Article and photos:Nguyen Hong Nhung
Arriving in Istanbul one autumn afternoon, I climbed the Galata Tower, the tallest ancient building in the city, just in time for sunset. The light rain and clouds of the evening did not obscure the gradually setting sun. All around me were majestic and grand mosques. The chanting of the Quran echoed throughout the city of more than 13 million people. Just like when I heard Buddhist scriptures, although I did not understand the teachings of life at all, I felt a sense of peace, a sense of being protected by a divine force and of having my soul purified.
Islamic imprint
The day before, I had another visit to a famous and extremely interesting building - Hagia Sophia. Located in the center of Istanbul, this is a very large temple and has an architecture that is a mixture of a church and a mosque. In addition to the stained glass windows and attic paintings with typical Christian colors, when looking at the center, a little below is a large Islamic window facing straight towards the Holy Land of Mecca. That day, we happened to meet a religious researcher. He told the story that this church used to belong to the Roman Empire. After the conquest of Sultan Mehmed II in 1453, the church was converted to serve Islamic rituals.
Although this is a land of intersection between Europe and Asia, I was more impressed by the magnificence of the Oriental vestiges, which have made Türkiye an inseparable part of Asia. This is clearly shown in the architecture of the mosques and the towering, ornate palaces in Istanbul. The city has a total of 64 beautiful mosques and it is difficult to visit them all in a short time. Among these are some famous landmarks such as the Sultan Ahmed Mosque (Blue Mosque) with its colorful ceramic details, built during the heyday of the Ottoman Empire, in the 16th and 17th centuries.
In general, Ottoman architecture is a synthesis of traditional Mediterranean and Middle Eastern architecture, reaching a very high level. The Ottomans mastered the art of building large spaces inside large domes, achieving perfect harmony between interior and exterior as well as the arrangement of light and shadow. The mosque space, which was usually a narrow and dark room with walls, under the Ottomans was transformed through a dynamic architectural language of vaults, domes, semi-domes and columns... into solemn and sophisticated mosques, preserving the balance between aesthetics and technique, as well as evoking in visitors a sense of a transcendent energy of heaven and earth.
Colors of the Persian market
Istanbul is a city with many famous landmarks, one of which is the world's largest indoor market, the Grand Bazaar. This place has been the setting for many famous movies such as 007 - Skyfall, Taken. I walked from Hagia Sophia to the Grand Bazaar and had a magical shopping experience. It is worth noting that the gold, jewelry, and foreign currency shops in the Grand Bazaar offer the best exchange rates in the city. The huge market is filled with everything from jewelry to antique maps, intricate carpets, and even an Aladin's lamp!
I was amazed to enjoy the feeling of being lost in the Persian market of the story of Arabian Nights. The Grand Bazaar is so large that visitors can get lost, if they do not have a map with them. I blended in with the crowd and did not forget to buy some small souvenirs before leaving.
Kebab, tea and shisha
When it comes to Turkish culinary culture in general and Istanbul in particular, it is impossible not to mention Kebab, tea and Shisha. Traditional Kebab includes grilled beef or lamb served with rice or wrapped in a flour tortilla, known worldwide as the national dish of the land of flying carpets.
Besides, hot cups of Cay tea are available all over the city from sidewalk stalls to luxury restaurants. Sitting down to drink tea, smoke Shisha and chat on the sidewalk or at the port with the locals is a great way to observe and learn about the life of Istanbul people.
The people who live here, I feel, are mostly devout Muslims. They are faithful, honest, cheerful, not afraid to throw pieces of bread they are eating to feed the pigeons, willing to guide and help strangers like me and even lend fishing rods. This gives a different feeling compared to the Islam I have heard through the negative aspects of bloody jihads as well as terrorist extremists.
I had a wonderful day in Istanbul, under the sweet Mediterranean sunshine, the yellow lights on the small streets paved with laterite, the unforgettable magical feeling when watching the fireworks on the Bophorus port, where there is a train connecting the two shores of Europe and Asia.
On the last night in Istanbul, listening to the bustling train whistles on the harbor, turning my head to one side was the ocean, on the other side was the Blue Mosque and the majestic Hagia Sofia, I suddenly remembered the famous song Et j'entends siffler le train (Hear the train whistle) by Richard Anthony: “Nous quitter sans un adieu -Et j'entends siffler le train et j'entends siffler le train - Ja'entendrai siffler ce train toute ma vie” (“We can part without a word of goodbye. But we will hear the train whistle, that train whistle for the rest of our lives”). I left a part of my heart in the beautiful city of Istanbul, where the memories of the enchanting journey will stay forever in my soul.
More information:
+ Move:
Currently, Turkish Airlines has daily flights from Ho Chi Minh City to Istanbul at 20:25. Visit websitewww.turkishairlines.comOr contact the company office directly for more details.
Turkish Airlines Office
Room 4, 8th Floor, AB Building, 76A Le Lai, District 1, Ho Chi Minh City, Vietnam
Tel: +84 8 39 360 360
E-mail:saigon@thy.com.vn
+ Visa:
Currently, in addition to applying for a visa directly at the Turkish Embassy in Hanoi, Vietnamese tourists can also apply for an electronic visa online at the link:https://www.evisa.gov.tr/en/
+ Tour:
With direct flights departing daily from Ho Chi Minh City to Istanbul and vice versa, many travel companies have now launched tours to Turkey. One of the first companies to organize professional tours to Turkey is Huong Giang Travel Company - 194 Nguyen Thi Minh Khai, District 3, Ho Chi Minh City. Tel: +84-8-39 330 111 Ext. 117 Fax: +84-8-39 302 148
+ In Istanbul in particular and in Muslim countries in general, Muslims pray 5 times a day: morning, noon, afternoon, sunset and late at night. The prayer times are recorded in the mosques, and at prayer time the Quran will be read loudly throughout the city.
+ Tourists should limit their visits to mosques during prayer times. People are asked not to make noise, not to eat or drink, to remove their shoes, to wear long clothes and women to cover their hair with scarves. At tourist sites, visitors will be given scarves to borrow along with their entrance tickets and returned upon departure.
+ Filming and photography are allowed, however visitors should show respect by not pointing the camera at people who are praying.
+ Hotel: You should choose hotels in the central area - Sultan Ahmed to easily visit most of the famous tourist attractions. One of them, Ferman Hotel has a quite reasonable price, about 70 Euro/night, has a great location with a large terrace that can look out on all four sides of the city including the Mediterranean Sea.
+ Muslims abstain from certain foods: pork, alcohol and fermented foods. (Pig is an animal associated with the origin: development is due to animal husbandry – “Halal food” you see in some Middle Eastern restaurants means no pork is served).
