Instanbul, Heart of the Ottomans

غضبك ليس متعلقا بشخص آخر هو مرتبطٌ بكونك خارج السيطرة, سادغورو

Turkey

I remember arriving at the main airport and was immediately impressed by the organization and sophistication of this country. The Turkish have there own unique culture and style, which to me is neither fully European or Asian or Middle-Eastern, but is a unique blend of all these cultures and more. My initial impression of Turkey was a mini-America with all the modern entertainments. From my experience Turkish people are pretty open minded about certain things and at the same time extremely conservative. There were night clubs with the latest R&B, Rap, Pop music and other entertainments. There are 3 major areas that I would recommend based on my visit. I would start with the Blue mosque which is a major tourist attraction. It's literally a blue mosque which is my favorite color. I remember in the summer time the windows would be open and the cleanest smell would come through the mosque. It was like the Islamic prayer and nature came together in perfect harmony. The architecture of the is building extends for the entire block, and after you check out mosque take a stroll through the surrounding Fatih neighborhood. It's like literally walking back in time since some of the streets are paved with old stones. Many of the buildings were architected during the peak of the Ottoman empire(around the 1600's). And after walking through the historic neighborhoods of Turkey, make sure you take a Ferry ride through the Turkish waterways. I'm a water person so anything on the water appeals to me. I remember being impressed by the historic castles lining the shores. It was my first time seeing castles and realizing that people still inhabited them or maybe they were just mansions. There's a couple of famous bridges and you'll see new developments merged into historical monuments. And after the Ferry ride check out the Grand Bazaar. It's a collection of ancient shops that extend for miles. Any type of food, books, clothing, jewelery, etc... can be found here. Get ready to bargain and have a good time haggling. The merchants love a good conversation. As I mentioned earlier, Turkey is the most organized and modern country I've visited. It's a hidden paradise that I will visit again.

Instanbul, Heart of the Ottomans

Turkey

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