I wish I were in Istanbul right now
With you in the narrow streets of Mihrabat Grove Walking side by side
And gazing at lstanbul through the wings of the gulls…
Said Özdemir Asaf
And I always feel the same while l am gazing at lstanbul from the bird’s eye view through the wings of the plane when l am returning from a travel l wish were a tourist in lstanbul. I have always wondered how it feels to see lstanbul for the first time and how it feels to travel to lstanbul. always want to feel the history watch the beauty of the nature and come across with a cuisine whetting my appetite in the cities that I am going to visit. I cannot accept only one or only another. l become greedy. I want to have it all me, this is the reason why lstanbul is a place that can attract any traveler’s attention. I wish I could get excited to see such an amazing city for the first time and travel to there I wish I were a tourist in Istanbul
Turkish people say that “Istanbul is a place where the streets are paved with gold”. Being the capital of four empires. having lots of names from dozens of different culture, opening up the new era” by closing the centuries old era in the world’s history lstanbul is truly place where the streets are paved with gold and history. Within the thousands of years witnessed, lstanbul has had many names Constantinople of Byzantines, New Rome of Roman El Mahsura of Arabians, and Dersaadet of Ottomans. Locals and outsiders have given different names to this city. This historical and cultural background of thousands of years which is maybe the only wealth that cannot be bought. manufactured and established even by the technology giants of the world which is capable of establishing cities by land reclamation and leading other nations with the civilizations they established, once made Napoleon Bonaparte say “If the world was one country lstanbul would be its capital.
Regarding to breakfast, the Turkish poet Cemal Süreyya says “it must have something on happiness In addition to the famous Turkish rich Turkish cuisine which is the inheritor of 600 year Ottoman cuisine is a source of happiness all by itself. Besides the Ottoman cuisine at the background, Turkish cuisine has also influenced by Europe, Asian and Middle East cuisines and Turkish cuisine is the most important cuisine of the main cuisines of the world with its unique flavors and diversity. Istanbul is surrounded by cosmopolite cuisines that offer lots of different tastes by the support of the local cuisines of today’s Turkey. Ottoman introducing coffee to world made coffee in a different way and offered “Turkish coffee” to world. Therefore, the Turkish cuisine both with the flavors of its own culture and other flavors brought from its neighbors is a sufficient reason to visit to lstanbul.
Turkish poet Nurullah Genc refers to Bosporus by saying, “Istanbul always reminds me of you. Her eyes are as just green as yours Bosporus is the middle of lstanbul, sometimes green sometimes blue. Half-European, half-Asian. The biggest city established on two continents in the world. It is both beautiful and special. lstanbul has
lots of hills. Old Istanbul established on seven hills has now lies on many other h t reflects both different and beautiful from each of these. Istanbul has four seasons. It gets purple in the spring and snow- white in the winter. Istanbul wears different colors in each season. It is beautiful in each season its flowers are golden, water is shimmery. The moon and the sun are from lstanbul from all eternity” There are a few cities that can offer history of thousands years, fascinating beauty and large cuisine all in one. Istanbul comes to the front among these cities. I wish could feel the fascination of the eyes seeing lstanbul for the first time. I really wish l were a tourist in lstanbul.
by Evrim Dilber Vural
*Necip Fazıl Kısakürek, Turkish poet
