A Sultan’s Paradise!

by Michelle Foy (United States of America)

I didn't expect to find Turkey

We were venturing out on a trip of a lifetime to Istanbul, Turkey. What we didn’t know was all the fabulous food, handicrafts and rich history we would find there. As luck would have it, we stayed near the Blue mosque and were not very far from the Grand Bazaar and Egyptian Spice Bazaar. Entering into these places is a never ending maze and extravaganza of beautiful delights for all the senses. It’s very easy to spend hours just admiring fresh ground piled high turbans of spices, 22k gold by the roll, and Turkish towels just to name a few items. Every shop owner offers you a treat of a hot cup of traditional apple tea to sip on as you look at all their wares. Lest we forget, the tantalizing and chewy Turkish delight sweets in every flavor and color you can imagine. Each unique piece tasting more delicious than the last one we had. Sights and sounds abound including the azaan; call to prayer in the background reminding you that you’re in a very unique place. Almost a place that is standing still in time from the times of the Sultans in the Ottoman Empire. Both bazaars were built in the 1500’s! After a scenic water ferry ride over the Bosphorus River, we reached the Dolmabache’ Palace. Before entering the palace we enjoyed a fresh roasted earthy cup of Turkish coffee just outside the towering marble entrances. We could envision the Sultan entering the huge marble sculptured gates looking onto the manicured gardens filled with blooming uniquely colored tulips that we have never seen before! Just the grounds alone were a lap of luxury filled with beautiful swan fountains and grass that felt like velvet. This was definitely a place beyond our imagination. The inside was dripping with crystal from France, Gold from the Middle East, ornately hand loomed rugs from Persia and a vast amount of delicate precious items around every corner. Eventually, we had to leave as it was time for dinner. Interestingly enough we went to a place that served something called “keg kabob”. It was similar to donner kabob but on a horizontal spit! The meat was a mixture of beef and lamb carved very thinly then gently put on squewers on a plate. The meat was heavenly and melted in our mouths like butter! It was so good that we ordered more squewers. It was very unexpected and so addictive that we returned there another night for the same thing! What we didn’t know was that there are only two places in all of Istanbul that offer the keg kabob. What a gem we came upon and a meal fit for a Sultan! Ending the long day, we came upon a small shop on the way back to our hotel that had many unique handicrafts in the window. We went in not really looking for anything and seeing many of the same things we saw at the other bazaars. All of the sudden out the corner of my eye on the very bottom shelf in the very back of the store, I spotted some type of tiles all stacked up and full of dust. I asked the shopkeeper what they were and could I see them. To my surprise they were tiles that when pieced together on the counter, told a story! There were figures in a garden and men with large pasha turbans sitting and standing in long colorful robes. This was so unique as all the other shops didn’t have anything close to this! We bargained with the shop keeper who told us he had had these a very long time and nobody was interested in buying them. We purchased the 12 tiles for a beggars ransom as we thought. Little did we know later that these were hand painted porcelain tiles! Looking back on our trip to Istanbul, we have many fond memories of all the wonderful surprises we never expected to find there...all the epicurean delights we ate, the Sultans “palace of panache’”, and the Ottoman story tiles we enjoy looking at everyday in our little family room that we call our framed fortune!