Istanbul, Turkey

Before I share with you pix of the wonderful places I've visited in Istanbul, I have to get something out of the way. You'll have to forgive me, it's pretty long.

I must admit I was a bit nervous about coming to Turkey. I became increasingly nervous when someone I know pointed out the fact that Turkey was bordered to the south by Syria & Lebanon and to the southeast by Iraq & Iran. The mere mention of these four countries with shaky relations with the US almost scared me enough to cancel my trip. Plus I was completely ignorant of the Turkish culture and did not know what kind of reception I would get once I arrived.

I began conducting my own research as I was deeply interested in coming here. I didn't want to give up Istanbul just like that! I'm not sure where the urge was coming from. Maybe from my desire to learn and understand humanity more? Most likely... but I thought it would make my itinerary all the more interesting by coming to Istanbul straight from Rome, given both of these cities' history. (During the height of the Roman empire, Istanbul was regarded as the "2nd Rome." And under its former name, Constantinople, Istanbul was also the capital of the Roman empire during Constantine). Moreover, I felt the need to feed my knack for contrast & complexity by going from a purely Catholic place to a predominantly Islamic one. I wanted to see the differences between the two for myself, if any, so I can form my own opinion. So I started reading travel books on Turkey, spoke to friends who have been here before and googled recent news items about this mysterious place that has captivated my attention for the last three years. After getting only half of the information I needed, I became firm in my decision to stick to my original plan and left Istanbul on my itinerary.

You see, what most people don't realize is that Turkey is a secular state. The form of government here is Republic, just like in the US. Meaning people here have pretty much the same rights as those who live in the UK or US. Likewise, the necessary checks and balances within its government are in place. And although it is predominantly Muslim, other religions such as Judaism & Christianity do exist here and are seen as equals by their Islamic counterparts.

Since I arrived in Istanbul, I've spoken to a lot of the locals, both young and not-so-young. (Just strike up a conversation with a Turkish person about their history and you end up with an extended and very passionate chat!). The Turks are exceptionally friendly people. I have found that they are very proud of their heritage and their very long history. They are especially proud of what Turkey has become today: a country full of people from different backgrounds and religions who have put their differences aside to live in relative peace and harmony. A concept for which the Turks credit Mustafa Kemal Ataturk, Turkey's founding father. 

Now that I'm in Turkey, I strongly believe that I have made an immensely wise decision in coming here. I've learned so much in only 3 days. In fact, I've learned many valuable lessons that I would like applied to my daily life once I get back home. But most importantly, seeing how Muslims, Christians, Jews, Whatevers live in this country side-by-side without conflict gives me a tremendous sense of hope - that one day the entire world will do the same. -SZ