The Farnoudian Chronicles

Merchants moved to the area currently known as the Grand Bazaar after the Conquest of Constantinople. In other words, the Grand Bazaar has been active for 650 years. It is not the oldest Bazaar in the world (Tehran Grand Bazaar, for example, dates back to the 7th century), but it is fully covered and hosts over 90 million people every year. The whole idea of a Bazaar is a fascinating concept. Why would I open a shop next to multiple identical shops, constantly watch to increase my standards to excel the other shops, and cut down my profit margin substantially to win business? That’s because the answer was never about the competition but the customer.  Merchants always saw value in bringing the customer to one central location before worrying about competition. In that alone, there are numerous lessons for those of us who dabble in business. 

I have, on occasion, asked people if I can take their portraits, and one of the best reactions ever was from the cloth-selling gentleman in Istanbul Bazaar. He was surprised about the offer and so happy with the outcome, in spite of the mask. I took another portrait of a gentleman selling herbal tea and sweets, and if time allowed and I was not a nuisance to people’s businesses, I would have likely taken more. If there’s one place to take portraits, it is the Bazaar. Also before I move on, I should give an honorable mention to the fresh pomegranate juice I had at the Bazaar. 

In his beautiful autobiographical book, Istanbul, Orhan Pamuk talks about old Istanbul and its wooden houses, particularly the “yalis” by the Bosphorus. As one of the biggest signs of going from the old to modern Istanbul, he talks about people’s bliss in the 50s, 60s, and 70s, when the old houses burned down one by one. In one of Turkey’s poorest times, this destruction was welcome as a sign of moving to new ages. Regardless, visiting “Adalar”, the nine islands in the Sea of Marmara, which are mostly car-free and full of wooden houses, provides some historical context and shows you what the old Istanbul looked like. The island I visited was Buyukada, which was the largest of the nine. The views were breathtaking and the houses beautiful, with some currently in ruins, but it certainly gave me an idea of old Istanbul. Pamuk does explain that these were initially Greek fishing villages whose populations were displaced in the 19th century. There are also beautiful views of the Sea of Marmara.

I must say a few words about the beautiful people of Istanbul before I move on. Istanbul is a truly international city. Millions moved to the United States throughout history, particularly between 1880 and 1914, and made a huge melting pot. As an immigrant myself, I appreciate this history. Similar events have happened in Canada, Australia, New Zealand, and in short, the new world. However, the feeling that one gets from Istanbul is entirely different. Never in the United States have I seen signs in four different languages. I’m not talking about a single store in a secluded place, there are entire neighborhoods that with signs in multiple languages. Istanbul still enjoys being the connection between Europe and Asia. She understands that she has to host many who settle there in need of a better life as well as millions who just pass by. People have adjusted to this life as well. They are kind, and while some speak English, the majority help in any language they can. They all warmly greeted me and for that I’m thankful. Hopefully, it will not be another 33 years before the next visit.

Visiting the old homes of fallen dynasties always makes for a deep contemplation – the right and wrong of what they did in the hindsight of history stays with me for a long time. In that sense, the Ottomans were in a very interesting position. As an international power controlling a substantial amount of land in Asia, Europe, and Africa, they competed with European powers. Simultaneously, they competed with Iranians over dominance in the Islamic world. This competition intensified as the Safavid dynasty gained power in Iran claiming that they are the righteous kings as Shi’a Muslims, and became violent at times, particularly under Shah Abbas and Nader Shah. As a result of it all, it is not surprising to see that their decisions were impacted by these rivalries. If the Safavid had A’ali Qapu to watch polo and horse racing, the Ottomans had Bab-e A’ali, and if Europeans had royal palaces, the Ottomans built their new palaces with European architecture.

Topkapi and Dolmabahche palaces are very different places but I was wow-ed many times walking through them watching the beauty of the architecture. Topkapi is significantly older and witnessed the heyday of the Ottoman empire. Given this fact, Topkapi Museum showed all the artifacts that the Ottomans gathered from the lands they had under control: The sword of David, the beard of Muhammad, the dress of Fatima (Muhammad’s daughter), and the list goes on. The exhibition goes on to cover multiple areas of the palace and they are, of course, interesting from a historical perspective. However, the harem and its administrative structure were mind-boggling. There were multiple groups of women that were brought into the harem for the Sultan: concubines, ordinary women, favorites, and favorites who had sons. These people, in most cases 12 to 13-year-old girls, are guarded and managed by slaves who are intentionally maimed to act as eunuchs in the harem. The slaves then had a headmaster with direct access to the sultan or at a minimum the ministers. He was the one deciding who saw the Sultan, who moved up in the world (quite literally as the entrance to the harem is a two-story building), and he also ran a large net of spies to ensure the harem was properly controlled. After all, true human stories are always stranger than fiction and Lord Varys of Game of Thrones had to be based on a real human model. I have strived to be a student of history for one reason: to constantly remind myself of the disasters that humans have caused and how to avoid them. However, witnessing this level of human cruelty in one place was certainly overwhelming. I have foregone certain aspects of running the harem, such as the categorization of slaves based on race as I am not an expert on the subject, but as always throughout human history, there was racism involved.

Dolmabahche palace was constructed after the Battle of Vienna and during the demise of a once-strong dynasty. It is a palace that was designed and built in European fashion to act as the administrative center and to host Sultan’s meetings. The palace’s architecture is exquisite and there were parts of it such as the Ceremonial Hall that made me simply stop and quietly appreciate the beauty of it. In today’s money, the palace would have cost close to two billion dollars, which by itself gives an idea of the amount of work needed to complete it.

Neil Gaiman writes in “American Gods” that humans do not know about the world’s magical places, only gods do. Humans keep building places of worship without understanding that this place of worship, this specific piece of land, is closer to their god. That was my first thought when I saw Ayasofya.  The first church in this place was inaugurated in 357. Here we are in 2022 appreciating its beauty.  She has been sitting there for 1,700 years watching humans convert it from church to cathedral, cathedral to mosque, mosque to museum, and museum to mosque as political situations change. Every time, humans reuse the signs from the previous use. Images of Christ remain around the mosque, and the four Archangels remain around the main dome, although after the conversion from a cathedral to a mosque, the Ottomans likely claimed that the depictions represent Michael, Gabriel, Rafael, and Azrael, instead of the original Michael, Gabriel, Rafael, and Uriel. 

The entrance hall by itself is impressive but then you take your shoes off and enter the unbelievably large space of the mosque. Numerous chandeliers, which are almost at eye level, lighten the space. Some pray, some compulsively take selfies, some like me look at every corner for photos, and the majority look around in awe. The magic of this place eventually gets you and after 15 minutes of taking photos, I also sat down in awe. More than anything, I kept thinking about Mehmed the Conquerer during the fall of Constantinople. He walked into this place in 1453. He was only 21 years old at the time, and the entire world would be a completely different place because of what he had done. That by itself is enough for hours of contemplations.

There are multiple other attractions in the same area. Basilica Cistern was unfortunately closed for construction. The Blue Mosque was also under construction, particularly right under its dome so I could not take good photos, but it’s certainly a very beautiful structure.

The structure of American cities is completely different, but if there was one thing I’d wish after this trip, it would be having kiosks selling “simit” for breakfast. It’s cheap, it’s everywhere, and it gives you a boost of energy. Though “burek” is fried, I could say the same thing about it. These two cheap foods were my favorite go-to breakfast options. Simply hit the street and purchase them on the spot within seconds.
I did not try the traditional Turkish breakfast of bread, cheese, and vegetables, as it was too close to the traditional Iranian breakfast that I grew up with. However, another breakfast I tried was “muhlama”, an extremely rich and delicious cream, which my guide/friend and myself guessed to be the cream of wheat. When I researched muhlama for this post, a chill went down my spine. It is a combination of aged cheeses and cornmeal melted in the butter and comes from the Black Sea region of turkey (i.e., from Istanbul towards the east, and is also eaten in Georgia and Azerbaijan). While I was not following my typically strict and very healthy diet rules on my trip, I probably would’ve stayed with simit had I known the amount of butter and cheese melted in muhlama.

You could stay in Istanbul for days simply eating different kinds of kebabs. Just like you could try various kinds of fish from the Bosphorus for days on an end. My time in Istanbul was limited but I tried a few of these items. Iskender kebap is served in a hot dish covered with small pieces of bread with yogurt on the side and tomatoes on top. While it is certainly a delicious food, it did not live up to the expectations that recommendations from numerous friends had created. 

On the other hand, a gentleman practicing his English with me at the Grand Bazaar recommended a less famous “Kilis Kebab”, which was likely one of the best things I had ever tried. The food consists of ground lamb meat with pepper, onion, and garlic, on a bed made of a thin layer of potatoes. The last goal of this blog is to advertise for restaurants, but it will be a shame if I do not recommend that you look for “Ali Usta” restaurant while in the Grand Bazaar. I could link to it but you will not be able to find a physical address in the Grand Bazaar. Simply ask and as the gentleman who told me about it, “In the corner by the door. You won’t miss it.”

Your list is always incomplete if you talk about Turkish food and exclude Raki, but three more items before I get there: 
First, as seafood is concerned, Istanbul is rich in different types of fish. I tried grilled Mezgit, which was heavenly when coupled with the live music at the little restaurant, but the Bosphorus provides different depths and temperatures to support a variety of fish.

Secondly, my reaction when I tried “Izgaralar” was so visceral, which made my friend laugh hard at the table. There is a reason that the Turks use a complicated word to describe it instead of “meatball”. It’s complicated, rich, and tasty. Don’t be fooled by the “meatball” translation on the menus.

Lastly, one of my most beautiful childhood memories with my father was to eat skewers of cow liver grilled on coal barbecues at small stands. Turkey similarly has its “ciger kebabi” and if the liver is your thing, I’d recommend it.

And Raki … The national drink of Turkey. It is a drink made from anise, which is served with water. The chemical reaction that turns Raki into a white liquid after the water is added is by itself part of the fun. You can add as much water as you’d like to bake it stronger or weaker to match your taste but that will clearly dilute the taste of Raki. I was not crazy about the taste but as no Turkish story has ever concluded without Raki involved, I highly recommend it as part of the cultural experience.

It sure feels like a long post about food but I just realized I did not even scratch the surface. There are at least 20 types of kebab and fish that I have read about and haven’t tried. Istanbul is gastronomical heaven and I don’t mind another opportunity to be back and try the rest of them. Just another excuse to visit Istanbul.

Kadikoy is magical. It is for the poor, the rich, the sad, and the happy. For everyone, there is something at Kadikoy. The simple state of being there gives you a sense of being in a large modern urban area. Taking the ships to go from the Asian part of Istanbul to Old European Istanbul makes you feel part of a rich history. If you are down, Kadikoy will lift you up. If you’re too prideful, Kadikoy will humble you. Kadikoy changes you for the better and brings you to reality through a shining magical reality every opportunity it gets.

For me, the moment came when a group of beautiful youth were dancing by the water to a beautiful Kurdish song by Şiyar Berwari. I was contemplating the melancholy of the place as Orhun Pamuk describes in his book, Istanbul, when I heard the music. Within seconds, I went from walking contemplatively to taking a video with my phone for family and then rotating the dancing circle with the group kneeling every five seconds to be able to capture the moment. I did not have time to switch to a proper lens, nor did I find time to focus properly and take a photo of the beautiful spin jumps they made from time to time, but I hope their vibrancy is properly reflected in my photo.

There are multiple boats taking people around Bosphorus starting in Kadikoy. Most simply take the boats to cross the strait to the Galata Bridge or Besiktas, but the Bosphorus tours also start from Kadikoy. As a tourist, I took all three on different days and they were all enjoyable. There is the simple beauty of water, the views of the Galata Tower, the lighthouse at the top of a pier full of white dots – Seagulls, which were the color and music of my childhood in a different magical place, but that’s a story for another day.

And then there is Kiz Kulesi. Legend has it that the emperor heard an ominous prophecy about his daughter’s fate. She was going to be stung by a snake. The emperor commands building Kiz Kulesi in the middle of Bosphorus to protect his daughter from snakes, any snakes. On her 18th birthday, when the emperor brings her daughter a fruit basket, she gets stung by a snake hiding in the fruit basket and dies in the father’s hands. There’s a lot one can decipher from the story: that fate is inevitable, the time will come, the snakes hide in places you least expect them, and the list goes on. Like many Eastern stories, the legend of Kiz Kulesi is also about accepting one’s fate. Thinking and writing about fate, of course, goes way farther and older than Kiz Kulesi. It is in every culture. My favorite quote has always been “Receive with simplicity everything that happens to you.” This is from Rashi, the Rabbi who lived in the 11th century. There is the idea of loving your fate (Amor Fati) that goes back to Greek philosophers and was later revived by Freidrich Nietzsche. This is humankind’s oldest struggle – when to bend their fate and when to accept it, and if there is a place to ever think about it, it is Istanbul.