Explore The Cultural Crossroads Of Turkey
Condé Nast Traveller India|December - January 2020
Feasting, faith and fresh discoveries at the cultural crossroads of Turkey.
Saumya Ancheri
Explore The Cultural Crossroads Of Turkey

“Is Istanbul always this beautiful?” I ask our guide Ekrem Korkmaz, who smiles back. The light suffusing Eminönü harbour is turning the pier incandescent; it seems to catch on to everything and hold tight. We hop on the ferry to Üsküdar district on the Asian side of the city, which is split from Eminönü by the hyper-real, intoxicating blues of the Bosphorus Strait.

The half-hour ride is the difference between Asia and Europe—or, as celebrated Ottoman architect Mimar Sinan may have put it, between the sun and the moon. Approaching Üsküdar, my eye fixes on Mihrimah Sultan Mosque, shining white like a beacon by the jetty. The mosque was built by Sinan on commission from Suleyman the Magnificent, the longest-reigning sultan of the Ottoman Empire. It was made for his daughter Mihrimah, whose name means ‘sun and moon’.

As the story goes, Sinan was in love with the princess and later quietly built a twin mosque on the European side. It’s said that on her birthday on 21 March, the sun sets behind this mosque just as the moon rises behind the Asian one. Legend or not, the romance of it gives me goosebumps.

We encounter legends everywhere on our weeklong trip. In southeastern Anatolia, we traverse land linked to the Garden of Eden, in the Fertile Crescent where Abraham, father of three monotheistic religions, was born. On a cruise to the dam-drowned medieval city of Old Halfeti, we pass a castle where St John is said to have made copies of the Bible and hidden them. A few hours later at Mount Nemrut, we watch the sun rise over a spectacular, crumbling tomb built by a king who equated himself with the gods. We pause in Konya in central Anatolia, home to Sufi poet Rumi. We finish at Istanbul by the Bosphorus, which Greek mythology’s Jason and Medea sailed in search of the Golden Fleece.

This story is from the {{IssueName}} edition of {{MagazineName}}.

Start your 7-day Magzter GOLD free trial to access thousands of curated premium stories, and 9,000+ magazines and newspapers.

This story is from the {{IssueName}} edition of {{MagazineName}}.

Start your 7-day Magzter GOLD free trial to access thousands of curated premium stories, and 9,000+ magazines and newspapers.

MORE STORIES FROM CONDÉ NAST TRAVELLER INDIAView all
Made In Nagaland
Condé Nast Traveller India

Made In Nagaland

From home textiles to jewellery, clothing, and more, here are the 10 Naga craft brands you need to know. By Sohini Dey

time-read
4 mins  |
November - December - January 2024 - 25
TOKYO RIGHT NOW
Condé Nast Traveller India

TOKYO RIGHT NOW

As impossible to pigeonhole as ever, the Japanese capital is buzzing with fresh influences and new ideas

time-read
10+ mins  |
November - December - January 2024 - 25
RAISING RAI: WHERE THE MAGIC HAPPENS
Condé Nast Traveller India

RAISING RAI: WHERE THE MAGIC HAPPENS

Raghu and Avani Rai on connecting via worlds seen through their lenses.

time-read
4 mins  |
November - December - January 2024 - 25
GILDED WATERS
Condé Nast Traveller India

GILDED WATERS

Paula Hardy boards one of the last remaining dahabiyas on the Nile for a different perspective of Egypt's storied river

time-read
3 mins  |
November - December - January 2024 - 25
THE GIRL WITH GRAND DESIGNS
Condé Nast Traveller India

THE GIRL WITH GRAND DESIGNS

Gauravi Kumari is part of Jaipur's new creative set that is bringing fresh perspectives to the city's design legacy.

time-read
6 mins  |
November - December - January 2024 - 25
A FACE FOR ADVENTURE
Condé Nast Traveller India

A FACE FOR ADVENTURE

Retooling the iconic Rolex GMT-Master II for fresh explorations.

time-read
1 min  |
November - December - January 2024 - 25
THE GRAND seduction
Condé Nast Traveller India

THE GRAND seduction

Palermo's chaos, swagger, and temperamental charm cast a hypnotic spell.

time-read
8 mins  |
November - December - January 2024 - 25
Rhythm Divine
Condé Nast Traveller India

Rhythm Divine

Wherever you go in Gwalior, the myth and magic of Tansen are inescapable, as Sam Dalrymple finds out.

time-read
8 mins  |
November - December - January 2024 - 25
IDEAL WORLD
Condé Nast Traveller India

IDEAL WORLD

Palestinian chef Fadi Kattan explains why he went ahead with the publication of Bethlehem, his celebratory cookbook.

time-read
6 mins  |
November - December - January 2024 - 25
NUJUMA, A RITZ-CARLTON RESERVE SAUDI ARABIA
Condé Nast Traveller India

NUJUMA, A RITZ-CARLTON RESERVE SAUDI ARABIA

On alittle-visited Red Sea archipelago, the Middle East’s first Ritz-Carlton Reserve reflects both untapped nature and hyperreal modernity, finds Noo Saro-Wiwa.

time-read
3 mins  |
November - December - January 2024 - 25