Istanbul 1

We had been planning a trip to Istanbul for several years and finally got there. Most Americans do not travel there but is has always held a fascination for us and we were not disappointed.

Istanbul is the crossroads of civilizations, where Europe meets Asia, and where West meets East. Truly one of the world’s historic cities, Istanbul was once called Constantinople, named for the fourth-century roman Emperor Constantine the Great. Over the centuries, the city has been the capital of two grand empires. The Byzantine Empire was born here in the fourth century A.D. and lasted until the 15^th century, when the Ottoman Empire took over, ruling through the end of World War I. Even though Turkey isn’t actually governed from Istanbul (Ankara, in the east, is the official capital), the city remains the historical, cultural, and financial center of the country.

Istanbul has almost 15 million people and sprawls over an enormous area on both banks of the Bosphorus Strait. The Bosphorus runs north to south (from the Black Sea to the Sea of Marmara) through the middle of Istanbul, splitting the city in half and causing it to straddle two continents: Asia and Europe. Asian Istanbul (east of the Bosphorus) is mostly residential, while European Istanbul (west of the Bosphorus) is densely urban and contains virtually all the city’s main attractions.

We were so impressed with the enormous amount of people at the major attractions. It was a sea of people everywhere we went. You had to wait in line for a long time to get your entrance tickets. I decided Istanbul was not for the faint of heart!

The major attractions which we did not miss were The Blue Mosque, Hagia Sophia, Topkapi Palace, and the Grand Bazaar. Hagia Sophia impressed with its age and history. It was a Christian church for almost a 1000 years, built by Emperor Justinian in A.D. 532. When the Ottomans took Constantinople in 1453, Sultan Mehmet the Conqueror converted it into an imperial mosque and it remained Istanbul’s most important mosque for five centuries. It was converted into a museum in the 20^th century by Attaturk and the new Turkish Republic. Unfortunately one’s experience there and at the Blue Mosque (1609) is marred by the fact that a lot of the grand architecture is covered with scaffolding and screens as they are being restored, and by the huge crowds. Lines everywhere. We much more enjoyed the Mosque of Sulieyman the Magnificent (1557) which equals the Blue Mosque in size, architecture and design and it has been restored and has no scaffolding to mar the spaces and there are fewer visitors. One author calls it the finest mosque in Istanbul and one of the finest in all of Islam.

Topkapi Palace, built in the 1470’s, served as the sole administrative palace for the Ottoman Sultans for more than 400 years until a new European-style palace was built on the Bosphorus in the mid-19^th century and is now an impressive museum with impressive collections. The ancient trees in the courtyards appear to have been planted when it was built.

The Grand Bazaar, dating from the Byzantine era is the world’s oldest shopping mall. And with Its 4,000 shops which have everything you can imagine, it is certainly one of the largest. One needs a map if you are looking for something. It is great to just wander but you may need that map to get out. Certainly you can ask directions but beware engaging the merchants in conversation!

I loved the displays of Turkish delights or sweets. They use lots of honey, nuts, rose scented jellies, and the displays are out of this world. It just makes you want to try some. I did bring back some delights for my choir members and they loved them.

The typical Turkish breakfast consists of three cheeses, some cold meats, honey, olives, raisins, cucumbers and some bread. It is very filling and I could only eat it for one morning. My husband ate the Turkish egg dish called menemen every morning. It is delicious and consists of tomatoes, chilies, and eggs. Recipe below. We never had the Turkish coffee or tea that was offered everywhere. Just stuck to the Americano coffee offered at the restaurants.

I was so impressed with the beautiful looking fruit and vegetable stands. Wonderful tomatoes, eggplants, peppers, and corn could be found. There were stands all over the city selling roasted corn on the cob for 3 Turkish lira, about 50 cents. More about Turkish food next week.

 

From the cookbook, Istanbul & Beyond: Exploring the Diverse Cuisines of Turkey, by Robyn Eckhardt.

Eggs in a Chunky Tomato and Pepper Sauce, Menemen

Serves 2

3 tablespoons oil or unsalted butter, or a combination

2 or 3 mild green chilies such as Anaheim or Holland, seeded and sliced crosswise into 1-inch pieces, or 1 medium green bell pepper, cored, seeded, and cut into 1-inch pieces

1 small-medium onion, halved top to bottom and sliced crosswise into ½-inch thick slices

½ teaspoon fine sea salt

½ teaspoon dried oregano or thyme, crushed or 1 heaping tablespoon fresh oregano leaves, coarsely chopped

2 medium-large ripe tomatoes, peeled if you like, coarsely chopped (1 to 1 ¼ cups)

Freshly ground black pepper

2 to 4 teaspoons tomato paste (optional)

4 large eggs, lightly beaten

Turkish or regular crushed red pepper flakes

Heat the olive oil and/or butter in an 8-inch skillet over medium-low heat. Add the chilies or bell pepper and onion, sprinkle over the salt, and stir. Reduce the heat to low, cover the pan, and sweat the vegetables until they soften, about 5 minutes. Do not brown.

Add the dried oregano or thyme, if using, and the tomatoes. Grind over a little black pepper and cook until the tomatoes release their juices and start to soften, about 3 minutes. If your tomatoes have released a lot of juice, stir in 2 teaspoons tomato paste (you can add more right before adding the eggs if need be). Cook for a few minutes, until the tomatoes are soft but still hold their shape. Stir in the fresh oregano now, if using. The contents of the pan should be saucy but not watery. Add up to 2 more teaspoons tomato paste, to thicken.

Stir the beaten eggs into the sauce and raise the heat to medium-low and cook until the eggs are incorporated into the sauce about 2 minutes.

Sprinkle over red pepper flakes and serve immediately. Delicious!