Fish Sandwiches

The past two days I’ve had class from nine until one, then set off in exploration of the area. It’s hot out and I tire quickly, so my forays have been limited. Yesterday I used public transportation for the first time – a really exciting prospect. Public transportation, I think, offers one of the best glimpses into local daily life. Today I was slightly more ambitious, setting a complex of buildings at Istanbul University as my destination. At the last minute a friend joined, and we left just after one.

We got off the tram near the university, and proceeded to search out an entrance. In what seemed more like me charming the guard with my garbled Turkish explanation of our intention than official permission, we made it inside. The campus is lovely, very treed with typically imposing stone buildings. Not unlike campuses in the US. We found the famous mosque dating to the 1500s from its minarets, visible from afar. I like visiting mosques – unlike in Israel, visitors are expected and welcomed.

From there we headed to the Kapalı Çarşısı/Grand Bazaar – the largest covered market in the world. The bazaar was strangely unimpressive – in comparison to Jerusalem souks it was clean and polished, in comparison to US mall it just had more unusual wares and aggressive vendors. Some things seemed pretty cool, and I’d like to go back when I’m more in a shopping mood, but today we wandered just long enough to get lost and then made our way back out. My Turkey book alluded to a book market, which we quickly tracked down and enjoyed, despite the lack of worthwhile English titles.

From here our afternoon shifted. Previously guided by descriptive paragraphs, here on out we found our books had ceased to be of use. Uncertain of where next to go, I spotted the water and suggested we head that way- I hadn’t seen much of the water yet. The water turned out to be further than it appeared from the top of the hill, and finally at the bottom we found ourselves next to the metro tracks in a charming and slightly dilapidated neighborhood that has potentially never seen a tourist before. Glad to have male companionship, I led the way across the tracks toward a heavily secured port of some sort. Perplexed, we saw Istanbul’s center to the north and turned left. Just beyond the port we entered a fish market, full of properly salty men in rubber boots and gloves. The fish stalls were cool, watered, and artistically displayed. Every few stalls there was a guy grilling fillets and making sandwiches. What luck! Four lira ($2.60) fish sandwiches in hand, we pressed on. Soon the market opened up to a park along a shore, filled with families picnicking under the trees, old men sunbathing on the rocks, boys jumping in for a swim.

Sea of Marmara to the right, the city to the left, the Bosporus and Asian side of Istanbul visible ahead, I reflected again on how nice it is to get off the beaten path, and how much I like Turkey. The Aya Sofya, Sultanahmet Mosque, and Turkish and Islamic Art Museum yesterday were as incredible as I expected, but it’s really great to find out what the Turks are up to and enjoy that too. A couple just-comprehensible Turkish inquiries later, we made our way to a train then a bus home. Despite the uneasiness with which the fish is sitting in my stomach, it’s been an excellent day. Plans to repeat tomorrow after class.