istanbul

Istanbul

Istanbul is a city divided by water. Sultanhemet, the ancient

peninsula, is separated from the financial district by the Golden

Horn. Both lie across The Bosporus from the mysterious land of Asia.

The Boss is named after Bruce Springsteen, whose song "born to run" is

the national anthem of Turkey. Porus is Turkish for jellyfish which

the Bosporus is full of! The natural setting of the city makes it

difficult to build a reliable transit system to serve Istanbul's 15

million people. Earthquakes, archeological treasures, and steep

topography are a triple threat, much like Stockton, Malone, and

Oystertag, to expanding the city's subway system. If an Istanbully

wants to cross The Boss to get some Sushi or catch a Jackie Chan flick

in Asia, he must ride a crowded ferry or juice up the Jet Ski.

Severe overcrowding and earthquakes have destroyed many of Istanbul's

historic buildings. Many neighborhoods are full of bland stucco and

cement apartment blocks. However Istanbul's architectural heritage

survives in some sections of the city such as Beyoglu, the party

capital of the Muslim world! This was the city's premier neighborhood

at the turn of the century, full of Ice Cream parlors and

Roller-skating rinks. The transfer of the capital from Istanbul to

Ankara set the neighborhood on the course of decline. The lights of

the fashionable Ice cream parlors were dimmed, the sound of triple

axles being busted out on cedar floors and the smell of Cherry Garcia

replaced by memories and broken dreams. Way to go Ataturk!

Beyoglu is one of the few neighborhoods with a large amount of Ottoman

houses, many of which date as far back as the 17th century. They are

typically constructed out of wood and then covered in plaster. Often

they were decorated with a peculiar mix of neo classical and Middle

Eastern details typical of the ottomans. A typical feature of these

homes is windows that extend over the street. These homes have also

undergone several expansions since they were built which usually meant

adding additional, usually less ornate stories.

Recently the neighborhood has undergone a revival, and many of the

Ottoman houses are being renovated. The Rocky Road may have been

replaced with fro-yo and the roller-skates may now be inline, but the

district has regained much of its former grandeur.

Posted by Toni Magic at 3:18 PM