Destinations Archives

A Young Romantic in an Old Spice Bazaar of Istanbul

I was standing inside the Spice Bazaar on a cool Istanbul day. Our group of Road Scholar travelers, led by our extremely competent and knowledgeable Group leader and guide, Sami Ozcini, was enjoying our last day in the mystical, magical city of Istanbul.

I was blown away by Istanbul – a city of magnificent monuments, peacock blue waters of a mélange of seas, the lush Bosphorus, and proud minarets defining the skyline. Centuries of myriad cultures, faith and civilizations have marked the passage of time here by erecting grand buildings to appease the powers above. The brilliance, the beauty, the sheer scale of creation are almost unreal. The grand palaces and the mosques are dizzying in their enormity, exquisite artistry and conception. The power, the aura, the grandeur, the glory and the timeless history every building cradles is fantastic, it’s a plunge into phantasia.

I love vibrant, chaotic cities and the sheer energy and sound of Istanbul were intoxicating to me. The squares hummed with people, the strains of azan filled the air with poignant beseeching melody, and filled me with a sense of adoration for the unknown. Although I could only catch a few words with my fledgling Urdu, I felt my heart uniting in prayer to the heavens above.

We sat in sunlit garden cafes and ate meals. Marble fountains gurgled in the courtyard, lush trees murmured over us, the exquisite food, vibrant in color and texture, bloomed in my mouth. I smelled Turkish coffee, heard people laughing and felt joyfully alive.

We ate beans and rice in an open air cafe across the Süleymaniye Mosque, a mosque built by Suleiman the Magnificent, on a day (May 29) commemorating the fall of Constantinople to Mehmed II of the Ottoman empire. The band played and locals sang Turkish songs, and an impromptu celebration charged the atmosphere with history and energy. I loved it!

The Basilica Cistern, the largest surviving Byzantine cistern in Istanbul is a dark mystical place. Standing on the damp 4th century passageway, amidst the still waters, I felt this was a place of magic. I threw a coin into the tank, and made a wish. Why not?

The Spice Bazaar in Istanbul — The Spice Bazaar

And on our last day in The Spice Bazaar I met Emre Artik. The Spice Bazaar dates back to 1660 and is an enchanting market showcasing stalls overflowing with colorful, exotic spices, teas and confectionaries. A place of inter-generational tradition, of pure love for aroma and taste. Life is always better with spices.

We were greeted by Emre as I and my fellow-traveler, Mike Procell (You can hear Mike on Colorado Public Radio as the host of All Things Considered) went into the store. Emre is a tall young man with beautiful dark hair, soft eyes and olive skin. He smiled and greeted us in good English and started showing us some unique teas and spices. I smelled and ooh-aahed. He brought us delicate teas made with eucalyptus and Pomegranate. A sip and I was hooked. I ended up buying some exotic teas, hoping to infuse aroma into my life in Austin.

Emre and I talked. He told me this was a family store like many of the stores in the Spice Bazaar. He’s been working there for 5 years. He’s 22 and a student at the local College of Architecture. He wants to be a business man and his favorite country in the world is Mexico.

“Why Mexico?” I asked. His eyes lit up and he said his girlfriend is from Mexico. He wants to learn Spanish to better interact with her. He also said, he loves interacting with people, from all over the world.

Mike wore a sun hat. Emre chatted with him enthusiastically and kept calling him “Indiana Jones.” Mike protested saying it was not a fedora but that didn’t deter Emre.

We laughed a lot, he shook our hands and beamed. We left with many little sacks.

I thought it was good kismet we concluded our trip by encountering a young romantic in an ancient spice bazaar. After all, Istanbul is nothing but a timeless romance – of the minarets and the seas, of faith and cultures, of history told and retold – ancient, spirited, and still throbbing and capturing the heart of a skeptic like me.