Tags
Bosphorus, Gezi Park, Islam, Istanbul, Jewish Museum of Turkey, Jews, journal, Midtown Istanbul, military bands, Ottoman, protests, Stomach troubles, Taxim Square, Travel, Turkey
March 6, 2014: Back in Istanbul!
–Jewish Museum of Turkey–
We started off the day at the Jewish Museum of Turkey.
Located inside an old synagogue off of an ever-so-slightly sketchy Istanbul alley, the museum details 700 years of Jewish history in Turkey.
Historically, Turkey has been comparatively kind to the Jewish people. From taking in Jews who were persecuted during the Spanish Inquisition to admitting Jewish academics to its universities during the early years of World War II, Turkey has been the most hospitable Muslim-majority country to my people.
Ataturk, the secular-reformist-but-also-kind-of-scary-cultish-leader of modern Turkey, to his credit, spearheaded the movement that granted Jews sanctuary during WWII.
Though in some respects, Jews were second-class citizens during the Ottoman Empire (they had to wear clothing that was noticeably inferior to that of Muslims, for example), they were, at least, citizens.
How sad that second-class acceptance is enough to merit a museum that touts mere tolerance as a virtue…but, as the historical animosity between Muslims and Jews is staggering, I suppose I shouldn’t complain about any attempt at coexistence.
–Taxim Square—
Afterwards, we went to Taxim Square, a business district that was the site of protests during the summer of 2013.
Gezi Park, one of the few green areas within Taxim Square, had plans to be partially renovated (at Prime Minister Erdogan’s insistence) into a shopping mall and a mosque.
The summer’s protest was less over conserving the only part of the city that is still nature-y and more over Erdogan’s authoritarian decision in the matter.
For a month, crowds swarmed the park and square, and alarmist international news outlets spun the story as if the country was nearing collapse.
Though Dr. Barton likened the situation more to America’s Occupy Wall Street protests than to revolutions in Syria, the Gezi Park protest was significant nevertheless.
Police violence escalated into tear gas and water cannon usage and two images—the woman in the red dress and the silent Erdogan protester—went viral online, adding to the hype and skewed international perception of the protest.
Today, though, it’s clear that these demonstrations were not earth shattering.
Turkey’s political situation remains unstable, but daily life goes on. Taxim Square still bustles with the same crowds, energy, and commerce that other large cities also display.
The weather today was so lovely and there was so much to see that I didn’t even mind the (uphill) walk back into town when we overshot our trek to St. Antoine’s church by several (long) blocks.
While walking through Istanbul, I feel a lot like Nick does in The Great Gatsby: enraptured by the city’s inexhaustible variety of life.
–Turkish Military Museum—
After lunch in Taxim Square, we walked through Gezi Park to a Turkish military museum.
Instead of going inside, we sat outdoors for an Ottoman military band concert.
(Ultimately, Brynn and I decided that being in an Ottoman military tribute band was a lot like being a Civil War re-enactor…the result of a hobby taken dreadfully too far.)
However, basking in the March sunlight (a rarity for a Michigan native!) was wonderful, and—to add ambiance—several large school groups crowded the area with, as Sali termed them, “Turkish little students.”
Per usual, many children took an immediate liking to Dramell and entertained themselves by shouting, “Hello, goodbye, I love you!” in English to us.
As they ran around, shouting and laughing, we knew exactly what kind of happy horseplay was going on, even if we couldn’t understand a word of it.
–Evening–
We had some free time after the concert, so we went back to Midtown Istanbul and the Bosphorus.
Beth, Bayleigh, Brynn, and I walked along the strait and amused ourselves by poking at the jellyfish that washed up along the shore. (We are, granted, easily amused.)
That evening, we got lost for quite a while during the drive to our host dinner, but the extra traffic time was worth it considering the meal we received.
Our host tonight was a wealthy single man, and his house was sprawling. His backyard was particularly romantic, with a view that overlooked the Bosphorus and Istanbul’s Asian skyline.
Our host offered to have us back again tomorrow for breakfast, but our appointment at the Journalist and Writers Foundation is too early to make it work. (Blech for early mornings.)
On a more concerning note, I’m having an awfully hard time stomaching the enormous meals we are coaxed into eating here.
Though I did my best to eat myself silly earlier this week, last night’s stomach trouble changed my tune pretty fast. Also, chicken, beef, and rice may never sit well with me again.
Though the food is delicious (and I’ve never loved anything as much as I love lentil soup), my American palate yearns for something I can easily digest…like chicken that is deep-fried beyond nutritional recognition.
Tomorrow is our last day here, but it’s jam-packed with interesting places and people.
However, I am dreading the 12-hour flight and 6-hour drive we have in order to get us home to Michigan. Hmm…perhaps I will just stay in Turkey, after all…