istanbul day 6 topkapi and turkish fast

Istanbul Day 6 - Topkapi and Turkish fast food

Istanbul is often seen as a meeting of East and West, but to my eyes

it's just as much North and South. The Bosphorus runs N-S and it is

this route that gave the city its rich customs duties. It guards the

Bosphorus. Even today you hear Russian and eastern Europeans and

hardly any English voices. Pakup's Istanbul is wonderfully evocative

when it comes to the Bosphorus and it's role in Istanbul's geography,

history and sense of place. He describes the ships that collided,

exploded and went on fire, the huge Russian warships sailing through

in the dead of night, the shipload of 20,000 sheep that sank taking

most of its sheep with it, the sad decay of the yalts (mansions) that

line the shore, the castles, the city walls and the differences in

cultures between the different parts of Istanbul. This is true. One

can walk across the Galata bridge and feel that you're in another

country.

Topkapi Palace

I was disappointed by the seamier side of Ottoman decadence as the

exhibitions are one big blingfest. Room after room of jewel encrusted

objects. Nothing more than the lazy expression of power and wealth.

The views over the Bosphorus and the relic room holding the Prophet

Mohammed's relics were the only highlights. A gold gutter from the

Kaaba, his mantle (case), hairs from is beard, sword, bow, dust from

his tomb, even his footprint. Beginning to spot key Arabic phrases

such as Allah, Prophet Mohammed, In the name of God the compassionate

and merciful. The view across the Bosphorus is the high point of the

palace.

Stopped off for some Turkish fast food, potato pastries, meat rolls

and fresh orange juice. Sad to see a few Macdonald's around when

there's so many good Turkish fast food joints. Thankfully, I only saw

foreign tourists inside.

Why a Fez?

I've always liked the Fez so looked it up on Wikipedia at the airport.

Turns out it's a Greek Byzantine invention, taken up by the Ottomans,

as western hats couldn't be kept on during prayer, as one's forehead

had to touch the ground. You'll not see a Fez anywhere other than on

hotel bellhops and at fancy dress parties, as in Istanbul as a

reminder of Ottoman rule.

Tommy Cooper tells a great story of him visiting the bazaar in Cairo

and looking at a fez, when the shopkeeper comes up to him and says,

`Just like that!'. Tommy says, `I am Tommy Cooper,' and the guy says,

`Who?' He explained that everyone who came up to buy a fez had used

that phrase, He had no idea why.

Farewell to the excellent Hotel Niles and off to the airport. This was

a fine little hotel. The two people on the front desk and all of the

staff have been hired for enthusiasm and go way beyond the norm to be