İSTANBUL STOLE MY HEART.

No small talk today, a briskly start because the naked truth does not need introduction. 
İt needs only to be shoutoff the rooftops!And which place could be better to yell from, if not Galata tower? That, for the one that do not know it, with her 63 metres of elevation allowed you to have a breath taking view on the old part of İstanbul. The tower, Kule in turkish, had an involving life: it was build by the italians and was thought as part of the defense wall surrounding their district at Galata; especially used to keep under surveillance the Harbor. Byzantine ships were awaited to engage trade relationship. Time passed and Mehemet II, after conquered Costantinopoli, put men on the tower in charge of detecting fires in the city.  7 century after, Costantinopoli swop the name to Istanbul, there is no more Ottoman Empire, no more high probability of blaze in the city but, still, the tower is there in all her beauty and majesty. A curios fact involving the building is that it inspired the first Turk, nonetheless, to fly. İt was during the Ottoman Empire when Hezarfen Ahmet Celebi staring at the imposing tower copied bird wings and, after studying the air flows, decided to climb it and…jump!. He overflew the Bosphorus and landed at Uskudar District, on the Asian side, around 6 kilometers in distance. This made him the first flying Turk of history. 

But now let me start from the beginning. İ arrived in İstanbul on Thursday evening with    ahead only(!!!) two full days to visit the city. The weather that welcomed us was not the better one. Grey sky and even greyer clouds have been the background of my picture. The cloud, thinking that ruin my photos was not enough, poured down oceans of rain most of the time.The true magic is, that, despite bad weather and a sparkly sun on my leaving day as a bad joke of destiny, anyway İ felt in love with Istanbul.

İ travelled with my two housemates. They planned to pay a visit to their friends, İstanbul students, and İ wisely sneaked in the plan. Osman, a psychology student that knew my housemates since high school, open his house to us. The apartment was set in the Asiatic part. Even if he was living since two years in İstanbul, he decided to come with us to the European part of the city the following day, because he had never visited there.

Once we took on the journey I discovered why he never head out on the mentioned travel. One hour of taxi plus fifteen minutes of steamboat. Basically it is faster to reach Ankara by flight. Obviously, for me everything was amazing. After a calm awakening, we got up in a luxury version of a taxi and we were dropped off at the steamboat wharf.

Crossing the Bosphorus Strait by boat could be worthy only for the fun the feed the incalculable number of pigeon, that İ discovered been greedy of simit; but actually the fascinating fact of the broach is the view. You see the girls tower in the middle of the water, then you gaze to the huge Blue Mosque and Saint Sophia that stand up among the house stretch out along the coast , especially at night, you can goggle at the extraordinary view of the city lights, making this visual even more mystical.Once achieved the ground we headed to the Blue Mosque. The Turkish name of this impressive architectural building is Sultanahmet Mosque named after Sultan Ahmed I who ordered the construction of what it was a unique project; in fact the Blue Mosque is the only one in all Turkey with seven minarets. Mosques traditionally have one, two or four minarets. It’s rumored that this was a misunderstanding; the Sultan had instructed his architect to make gold (altin) minarets and the architect understood six (alti) minarets. The European name derived, instead, from the color of the tiles that surrounded the inside of the building. İf you look up a thousand of tales with byzantine pattern gave you the sensation to be rounded by this intense blue color, it is like you are in heaven.

 

We wondered around İstanbul for the following two days but the right moment, when Istanbul took my heart until forever, was not involved the magnificence of the building, not even the magic and ancient atmospheres you could breathe inside them. İt was something simpler. İ was walking with these guys that tried to introduce me deeply in the Turkish culture. Made me taste strange food (like kumpir, de-li-cious!), lead me around spectacular views brought me in special pub. When they discovered İ had never tried rakı (İ think they felt nearly insulted), they exclaimed we had to fix it!We went in a narrow and crowded street and we made our entrance in this even crowded and characteristic restaurant. One bottle of rakı, one bottle of water and some appetizers: the Turkish aperitivo. You can call me Italian, but there is where İ appreciated the most the Istanbul vibe; young and funny guys with different background but all enjoying the moment and what of amazing life can give you. Even if İ was a foreign they tried to make me feel part of something, part of İstanbul. History, tradition, culture, fun and lively atmosphere all mix together. Exactly there İ overwhelmed with joy.

THE SWEET SİDE OF TURKEY

Hi guys, here İ am again!

One month has already passed and too many things happened! İ thought that 30 days were not enough to work and at the same time visit new places, meet new people, discover and be able to get use to new customs and tradition and, last but not least, to feel part of this lively country… but, surprise, they are! I reach the conclusion that you don’t need ages to do everything you wished for, if you are rounded by amazing people! During this short period of time a lot of my habits changed… for example İ think İ am under a strong and healthy addiction to çay (tea in Turkish). In turkey tea is drunk always, and with the world always I am not exaggerating, believe me! 

You can see people in the street sitting and sipping this hot drink…and you would say until that all normal, but then you go to offices, to schools and to rent a sky trucksuit and what do you find? Yes exactly, dispenser of free çay everywhere!The action of drinking tea is meant by Turkish as a ritual; you can even find you tube videos as regards that teach you the correct way to perform it. Tea is usually served in special glass glasses with a round wide bottom and a narrow neck accompanied by a saucer in order to help you to carry the glass without burning yourself. Before starting to sip, even if you don’t put sugar in it, you have to mixed it. Teaspoons hitting the glass make a magic and relaxing sound that echo all around turkey.

Obviously İ did not gain only good habits, in fact İ started to appreciate (a lot) sweet pastry and, as Italian, I cannot do any mention as regards of food. İ discovered that Turkey is famous for its sweet; İ have always loved the test of healthy food and my only weak point was represented by the villain chocolate… then İ tried Künefe and Baklava.

Künefe' is native to the southeastern parts of Turkey that border the Mediterranean sea from where even the best kebab are coming from, but it can be found in different varietion throughout countries in the Mediterranean and Middle East, including Turkey, Lebanon and Syria, where it is known as kunafa, k’nafe or knafeh, among other names.İt is a sin only to look at: crispy fried cheese wrap in a dough soaked in copious amount of sugar syrup, served hot out of the oven so the cheese is soft and stringy and, mostly, with pistachio powder on the top and a rounded scoop of ice cream or Turkish kaymak, clotted cream. Baklava is a rich, sweet dessert pastry made of layers of dough filled with chopped nuts and sweetened and held together with syrup or honey. This dessert was perfected during the Ottoman Empire after invading Constantinople. Until last century baklava was thought of as a luxury; which only the very wealthy could afford. To this day, it is a very common expression in Turkey that “I am not rich enough to eat baklava every day”. People would bake baklava only on special occasions, and religious events or wedding. 

However, times have changed and İ was invited to eat it at a Turkish friend of mine house at tea break. All the other guest handle it and made disappeared the slice in one bite; and so did İ. You need to eat it really fast because, the lustful amount of syrups required you to lower as more as possible the damage that could be caused to your cloths by the overflowing of the thick sticky liquid. İf you don’t fear sweet food İ strongly invited you to give them a try; İf you do fear sugary food İ, even more fervently, invite you to taste them. İt is an explosion of flavor and energy that blows you up. Food has a strong power on your body, sweet food makes you happier but Künefe and Baklava make your mood explode and are able to change a normal day in an extraordinary one! (İ hope you are not reading this few lines just before lunch!)

MY TURKISH HOŞGELDİNİZ

Hi every body! My name is Anna and İ am happy to state that İ am an EVS volunteer at İyaca association in Ankara, Turkey.
İ come from a small town located in the North of İtaly but İ lived for the last two year in the UK.Since İ interrupted my job vacancy in the UK İ was looking for a kind of experience that was not aiming to make a living, instead İ was willing to chase something that could help other people and additionally could make me gain practical understanding.

So, when İ saw the advertisement of the project hosted by İyaca NGO, İ applied immediately. İ have always been interested in social work and İ was feeling so lucky to have the opportunity to have an inner sight of how a NGO works. İn particular İyaca is dealing with youth policies organizing training, youth exchange and, of course, EVS project. İ am fully convinced that the change we need in the world can be accomplished only by young people and thanks these activities youth can be aware of their task in the post-modern society. A couple of days later İ have been invited to do an interview with, what turned out to be, my lovely lovely mentor Sinan. Two days later the exciting news: İ was going to spend two months in Turkey as a volunteer!  İ think it is useless to highline how glad İ was!During my 15 hours of travelling İ started to meditate on Turkey. İ am really ashamed to admit İ did not know anything about this amazing and mixed country. İn my brain the word ‘Turkey’ recalled me of just a couple of stereotypes: Turkish people smoke a lot (totally true!) and they walk really fast (almost true). This country is famous to be the bridge that connects Asia to Europe and İ was, and still İ am, truly curious about how Asian and European culture are dealing together in the daily life and historical traditions. İ was going to land in the capital set in the Asiatic part of Turkey: Ankara.When İ got off the bus, that carried me from Esebonga airport to the Çankaya district (centre of the city), İ discovered, with an immense relief, that Sinan was waiting for me. We walked  through the chaotic and crowded street heading home. What impressed me the most concerns colours. Ankara has the colours of all the European cities İ visited: a mix of grey, dirty white of the building and random colourful spot of the items exposed by the shop. But in this case this nuance is warmed up by the intense red of the copious flags proudly waving along the street and hanging from the buildings windows.  

On the following day Sinan led me to the office. He tried to teach me the way, unfortunately for him with really poor results (I could lose myself in my own home!).

The ONG has its base on the 8^th, and last, floor of a central building; therefore it offers you an astonished view of the city. I started to take a hundred of pictures to immortalize the panorama that took my breath away but it can not be capture by a single photo…you have to come here to understand! No skyscrapers for Ankara but sharped towers towards the sky and, it is going to be a constant, red flags symbolizing the strong feeling of identity the Turkish have.

To better understand the Turkish culture İ decided to go to Ataturk mausoleum. Gazi Mustafa Kemal is Ataturk, that means: father of Turkey. He, besides being, on my behalf, a really charming, old fashion man, is the founder of the Turkish republic. Turkish people love him and his pictures are glancing at you mostly in each public or private office, schools and shops.  Ataturk became the first president of Turkey republic in 1923 till 1938, year in which he died. During his administration he put into rule a program of political, social and cultural reforms seeking to transform the former Ottoman Empire into a modern and secular nation. Under his led primary school became free and compulsory and he decided to swop the Arabic alphabet for the Latin one. Before several European Nations woman were given equal civil and political rights, Ataturk fought against the negative and old idea that women were just able houses caretaker and, within 1935, 18 women joined the Turkish parliament. Knowing that İ can fully understand why people admire him and they celebrate every year on the 10^th of November his memory.Anitkabir (mausoleum in Turkish) has been built on Rasattepe hill in the centre of Ankara as the tradition wants to be Ataturk will. From there he wished to finally rest watching Ankara castle and its waving flag. To reach Anitkabir İ walked up the hill rounded by a peaceful and beautiful park. You feel immediately relaxed because it is in total contrast with the noisy city.

On the top of the memorials stairs İ saw two groups of statues representing three men on one side and three women on the other facing themselves. One woman is lifting an empty glass towards the sky asking to God mercy on the father of Turkey. The woman in the middle is covering her face with her hand while she is crying. This simple gesture expresses the population’s deep grief for its loss.  In order to reach the main part of the memorial İ covered the lions path; a walking-way that due its name to the 24 lions sculpture allocated along the borders. The lions symbolize power, protection and strength of this proud nation.

When İ eventually reached the mausoleum the view made me goggled at it. İ can try to describe this monument using a synonymous and the world İ will choose is: HUGE.  At the end of the Lion's path, there is a wide open meeting area crowned by the bulding of ataturk tomb.
Climbing thousand of steps İ reched this enourmus rectangular building sorrended by high colums on all 4 sides. I passed through the colums to find my self in the Hall of Honor, the hall where Ataturk body rest in peace. Anitkabir finds its completion in this section. The roof is made of gold mosaik and walls and floor are covered by marble.  The sarcofagus is at the bottom of the hall in front of a big windown and it is itself a piece of marble with no decoration. 
A really mystiscal vision that arises when İ discovered that Atataturk rest are just benith the sarcofaguos in the soil brought from all over Turkey.İ have been really happy to have seen this monument but overall İ am glad to had the chance to come closer to the feeling of respect, pure love and eternal gratitude that the turkish people have reserved to thıs important and profound person.