15.840.900 people - part 2

Big, loud, crowded, hectic and beautiful! That is Istanbul. The metropolis on the Bosporus has a lot to offer.

von Dersim Özdag

16/03/2023

In the first part, I took the interested reader on a journey to some of Istanbul's most important sights. In this part, we continue our little discovery tour. Not far from Sultan Ahmed Square is one of the entrances to the Grand Bazaar.

The Grand Bazaar

Located in a beautiful historic vault, the Grand Bazaar (also called Kapalı Çarşı) stretches over 31,000 m². Thousands of small shops offer their wares for sale, people stream through the narrow aisles everywhere and here and there you can find a spot where some people drink a cup of tea. On one visit, my friends were really disappointed not to find any culinary offerings (we had just eaten!), but it's not a German weekly market, it's the big bazaar. Every street, every area has its own theme. For example, there are streets full of ceramics or fabrics. Others offer wooden goods or spices. The bazaar is not really authentic, but nevertheless an experience of its own kind. But beware! It is easy to buy something for a clearly exorbitant price.

Kadirköy

We continue to the Asian side of Istanbul. Kadirköy is our destination. The ferry leaves every few minutes from the four ports at the Galata Bridge and takes about 25 minutes to reach the other side of the Bosporus. From the big bazaar we reach the harbour in a few minutes and on the ferry you can buy cheap tea or even toasts or freshly squeezed juice while gently rocking to change continents. Kadirköy, the progressive and young quarter of the city, invites you to stroll, but also to shop. There are bars, restaurants and also a small waterfront promenade. The contrast to Fatih is particularly striking in terms of people's clothing. Fatih, the district with the Hagia Sofia, is very conservative and religious. It is also characterised by tourists from Arab countries. That's why you often see the burqa or the niqab on women there. Kadirköy, on the other hand, is a modern district where women dress as they please. Wearing miniskirts, belly-less, colourful hair and cleavage is as normal here as it is in Germany, and you quickly notice: there is a different atmosphere here. Characterised by a more modern image of women and a much higher level of education.

Istanbul is characterised by conflicts between two and more worlds. On the one hand, there are many young people who, through access to the internet and western media, see a way of life that is often characterised by a modern image of women and liberal sexual ideas. On the other hand, people are stuck in a dictatorship of a dictator with a rotten moustache, guided by a rotten world view and supposedly Muslim values. This dictator prevents access to sexual content in the media and on the internet (more badly than good) and at the same time also prevents education (which is very good). As a result, women in particular suffer greatly from this dichotomy. There is a generation growing up in Turkey that has full access to pornography (people still find ways to access it) and at the same time no education on the subject. Moreover, prostitution in Turkey is not only extremely cheap, but also widespread everywhere. On the other hand, things like friends with benefits and one night stands are rather uncommon in Turkey. Many young people, especially women, are stuck on the idea of waiting until the first time until marriage. The absolutely inane ramblings of something to do with virginity are widespread and so sexuality tends to take place in a hidden and clandestine way. Many men, when they enter into a relationship (often connected with marriage), therefore only have experience with prostitutes and from pornographic content. This leads to catastrophic ideas about sex.

Çukurcuma

After a nice evening in Kadirköy, we head back to Karaköy and on to Çukurcuma. The Çukurcuma neighbourhood in the Beyoğlu district on the European side is very European and offers quiet beautiful alleys, lots of art and antiques, but also many small cafés to linger in. There are also a few hammams in historic but modernised buildings here. Perfect to end the day and pamper yourself a little.

The hammam traditionally works a little differently than many people imagine. For example, you won't find a steam bath. A sauna does not belong in the hammam either. Rather, the hammam is used for thorough cleansing and relaxation. The treatment begins with washing. This involves mixing hot and cold water from two taps in a copper bowl and pouring it over you. The second step is lathering and rubbing with a very rough cloth. After the peeling follows the second soaping with lots of foam. You are then wrapped in the tingling foam and given a massage before the soap is washed off and you can relax with a cup of tea, freshly dried. The whole thing takes about an hour and costs around €60.