Finding peace in Istanbul amid the frenzy

ISTANBUL, Turkey — Peace can be found when all is quiet. But it can also be found in a place where noise pervades. There is a certain stillness in your heart —even when you’re amid the frenzy of a place — that calls you to revisit a particular spot you have fallen in love with  several times over. The Grand Bazaar here is a total whirlwind of activity and can be overwhelming as this centuries-old covered market with 61 streets and 4,000 stalls reportedly attracts half a million visitors daily. Imagine chaotic alleys of vendors hawking belly-dancing outfits, leather bags, silver and bronze ware, carpets, clothing, Turkish delights, pistachios and apple tea. A plethora of sights and sounds is coupled with that distinct sweet smell. One knows one is visiting the best market in the world when immersed in the Grand Bazaar of Istanbul. And if one is not tightwad enough, one will spend a fortune in a jiffy at the Grand Bazaar with all the beautiful things being sold. Add to that the charisma of handsome salesmen who invite you to buy their wares and knick-knacks.

Yet, despite that noise at the Grand Bazaar, I manage to always keep myself in touch with the environs, enjoying the scene of revelry with a serene heart. I love the burst of color, the burst of flavor the Grand Bazaar displays every time I visit it.

Even the Spice Market is an excursion site all its own. Here is another very old market that is devoted to the spices of your dreams. Hawkers can make a potent potion of spices for you, if you wish. They can discuss with you what Turkish saffron is good for as compared to the Iranian saffron. Cinnamon sticks, cardamom pods, star anise seeds, sweet paprika, hot-hot-hot paprika. They can make meat spices, fish spices, vegetable spices. You name it. Don’t leave the bazaar without a stash of lemon salt.

Istanbul excites my already excitable traveling self. But I have already gotten ahead of the story. This beautiful rediscovery of Istanbul began with my very enjoyable and relaxing trip via Turkish Airlines. Its Business Class section is a home away from home for about 12 hours from Manila to Istanbul. It was a pleasant flight as the gracious stewardesses ensured all passengers were as comfortable as ever. It felt like being pampered with deluxe hotel service when a flying chef asked the passengers what choice of food they preferred on the trip.

Our menu ranged from grilled prawns with mixed vegetables, chicken stuffed with zucchini to grilled codfish and Philippine beef stew rigatoni. From the trolley, a smorgasbord of traditional Turkish desserts is offered like the tiramisu with raspberry jam and mango ice cream. What a divine sensation for all these flavors to gently burst in your mouth while being thousands of feet above the ground. The flying chef seemed so busy serving while the rest of us were busy enjoying the degustation dinner high above the clouds.

The stewardess lovingly prepared my bohca or sleeping set, from the airline’s “Sky Illusion” sleeping collection. The bohca is produced with qualified soft fabrics, which you may request from the crew at all times. Each detail of the bohca has been carefully taken into account and meticulously prepared to enjoy Turkish hospitality once more. You are guaranteed a perfect sleeping experience with the sleeping set specially designed in order to make your travel perfect.

On our second day in the city, we proceeded to the headquarters of Turkish Airlines and we were excited to try the flight simulator of the plane. It was a treat to feel the engine power, direction and actual flight simulator of the Boeing 737 plane. I felt like I was actually the pilot flying over the horizon in search of exhilarating journeys.

“To Istanbul with love” was the tagline in my heart. I felt nostalgic returning to this energetic city that I have fallen in love with many times. A couple of years ago, my best friend Bum Tenorio and I were feted by the Four Seasons Hotel both in Sultahnamet and the Bosphorous. We traipsed from one hotel that used to be a prison to one hotel that used to be a palace.

This time, in the company of other Filipino journalists, we checked in at the posh Radisson Blue hotel right next to the airport. The hotel’s very quaint and charming lobby with eclectic sun toned lights welcomed us after a long yet comfortable trip. To the hotel’s hamam (Turkish bath) I hurried and even enjoyed the Jacuzzi, swimming pool and the gym. Its well-appointed suites have a quilt menu where you choose from among fiber to cotton to anti-allergic quilts.

Later in the day, we embarked on a boat trip down the Bosphorus River, which divides Turkey into the Asian side and the European side. It was remarkable to notice the stark difference between the white palatial mansions on the banks of the European shores while the Asian side had more rustic homes all converged in one area. Someday I would like to live like a princess in the European side of the Bosphorus. (Some members of tennis royalty in the past played on the bridge. What a delight it was to witness tennis balls bouncing to and from Asia and Europe in just a span of seconds!)

The peace one feels in the Bosphorus boat ride is just like the peace and order here in the city. A few months ago, the city was under terrorist attack. But the city is back in its feet. I recall even in the airport, the security was orderly, the immigration officers all so handsome and dapper, very kind and smiling through the very efficient processing in the airport. In fact, in our meeting with the Turkish Airlines president Ilker Ayci, he told us that much effort was undertaken “to move on.” He added, “The terrorist attack was unfortunate but we took safety measures with civil service so we can continue our operations and not hamper our service to our stakeholders and our partners.”

Part of moving on, for the Turkish Airlines, is to pay back their guests (the airline people call their passengers “guests”) who bought tickets that time. The airline wants to assure the world, through the 120 journalists from all over the world that gather here, that peace and security is ensured again in Turkey. (Part of the tour is a visit to Do & Co company, which provides the airline food. Also, I must say, Turkish Airlines has the best lounge in Istanbul with a golf simulator, pool tables, library, food stations all around, open bar, and showers with suites.)  

So, to experience the same level of peace and comfort that Istanbul has lavished upon me in previous visits, I joined the Filipino group’s tour of what Istanbul offers best. I enjoyed the vast expanse of the Hagia Sophia, established as a church in the sixth century, converted into a mosque nine years later and now a magnificent, world-known museum. Adjacent to Hagia Sofia is the Topkapi Palace, which used to be the political center of the Ottoman Empire between the 14th and 19th centuries. Topkapi is now a museum that houses many treasures of Istanbul, including the Spoondaggers with diamonds of gargantuan proportions.

I am almost overwhelmed every time I bring myself before the Blue Mosque. The minute you take off your shoes to go inside the mosque is the moment you feel the presence of an empowering divinity. It helps that the architecture of the Blue Mosque keeps you in awe. The Blue Mosque, wherever you are situated in the city center, is a ubiquitous site. We chanced upon the poignant silhouette of the Blue Mosque as the sun was beginning to set against the six slender minarets. It felt like a surreal encounter with the synergy of man’s creation and nature’s sublime canvas as the palaces and churches illuminated from all sides appeared like floating jewels in the ebony sky.

To experience Istanbul is an exhilarating walk down centuries of rich history and culture. Once the hub of the mighty Ottoman Empire, today one finds a fusion of ancient achievements and a progressive contemporary culture.

And yes, amid the frenzy in the city, peace again reigns in the heart of its people and its guests.

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For bookings on Turkish Airlines, call 864-0600, 894-5416 / 21 or email ticketing@thy.com.ph or visit its website www.turkishairlines.com.

Email the author at miladay.star@gmail.com.