, arms, and feet at ablution fountains before entering a mosque, knowing that they are praying five times a day…even though I don’t understand it all, it is easy to gain an appreciation for their level of commitment.

Courtyard of the New Mosque

Istanbul is the touch point between two continents, and the Bosphorus Strait divides the city between its European and Asian sides.  I took the Şehir Hatları ferry on a cruise of the waterway, passing by former Sultans’ summer homes and modern high-dollar real estate.  Seeing neighborhoods all along the shores and over the hills in all directions, it’s easy to understand how this is a city of 13 million residents (the biggest I have ever visited).  I also took a shorter ferry trip to the western side of the city and saw the ancient fortress walls that used to surround it.

View of the Bosphorus shore from the ferry

Fortress walls at the old edge of Istanbul

Other than that, I have enjoyed a relaxing week of just hanging out in Istanbul.  It’s easily one of the favorite places I have visited and the small moments here will remain with me–crouching on a tiny stool at a random kebab shop hidden in the labyrinth of alleys surrounding the Spice Bazaar, having a friendly old man insist on sharing his doughnuts with me in the courtyard of a mosque, sitting within reach of the fountain mist between the Crepe Myrtles of Hagia Sophia, staring into tile patterns of turquoise (Turkish) blue, burning thumb and index finger over and over on tiny cups of tea, listening to the chants of the imams–sometimes steadfast and solemn, sometimes longing and unresolved, sometimes vibrant and unpredictable, over-driving the mosque speakers like a Jimi Hendrix guitar solo.

The Blue Mosque

Tea, Turkish Style

It’s easy to see why people have been living here continuously for 3,000 years, since it was Byzantium and then Constantinople.  May it carry on for 3,000 more.

Kebab in another of its delightful incarnations

Turkish Coffee (remember to stop when there’s one sip left–learn from my mistakes)

Gulhane Park