Istanbul, Turkey: it’s Europe, but not as we know it

Having avoided the “East meets West” headline, let’s move on. If you suddenly found yourself in the middle of Istanbul, you could be forgiven for initially mistaking it for Cairo or Damascus, or any of the great cities of the Arab world. The smell of spices coming from the crowded markets, the haunting beauty of the evening call to prayer surrounding you from every direction and the predominance of men in the streets. All of these signs will confirm that you have left “mainstream” Europe. And yet dig a little deeper and there is much that is unique to this city, and much to admire.

Istanbul has been my favourite major European city since my first visit back in 1988. I had travelled there as a teenage backpacker. This was the furthest place that the Interail (Eurail) ticket would take me, and having team up with 5 other youngsters in Greece we arrived by train in the early hours of the morning. It only took a few moments for us to realise how we had entered a different type of city. People would stop us in the street, shake our hands and say “welcome!”. Even a policeman stopped us and greeted us. When we stopped for breakfast, the waiter couldn’t find a menu in any language we could understand, so instead he took all six of us into the kitchen, and we picked what we wanted through sign language. The contrast for us was intoxicating! For the next three days we absorbed everything the city had to offer; the bazaars, the mosques, the amazing food on offer and of course the views across the Bosphorus into Asia. There was a German girl in our group, and she will have enjoyed the time here less than the rest of us, given the amount of unwanted attention she received on every corner.

Returning 15 years later, Istanbul seemed to have grown up in my absence. The same smells and sounds were there to greet us, and the streets seemed busier than ever. The city itself however was a little more organised, more sophisticated. Restaurants were geared towards tourists and the prices had risen accordingly. The Grand Bazaar seemed less exciting and more full of rubbish for sale to tourists (although that might have been my own sense of nostalgia deceiving me). And the number of foreign visitors in the city had meant we were no longer novelties, to be welcomed and chased down the streets (not always a bad thing). Taxi drivers had learned the art of ripping off tourists and seemed to practice it with complete impunity.

It was an easier city to explore and experience, but maybe without the edge it had possessed previously. I pondered the reason for this, and figured that maybe it was evidence that in fact our view of a destination is shaped by the journey we make to reach it. I had previously taken four days to reach this exotic city. This time it had taken less than four hours from London Heathrow. But I enjoyed Istanbul in a different way this time. With money, we were able to visit Topkapi Palace and Museum, Dolmabahce Palace and explore more of the outer city. We could also eat in some of the more swanky restaurants and enjoy modern Turkish cuisine.

I returned again in 2006, this time on a business trip. And my experience was different again. Staying in a 5 star hotel and enjoying the Turkish baths at my disposal, I would explore the financial district and visit the offices of some of Turkey’s major banks. Here I saw a vibrant, confident Istanbul, competing as a increasing force on the world’s business stage. I also experienced one of the best seafood meals I’ve ever had (I would add the link if I remembered the name of the place!) and spent an enchanting evening in a club listening to the haunting sounds of a well-known Turkish singer (again, her name escapes me). And the taxi drivers were still up to their old tricks.

Istanbul has many faces, and is a city that will thrill and frustrate in equal measure. I know many people who hated their visit there, because of the hassle and rip-offs they experienced. Now when friends ask us about a city break with a difference, I always put in a recommendation for Istanbul. As long as you are prepared for the noise, the rush and the intensity of this great city, you can be confident it will be a memorable visit.