Yesterday I woke up to a beautiful day in Istanbul. I am going to
fly to Bodrum with Aygün. We have four hours free before the flight. I
suggested that we walk around Beyoğlu. We walk about 2.5 hours. Aygün is a very resourceful
person. She is married to my cousin Ali. I let myself in her hands when
we are together. We have a saying in the family that "every family
should have an Aygün" to survive in Istanbul. She know what, when, how
to do almost everything.
We take the bus to Taksim Square - think the Union Square of NYC -. We walk down the main street - think Broadway -. It is also the oldest parts of
Istanbul. It used to known as Pera from the Greek word Πέραν meaning across from the old city separated by the Golden Horn. In Turkish, it was called Beyoğlu because of Signor Gritti's* mansion that was located near today's Taksim Square. Those who watch Muhteşem Yüzyıl will remember who Signor Gritti was.
Streets are narrow. They
end unexpectedly or crossed by another street which connects you to a
passage etc. Narrow streets end
unexpectedly and start again somewhere else. The area is like a spider web. I think Byzantines liked conspiracy and there were a
lot of distrust to each other etc.
Beyoğlu and its surrounding areas were built mostly by the minorities of the Ottoman Empire. One can still see their influence today.**
Our
stroll takes us from İstiklal Caddesi to Serdar-ı Ekrem Street and
by the German Hıgh School. We take a coffee break at a place called
LITERA which has a 180 degrees panoromic view of Istanbul. Aygün knows all the
tall buildings where you can see Istanbul.
From
there on we walk to the Galata kulesi area visiting designer boutiques on
the way. That area brings us to Bankalar Caddesi, a narrow street which used to have headquarters of the
all the major banks built by Italians during the Ottoman years.
Not much has changed in and around Beyogğu, I am happy to report. Actually I find that area has improved a lot. We are chatting while we walk and cross the streets, enter the stores. I feel like "The Girl from Istanbul" I used to be- fearless and carefree. I am hopping from one cobblestone to the another easily. What a freedom! I am so glad to be in Istanbul. I am so glad to be part of this culture.
We are in the THY flight to Bodrum. Thanks to great public transportation we made it to the flight on time without any major hassle. More to come my friends.....
*Beyoğlu means "Son of the Bey (Doge) of Venice",
referring to Lodovico Gritti (alternatively known as Alvise Gritti among the Venetians), The
area was the base of European merchants, particularly from Genoa and
Venice. Following the Fourth Crusade in 1204, and during the Latin
Empire of Constantinople (1204–1261), the Venetians were more prominent in
Pera. The Dominican Church of St. Paul (1233), today known as
the Arap Camii, is from this period. In 1273, Pera was given to the
Republic of Genoa by the Byzantine Emperor Michael VIII
Palaeologus in return for Genoa's support of the Empire after
the Fourth Crusade. In 1348 the Genoese
built the famous Galata Tower, one
of the most prominent landmarks of Istanbul. Pera (Galata) remained under
Genoese control until May 29, 1453 when Constantinople was conquered by Sultan Mehmed
II who allowed the Genoese to return back to the
city, but Galata was no longer run by a Genoese Podestà.
**In the 19th Century, it
became home to many European traders, and housed many embassies, especially along the Grande Rue de Péra (today İstiklâl
Caddesi). The presence of such a prominent
European population - commonly referred to as Levantines - made it the most Westernized part of İstanbul,
especially when compared to the Old City at the other side of the Golden
Horn, and allowed for introduction of modern
technology, fashion, and arts.
(from Wikipedia)
No comments:
Post a Comment