Holland's Log September 13, 2011

Istanbul, Turkey:

After a late night arriving at the hotel, I awoke at 5:30 am to the hypnotizing beauty of the Islamic call for prayer. I had forgotten how captivating the cry of the muezzin from the minaret can be and it brought back pleasant memories of working in Malaysia and Indonesia. There is such a concentration of Masques in the city, that the one closest to you blasts the calling, while the rest tend to blend together in a mystical harmony, bidding those who have submitted to offer their daily prayers.

This was quite a contrast to my flight from Newark, NJ to London where I sat beside an Hasidic Jew who was compete with a prayer shawl, a Tifillin worn on the head and the strap wrapped tightly around one arm. He continued to pray throughout the flight which I found both inspiring and fascinating. He had my respect for the discipline, commitment and fortitude to repeat this ceremonial ritual throughout the trip. It amazed me how much history, tradition and psychology was in his actions. After a recognition that I was in city that dates itself from around the seventh century BC and a small smile, I fell back to sleep in a dreamless kind of euphoria knowing that the next time I woke, I was going to walk the streets which so many different cultures have before me.

I found myself walking through the cobblestone streets that are filled with life (both human and other) and from my hotel made a straight line for the Bazaar Quarter (Kapali Carsi). Istanbul has not only been a strategic choice because of the location and it being so defendable, but also as a gateway to the east and to the west. Both key reasons Constantine chose it as his namesake city in the 4th century, but also why the city became such a passion for the Ottomans to capture. Natural deep harbors along the Golden Horn and the Bosporus have long welcomed trade from Persia, the Levant and areas beyond the Black Sea. However, I had that feeling you often have when you go to a beach town and there are a gazillion shirts and pink flamingos. Not sure how much of this I need, but pleasant to see and fun to dicker with the merchants who would stand their own to any Hong Kong merchant in giving you "the best deal"!

I did a lot more today (can you say Suleiman the Magnificent- sure you can), but need to pop out and grab a Turkish coffee and find me a hookah bar.