RSS
October 19, 2009
guest blogger: Mara Berkoff, Bridal Guide Intern
Istanbul (Not Constantinople)
You’ve seen them. Fanny pack firmly clamped around the waist, camera hanging from their necks and their noses stuck in a guidebook. We all fear becoming the dreaded tourist who does the "culture light" tour: only the famous places with some indigenous food thrown in, but none of the weird stuff. Istanbul: The Collected Traveler, An Inspired Companion Guide edited by Barrie Kerper unfolds before us a city so full of fun and adventure that to not want to explore is impossible.
|
It only gets better from there. This book is not a tourist’s guide to the big monuments or “must see” destinations while in Istanbul, it’s more like someone telling you a story about their beloved homeland and their treasured memories. People who have lived and worked in Istanbul and felt its elusive pull write the collection of articles and essays. You can feel the love pouring out of these people’s souls as they describe the history of Topkapi palace with its lavish dinner parties and turtles trained to carry lit candles on their shells, or the Grand Seraglio where the wives of the Sultan wore 200 emeralds at a time and the gold knives were set with diamonds (where can I register for those!). For travelers with big imaginations, a trip to these sites is worth it to imagine such great wealth in what remains of these buildings now.
For all their fancy things, food is extremely important to the Turkish. Engagements were sealed with sherbet, a sweet coffee called lokum, and candy to ensure a sweet marriage. Imagine having your fiancé hand you a Milky Way instead of a ring! Wedding dinners themselves had meat pilaf, warm vegetable dishes, fruit and nuts, and a bonus tray of desserts for the bride’s family if all went well that night.
Newsweek’s “coolest city in the world” is the European Capital of Culture 2010, and with good reason. Istanbul: The Collected Traveler, An Inspired Companion Guide lets you fall in love with the history, but keeps you intrigued with recommendations for the present. If it’s your dream to get lost in the emotion and color of Istanbul, this book educates without making you feel like an outsider, with the hope that you will be just as much in love with the city as the people who call Istanbul home.
Posted by Mara at 12:31 p.m.
tags:
