A Two Day Accidental Visit To Inspiring Istanbul

From Mohd Zarith Md Hanipah ISTANBUL, Dec 14 (Bernama) -- Recently I had the unexpected golden opportunity to travel to Istanbul. I was supposed to go to Milan but when I attempted to check-in online, I was astounded that my destination was Istanbul! I thought that there was a system glitch but at KLIA it was confirmed that I would be routed to Istanbul before continuing to Milan. I was disappointed at first but then the passion of travelling in me made me see the whole episode as yet another opportunity to travel. I was very lucky too as I was given a room in Istanbul Radisson Blu due to another glitch, this time with the Turkish Airlines. A HELPFUL SYRIAN As usual, I befriended the cabin crew who then provided me a “Fast-Track” card that enabled me to exit the Istanbul Attarturk airport in next to no time. I changed some money and familiarised myself with Istanbul’s city trains. It is worth noting that Istanbul has the 2nd oldest underground train network behind London, built in the late 1875, and also the first urban rail line in continental Europe. I checked in the hotel and didn’t waste my time in exploring the city. In fact, while I was in the train itself I met a young man originally from Syria but now residing in Cyprus who offered to be my free tour guide. His name is Ammar. He was on vacation in Istanbul. He turned out to be very knowledgeable on the history of the city. I was so grateful for his time. However, I knew the first place that I needed to run to is the magnificent Blue Mosque or officially known as Sultan Ahmet Mosque. We headed there as our first stop. As it was Asr prayer time, we prayed there. It was the most serene and peaceful place that I’ve ever been so far. The interior is grandiose with many chandeliers hanging in different tiers and sizes. The Blue Mosque name came about in regards to the blue colour that dominates the ethereal dome’s interior ceiling. It was exquisitely decorated in floral, leafy theme and Quranic scriptures. I felt like I was in heaven. As I gazed outside the mosque, the Bosphorus Sea was in front of me and Asia was on the other side. I offered prayers for my parents, families and friends and I hope I will have the same serenity for years to come as well as for everyone in this world. At the ablution area, the water from the mountain is channelled to the mosque, a brilliant engineering feat during the height of the Ottoman Empire. We took some pictures inside and within the mosque’s courtyard and there is a miniature version of the Blue Mosque so that the people could comprehend the sheer scale of the mosque and the intricate art of the exterior façade. THE HAGIA SOFIA We came out of the mosque and went to Hagia Sofia that was just walking distance from the Blue Mosque. Again, it was breathtaking to see the Byzantine era structures in all of its glory. I was told that it was the world’s biggest cathedral to begin with but when the Muslims regained control of the city, it was turned into mosque with addition of minarets. The city too reverted its name from Constantinople to Istanbul. One thing that is evident though, the Muslims did not desecrate nor demolish the historical religious building and left it as it is. As a result of the Ottoman empire preserving Hagia Sofia, we could still see both religious symbols and angelic decorations blended in harmoniously and possibly the only monument as such. It is now regarded as a museum but I heard the calling of the prayer too. THE CITY HAS LOTS TO OFFER As we left the two spectacular buildings, we headed down to the city centre to get some food. Ammar introduced me to the freshly cooked mussels and of course Turkish kebabs. As it was getting late and as I was tired with the flights and the tour, I went back to the hotel. Nonetheless, me and Ammar stayed in contact through the social media and planned to meet again the next morning. In the morning, I grabbed cereal bars and apples provided by the hotel and met Ammar at Sultan Ahmet park. The park was beautifully manicured and kept with all kinds of flowers including tulips. We had a quick nap under the tree shades and from thereon, we went to the extraordinary Bosphorus Bridge that separates the Asia and Europe continents. Bosphorus River is underneath it and many ships of all sizes make their way there. It was an engineering feat. We then went to the historic section of the city and leisurely strolled along the eccentric Beyoglu district. There were many cafes, restaurants and dessert shops. Ammar kindly treat me with an array of Turkish delights including the famous baklavas and Turkish coffees. As I could only spend a few hours more in Istanbul, we headed to Pera Museum which displays works of arts from the Ottoman Empire and also works from the renowned artist Rembrant. Beyoglu really fascinated me as it is blended with Genoase, Venetian, Greek and Turkish elements both in architecture and the society. On that note, I rushed back to the hotel and got the free airport shuttle. Since then Ammar and I have been keeping in touch and I invited him for a visit to Malaysia and the Philippines. Istanbul really inspired me and I hope to return to this magnificent transcontinental, cosmopolitan cultured city and explore other parts of Turkey too. -- BERNAMA