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Rick Steves' Europe Season 13 Episode 9
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FunTranscript
00:00We're in perhaps the most historic and certainly the most populous city we've ever filmed in, Istanbul.
00:07Thanks for joining us.
01:00We'll marvel at mosques, peruse the Grand Bazaar, be wowed by classic carpets, admire artisans at work, and learn why the dervish whirls.
01:12We'll sail the Bosphorus, eat fresh fish off the boat, be tempted by honey-drenched baklava, buy some exquisite silk, and grab some ice cream.
01:24Or not.
01:25We'll take a side trip to Asia and lose ourselves in a sea of its people as we celebrate this vast and complex city.
01:36Turkey bridges Europe and Asia.
01:40Its largest city, Istanbul, straddles the Bosphorus Strait, part of the cities in Europe and part in Asia.
01:47The Golden Horn Inlet, long a strategic harbor, is crossed by the Galata Bridge.
01:51It connects the bustling new town and the old town with its fabled palace and mosques.
01:58After a cruise on the Bosphorus, we'll explore the Grand Bazaar, wander down the Istiklal Kadessi Boulevard, then finish in Asia with a visit to Uskudar.
02:07Inspiring monuments showcase 2,000 years of Istanbul history, its ancient Roman and early Christian Byzantine period,
02:21its centuries as the capital of the Muslim Ottoman Empire,
02:26and its birth as a modern nation in the 20th century.
02:33While today the city is a vast megapolis of over 15 million people sprawling along both sides of the Bosphorus,
02:40its oldest citizens actually remember when it had only a million people.
02:45In other words, the vast majority of the city is new.
02:48And its historic points of interest are mostly corralled into a relatively compact old center.
03:01The starting point for many travelers is Istanbul's state-of-the-art cruise terminal,
03:07with its ingenious collapsible walls.
03:09It adds to the city's population whenever ships are in port.
03:13A far-sighted infrastructure investment, all the buses and taxis are underground.
03:18It adds to efficiently move the crowds.
03:21In season, massive cruise ships pour thousands of tourists smoothly into the city
03:26for a busy day of sightseeing and shopping.
03:30When ships sail, the security and customs walls fold down,
03:35and Galataport transforms into a delightful public promenade, 600 yards long.
03:41Late in the day, the people watching mixes with the commotion of the busy harbor
03:45to make it a Turkish paseo like none other.
03:51The Bosphorus is churning with boat traffic of all sorts.
03:56This narrow and strategic strait is a bottleneck, busy with freighters,
04:01including lots of Ukrainian and Russian ships,
04:03since this is the only route between ports on the Black Sea and the Mediterranean.
04:08And tourist boats doing their maritime do-si-do dance around the serious cargo ships and ferries.
04:20For more of a mini-cruise, it's easy to hop a sightseeing boat
04:24for a relaxing sail up the Bosporus.
04:27Yes, an intercontinental cruise.
04:30It's a chance to see Istanbul from the water and get the lay of the land,
04:34with Europe on one side and Asia on the other.
04:39Small historic towns marked by their minarets
04:42are now engulfed in the sprawl of modern Istanbul.
04:45The boat passes an Ottoman emperor's hunting lodge,
04:48palaces of the nobility,
04:50and homes of wealthy locals,
04:52locals who can afford the Bosphorus waterfront,
04:55some of the priciest real estate in all of Turkey.
04:59And anyone can enjoy the inviting beachfront parks.
05:04The dramatic Bosporus Bridge
05:06was the first bridge ever to span two continents.
05:09And the Rumeli Fortress
05:11was built by the Ottomans five centuries ago.
05:16Back in the old center,
05:18the Galata Bridge spans the strategic inlet called the Golden Horn.
05:22For centuries, this easy-to-defend bay
05:25provided the city a protected harbor.
05:29A thousand years ago,
05:31long before there was a bridge here,
05:32a mighty chain was stretched across the mouth of this inlet.
05:36This gave the Byzantine Empire its safest harbor,
05:39which provided the city a critical key
05:41to both trade and military power.
05:44While just a few years ago
05:46its shoreline was an industrial wasteland,
05:48today the Golden Horn is cleaned up
05:51and lined by inviting parks.
05:54After a determined effort by the city
05:56and lots of investment,
05:57the people of Istanbul now share
05:59a delightfully green and welcoming people zone,
06:03the Golden Horn.
06:04Back at the Galata Bridge,
06:08for fast-food Istanbul-style,
06:10you can grab a fish witch just off the boat.
06:13Mackerel, fresh from the guys who caught it
06:16at one of the venerable
06:17and very tipsy fish-and-bread boats.
06:20And as the sun sets,
06:24on the bridge you can enjoy panoramic views
06:26of Istanbul's old town,
06:29an iconic place for more fast fish,
06:32or a nice dinner
06:38with a view of the harbor action.
06:43There are lots of tourists in Istanbul,
06:45and it's interesting to note
06:47that about half of them come from other Muslim countries.
06:59While Istanbul is full of iconic sights,
07:03there's one that seems to be on every traveler's list,
07:06the Grand Bazaar.
07:14In many ways,
07:15Istanbul's Grand Bazaar remains
07:17much as it was centuries ago,
07:20enchanting and perplexing visitors
07:22with its maze-like network of lanes
07:24hiding more than 4,000 colorful shops,
07:27artisans at work,
07:29and tiny eateries.
07:32Despite all the tourists and knick-knacks,
07:34the heart of the Grand Bazaar still beats,
07:37giving the observant visitor
07:38an unforgettable memory.
07:41Thailand!
07:43Thailand!
07:43In its day,
07:46this labyrinthine warren
07:48of shops under fine arches
07:49was the world trade center
07:51for the entire Ottoman Empire,
07:54locked down and guarded
07:55by more than 100 soldiers every night.
07:58While today's main drag is touristy,
08:01do what you can
08:02to imagine the atmosphere here centuries ago
08:04during Silk Road times,
08:06the barrage on the senses,
08:08exotic spices,
08:10busy merchants,
08:12convivial tea breaks,
08:13and thirsty shoppers.
08:17The market is vast,
08:19and you can still escape the tourist zones
08:21to discover some authentic nooks and crannies.
08:24Surprises await in the low-rent fringes.
08:28A commotion of shouting
08:30marks the bazaar's poor man's Wall Street.
08:32These currency brokers
08:34are frantically swapping fortunes
08:36of euros, dollars,
08:38and Turkish lira for their clients.
08:41Others keep their fortunes in gold.
08:43The many jewelry shops
08:45are a reminder that Turks love gold
08:47for more than just its beauty and allure.
08:49Traditionally,
08:50it's considered a practical and tangible place
08:53to store their wealth.
08:55And much of that gold may be recycled.
08:58Around the corner,
08:59surrounding a humble courtyard,
09:01sooty smiths labor over furnaces.
09:04Their melting gold trimmings
09:06from nearby jewelers' workshops
09:08back into a pure and more usable form.
09:14For over 20 years,
09:16I've been visiting Ayhan.
09:18His skillful techniques
09:19have changed little through the generations
09:21as he works his trade.
09:23Gold, gold.
09:25And with that gold,
09:27you can buy a fine Turkish carpet.
09:31Shops can come with a vast inventory,
09:34offering a warp-and-weft fantasy of options.
09:38Enjoy a colorful demonstration.
09:40Here I have four amazing art pieces
09:43that they are totally different categories.
09:45It's like a mother language.
09:47Each region of Turkey,
09:48we have different style.
09:49But be attracted
09:50not by aggressive sales pitches,
09:53but by merchants
09:53who celebrate this rich,
09:55artistic heritage.
09:57So, the other name of those
09:59silk collection rugs
10:00are flying Turkish rugs.
10:09With the fall of Christian Byzantium
10:11and the rise of the Muslim Ottomans,
10:13grand mosques
10:14shaped the city's skyline.
10:17And Suleimania
10:18is the finest in town.
10:19This soothing,
10:24restrained yet magnificent
10:26house of worship
10:27was built by the great 16th century architect
10:30Sinan
10:30for his sultan, Suleiman.
10:34Although less colorful
10:36and less glamorous
10:37than some of Istanbul's other mosques,
10:40this mosque is bigger,
10:41older,
10:42and considered
10:42the masterpiece
10:43of Ottoman architecture.
10:45The tranquil interior
10:49is decorated
10:50in pastel hues
10:51and stained glass.
10:54Its vast expanse,
10:56with no interior support,
10:58was a marvel in its day.
11:00And visiting Turks
11:02make a point
11:02to visit
11:03the elaborate tomb
11:04of the sultan Suleiman,
11:06whose nickname was
11:07The Magnificent.
11:08The Muslim faith
11:16is as varied
11:17as the Christian faith.
11:19Some groups
11:19are more orthodox
11:20and conservative,
11:21and others
11:23more progressive,
11:25like this congregation
11:26of mystic Sufi dervishes,
11:28which welcomes women
11:29to take leadership roles.
11:32While some worship
11:33in grand mosques,
11:35others gather
11:35in a more intimate space
11:37like this,
11:37where musicians
11:39set the mood,
11:42the leader guides
11:44the congregation
11:44in prayer,
11:46and slowly
11:46the dervishes blossom
11:48into a state
11:49where they're ready
11:50to whirl.
11:53Dervishes
11:53are like monks,
11:55inspired by the mystic
11:5613th century poet
11:58Mevlana,
11:59also known as Rumi.
12:02Not all dervishes whirl,
12:03but all whirlers
12:04are dervishes.
12:05With one foot planted
12:09in their community,
12:11their family,
12:12and the other foot
12:13dancing around and around,
12:15celebrating the diversity
12:16of God's great creation,
12:17they whirl themselves
12:18into a meditative trance.
12:23In this mesmerizing
12:25form of prayer,
12:27the dervish contemplates
12:28how everything
12:29in the universe whirls,
12:31from the smallest particles
12:32to the earth
12:33and beyond.
12:38By whirling,
12:40the dervish
12:41goes with the cosmic flow.
12:47Mevlana's teaching
12:48is all about love
12:50and finding that
12:50elusive oneness,
12:52with one hand
12:55symbolically reaching up
12:56to their heavenly creator,
12:57and the other
12:59like a fountain
13:00showering that love
13:01on all of creation,
13:03the dervish meditates
13:04on how they can be
13:05a conduit
13:06of God's love.
13:07To get a fuller appreciation
13:23for Istanbul,
13:24it's important
13:25to leave the old town
13:26and explore the lively,
13:27more modern neighborhoods.
13:29For the visitor,
13:31Istanbul's central tramline
13:33laces together
13:34the most interesting
13:35sightseeing areas.
13:36While often packed,
13:39it zips directly
13:40through the middle
13:40of town fast,
13:42unaffected
13:43by the frequent
13:43traffic jams.
13:47My friend
13:48and co-author
13:48of our Istanbul guidebook,
13:50Lali Sermon Aran,
13:52is joining us
13:52as we ride over
13:53the Gulada Bridge.
13:56Rather than fighting traffic,
13:58Lali knows
13:58to stick with the tram
13:59as we head
14:00into the new town,
14:01and the place
14:02where everyone
14:03seems to be heading,
14:04Taksim Square,
14:06Istanbul's contemporary heart.
14:12Taksim Square
14:13is a major
14:14transportation hub
14:15and gives us
14:16a good taste
14:17of modern Istanbul.
14:20The traffic circles
14:21a statue
14:22that celebrates
14:23the father
14:24of modern Turkey,
14:25Mustafa Kemal Atatürk.
14:27If Turkey
14:28is Western-looking today,
14:30you can thank this man.
14:31In the 19th century,
14:34the Ottoman Empire
14:35was in a state of decline.
14:36Its nickname,
14:37the Sick Man of Europe.
14:39Following Germany
14:40in World War I
14:41and therefore losing,
14:42the decrepit old empire
14:43was swept away,
14:45and from its remnants
14:46arose the modern
14:47Republic of Turkey,
14:48founded in 1923
14:50by Atatürk.
14:52The monument shows
14:53the two sides
14:54of Atatürk,
14:55the military hero
14:56of the War of Independence
14:57and civilian Atatürk,
14:59the first president
15:00of modern Turkey,
15:02surrounded by figures
15:03representing
15:04the proclamation
15:05of the Republic.
15:10Nearby,
15:11a colorful trolley
15:12travels the length
15:13of the city's
15:14main shopping boulevard,
15:15Istiklal Kadessi,
15:17or Independent Street.
15:19Offering a parade
15:20of local culture,
15:21it was born
15:22after a devastating fire
15:24in 1870.
15:26The Ottoman government
15:28took the opportunity
15:29to rebuild the area
15:30as a showpiece
15:31of the European style.
15:33The message?
15:34Look west.
15:35The fine old architecture
15:37is a reminder
15:38that this street
15:39was home to the city's
15:40Europe-oriented elite
15:41back in the 19th century.
15:43Even today,
15:44Istanbul's churches
15:45and foreign consulates
15:47are in this district.
15:49It's just teeming
15:51with people.
15:51I love to lose myself
15:53in this river of humanity.
15:56And it's lined
15:57with shopping temptations.
16:01This fine shop
16:02sells silk scarves,
16:04made in Turkey,
16:06of course.
16:07Tulip is the Turkish one.
16:09That's great.
16:10This pattern
16:11is so beautiful.
16:13Turks know how
16:14to spiff up their look
16:15with a scarf,
16:16around the neck,
16:17or as a head covering.
16:19And if you want
16:20to go to the mosque,
16:21which scarf would you wear
16:22and how would you wear it?
16:23If I want to ask,
16:24I wear the long one.
16:26Uh-huh.
16:26Like this.
16:28It's enough for me.
16:30Like this.
16:31So you say,
16:32enough for you.
16:33Every woman will choose
16:34how much modesty?
16:35Of course, of course.
16:36If she's religious,
16:38also she can wear
16:40like this in square one,
16:42for example.
16:44If she's very religious?
16:46Yeah, she can put
16:48a pin here,
16:49then she do it like this.
16:52Oh, okay.
16:53She can put it here.
16:54So this is an accessory
16:55to cover the hair?
16:56Yes.
16:57Yeah?
16:57So true to the culture
16:58and easy to pack,
17:00a silk scarf
17:01makes a nice souvenir.
17:07And the street offers
17:09an enticing parade
17:10of taste treats.
17:12Doner means revolving,
17:14and you know why,
17:15when tempted
17:16by a doner kebab.
17:18You can try the sesame rings,
17:20called simmet,
17:21along with your tiny
17:23Turkish vocabulary.
17:25Bir simmet lütven.
17:27One ring, please.
17:31Bye-bye.
17:32And for a fast meal
17:34with no language barrier,
17:35ever-present cafeteria-style
17:37restaurants offer a can-can
17:39of fresh and traditional
17:40Turkish food.
17:44You'll choose from a range
17:45of classic Turkish dishes.
17:47I'm having cabbage rolls,
17:50lamb chops,
17:51and potatoes.
17:54And something I always
17:55look forward to,
17:56my go-to yogurt drink
17:58here in Turkey,
17:59Iran,
18:00and my favorite dessert,
18:01rice pudding,
18:02or sutlac.
18:04But on this street,
18:05rice pudding is just
18:06the first of many
18:07sweet temptations.
18:09Popping into this
18:10baklava bakery,
18:12it's hard to resist
18:13such a festival
18:14of honey-soaked delights.
18:17Hey, look at this.
18:18Generations of local
18:20chocolate salesmen
18:21have worked this little station,
18:22peddling a variety
18:23of Turkish treats.
18:24There's a lot
18:25of different flavors.
18:25Yes, with hazelnuts,
18:27and pistachios,
18:28and dark chocolate,
18:29and milk chocolate.
18:30Today,
18:31Ali loves to give samples.
18:33Okay, this is the pistachio
18:34we're tasting now.
18:35This is, this one?
18:36Yes.
18:36What do you like best?
18:39Good food.
18:41Everything's good.
18:43And to really earn
18:44your dessert,
18:45try getting some ice cream
18:47from this guy.
18:49Well,
18:49how are you?
18:53He's from Karamarmoros,
18:54a town in southeast Turkey,
18:56famous for its
18:57toffee-like ice cream.
18:58While delicious,
19:01it doesn't come easy
19:03for anyone.
19:06Whoopala!
19:07Boy, boy, boy, boy, boy, boy, boy!
19:09I want chocolate!
19:14Ah!
19:14Ah!
19:17Ah!
19:18Ah!
19:19Ah!
19:21Oh!
19:23Ha, ha, ha, ha, ha, ha!
19:25That's nice!
19:28Every day,
19:32over a million people
19:33in Istanbul
19:34commute between Asia
19:36and Europe.
19:37Some take the five-minute
19:39subway ride
19:40through the underwater tunnel,
19:42while others catch a ferry
19:44for a more scenic
19:45intercontinental commute.
19:49An array of ferries
19:50cross the Bosphorus
19:51every few minutes
19:52and cost less than a buck.
19:54and a memorable way
19:57for a tourist
19:58to experience
19:58this city's urban energy
20:00is to join the locals
20:02for a 20-minute cruise
20:03to Asian Istanbul.
20:05The city of Uskadar,
20:17on the Asian side,
20:18is now a suburb of Istanbul.
20:21While bustling and modern today,
20:23it also has a traditional religious feel.
20:27In the Ottoman era,
20:28it was the gathering
20:29and departure place
20:31for pilgrims
20:32and caravans
20:33heading to Mecca.
20:36Taking a stroll
20:37along its waterfront promenade
20:39or through its family-friendly parks,
20:41you'll notice
20:42a more conservative lifestyle.
20:44Oh, fresh fish.
20:49The marketplace offers
20:51a cultural scavenger hunt
20:52and plenty of ways
20:53to nibble on even more
20:55of Turkey's endless array
20:56of taste treats.
20:58Oh, dates.
20:59I love dates.
21:00How do you say date in Turkish?
21:02Hurma.
21:03Hurma.
21:03In Ramadan,
21:04it's traditional.
21:05We break the fast with a hurma.
21:07Try it.
21:08So this is how we break fast?
21:10Yes.
21:11Happy breakfast.
21:12Mmm.
21:12Oh, yeah.
21:15And there's a beautiful variety.
21:21So these are grape leaves?
21:24Yes, they are grape leaves
21:25and we use these
21:26for rolled grape leaves.
21:28So you buy a whole bundle?
21:31They will sell by the weight.
21:32What would you put inside?
21:33Mainly rice, onion,
21:36and seasonings.
21:37Sometimes with meat, too.
21:39Beautiful.
21:40Look at that.
21:41Nice.
21:42Yeah?
21:48Rick, this is Milo.
21:49We use this to make börek.
21:51It's pastry.
21:52We make it both savory and sweet.
21:55These ones I'm buying,
21:56I'm going to use with cheese and parsley,
21:59and it will be a savory pastry.
22:01Can I come over?
22:02You're welcome.
22:03It looks so good.
22:05That's the delicacy.
22:08The best fish of Istanbul, turbo.
22:11Turbo.
22:12Yes, it's the finest fish of Bosphorus.
22:14And these are horse mackerel and anchovy,
22:16the cheapest protein you can buy.
22:18There.
22:19My goodness, they're beautiful.
22:22I love olives.
22:23Look at so many different varieties.
22:25Different regions, different kinds,
22:27and different cures.
22:28Which one of those?
22:28Why don't you try one?
22:29Yeah.
22:30And where is this from?
22:31South Turkey and Tiova.
22:34Naturally grown.
22:36It's great to have a selection, you know?
22:39Mm.
22:39And what is this?
22:41This is from the Sea of Marmara, Edremit.
22:44The Sea of Marmara.
22:46Oh, it's really good.
22:49It's good to mix.
22:50A little of that,
22:50a little of that in a little bag.
22:52A little of that in a little bag.
22:58Back on the waterfront,
22:59I enjoy the view from Asia
23:01across the Bosphorus back to Europe,
23:04marveling at this extraordinary city.
23:09Istanbul, it's fast-changing,
23:12yet strangely timeless.
23:14Truly one of Europe's great cities.
23:17And for me, it never gets old.
23:21Soaring domes.
23:25Spinning carpets.
23:28Whirling prayers.
23:31Churning harbor.
23:33It's an endless promenade
23:35that broadens my perspective.
23:37The city's both rooted in tradition
23:41and modern-facing
23:43as it navigates the challenges of today.
23:49The richness of Istanbul's culture,
23:52diversity, and heritage
23:53is seen in the faces of its people.
23:56This is today's Turkey,
24:00a melting pot of ethnic groups.
24:03Turk, Kurd, Armenian,
24:05Jew, Gypsy, Georgian, Greek, and more.
24:09And styles,
24:10from the very traditional
24:11to the very latest.
24:14The city remains a crossroads of humanity.
24:26And according to the Turkish proverb,
24:29every guest is a gift from God.
24:33Istanbul bridges east and west.
24:39With a complex weave of modern affluence,
24:42Western secularism,
24:44and traditional Muslim faith,
24:46it's a dynamic city filled with delights.
24:49Thanks for joining us.
24:51I'm Rick Steves.
24:52Until next time, keep on traveling.
24:54Perhaps the most historic
24:58and certainly the most populous city
25:00we've ever filmed in.
25:02And certainly the most populous city
25:04we've ever filmed in.
25:06But certainly the most populous city
25:08we've ever filmed in.
25:10Istanbul.
25:11Thanks for joining us.
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