Five Days in Istanbul and one in Ankara
(page 7 of eight)
Every British child knows the name of Florence Nightingale, founder of modern nursing. Most will even know that she became famous for her care of the wounded soldiers in the Crimean War. However, it is not well known that she did this good work in Istanbul. When she arrived, the mortality rate was 70%, when she left it was just 5%.
Her hospital was, and still is, the Turkish Army Headquarters. Two small rooms, her surgery and her private quarters, joined to each other by a spiral staircase, have been kept as they were, even with the original furniture.
Visiting this small museum is only for the most dedicated, and those with at least half a day to devote to the effort. The base is on the Asian side of the city, so first you have to take a ferry. But even before that, 36 hours prior to the desired visit, you have to fax the base for permission to visit and send them a copy of your passport. Security is tight, there are multiple levels of checks to go through, and then some soldier is designated to escort the visitor through the base and the huge headquarters building to the museum.
The miles of highly polished corridors reminded me of my days in the service, polishing floors till they shone like a mirror for inspections. Then I saw a soldier RIDING on a polishing machine (like a riding lawn mower only fitted with polishing brushes) and thought that they had it way too easy these days!
The museum was small and interesting, but the hurdles to get there were as much fun as the visit itself. But that is just my perverted sense of adventure talking!
We only went out one evening, to a show of the Whirling Dervishes. This was held at the Railway Station. An odd venue at first thought, but this station was the terminus of the fabled Orient Express and was as opulent as the train was supposed to have been. The Dervishes are Sufi, a branch of Islam, and the whirling puts them into a trance where in prayer they can experience a close connection with the Creator. To call it a show or performance is not really accurate, it is more public worship which you have to pay $24 U.S. to watch.
We went to a couple of other, not particularly stunning, mosques. We declined to spend the time on the “new” palace, the Dolmabahce which has three stories, 285 rooms and is 1/3 of a mile wide along the shores of the Bosphorus. In pictures, it looked like a mid-19th century attempt at building an over the top “stately home of Britain”. This museum still has all its furniture and furnishings intact; a true Aladdin’s Cave for those who enjoy that kind of thing.
The one thing which we did not do, and had intended to, was to spend time across the Golden Horn from the Old City (Sultanahmet) in the tonier Beyoglu district where the up-market shops are to be found. However, as neither Renate, nor myself, are into recreational shopping, it was not a big loss. We both prefer museums to shops – what a blessing!
So, was the trip a success? I have to say an unqualified yes. Is Istanbul a destination to be recommended? Again yes; either for a weekend getaway from Europe or for an extended stay. I think that you can really do the city justice with seven days there. Our modest hotel would suit most people’s needs, but if it were a really special occasion, or if money was no object, I would suggest splurging on the Four Seasons Hotel which was just around the corner from ours. I would not suggest renting a car in Turkey as gas is $8 U.S. a gallon, the most expensive in already expensive Europe.
