istanbul: where continents collide and i lose my mind
so. istanbul. it’s… a lot. let’s start with the weather, shall we? i just checked and it's 6.48°C right now, hope you like that kind of thing. feels like 5.03. so yeah, pack a sweater. or three.
this place is… well, it’s on two continents. europe and asia, split by this ridiculous thing called the bosporus strait. you wake up in europe, cross a bridge for lunch in asia. then there’s the golden horn twisting through it all. someone told me that the grand bazaar is designed to look like a maze on purpose so you get lost and buy more things. which, fair enough.
history’s basically falling apart here. started as byzantium in 660 bce, became constantinople in 330 ce, got conquered by ottomans in 1453. now it’s turkey’s biggest city even though ankara’s the capital. the hagia sophia’s been a church, mosque, museum, and now mosque again. it’s confusing. someone told me that the blue mosque’s tile patterns make your eyes go fuzzy if you stare too long. probably true.
the hills are… a lot. and the climate’s got a major attitude problem. fog everywhere, rain like 800-1000 mm a year, and microclimates that change every block. summers are sticky hot, winters are damp and gray with winds that’ll knock you over. poyraz, lodos, karayel - fancy turkish words for ‘it’s really windy today’.
if you get bored, edirne, bursa, izmit, and tekirdağ are just a short drive away. though honestly, why would you leave? there’s kebabs, baklava, simit (that sesame bread thing), and döner that makes you question all other food. someone told me that the best ıskender kebab is in kadıköy but don’t ask me where exactly because i got lost there for three hours once.
people here? 15 million of ‘em, all crammed together. turkish, kurdish, arab, immigrants - it’s a proper mix. tea’s religion, coffee’s trendy, and everyone’s got an opinion about everything. conservative or progressive, it’s both at once. markets, mosques, and street food carts everywhere. it’s loud. it’s messy. it’s exhausting.
oh yeah, warnings: traffic’s apocalyptic, pickpockets love tourists, earthquakes are a thing, and winter feels like walking through a wet sponge. mosque dress codes apply (no bare shoulders or knees in there), ramadan’s serious business, and bargaining at bazaars is expected. cost’s high downtown. someone told me that the basilica cistern smells like damp history and wet boots, which is… accurate.
but here’s the thing: it’s the only major city on two continents. history’s literally in the walls and minarets. the bosporus is this ancient trade route that’s still a bottleneck. east meets west, old meets new, and it all just… works. somehow. even when it doesn’t.
so yeah. istanbul. it’s too much. it’s not enough. it’s here. deal with it.
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