The Ottoman travel writer Evliya Çelebi, tells us how in 1638 Hezarfen Ahmed Çelebi fastened wings to his body and took off from the roof of the Galata Tower. He allegedly achieved the first intercontinental flight, eventually landing in Üsküdar, which is on the Asian side of the city. Soon, regular passenger flights were scheduled and a control tower was built. Some people, however, question the authenticity of this story. If you pay a visit to the Galata tower and look out over the choppy waters of the Bosphorus for yourself, you would probably come to the conclusion that this Ahmed was full of shit and most likely broke his neck when he landed on the continent right at the foot of the Galata Tower.
The Galata Tower was built by the Genoese who had acquired the rights to live in the area as a concession from the Byzantine Emperor in the early 1300s. It was a thank you for helping to recapture the city from the Latin Empire. This empire was the result of the Fourth Crusade that set out to reconquer the Muslim-held city of Jerusalem. Instead, they sacked the largest and most sophisticated city in Christendom.
The image on the left is an albumen print that I found on the internet. Albumen prints were an early form of photography, and this print dates from between 1875 and 1886. It was taken by Pascal Sebah, an early photographer established at the Grand Rue de Pera in Istanbul. This grand avenue is now known as Istklal Avenue and is the most fashionable shopping street in Istanbul. I once walked up and down Istklal Avenue for I don’t know what reason. I got tired, there was nothing that I wanted to see, there was nothing that I wanted to buy, and there was nowhere to sit down. It sucked.
On sunny days I like to go to Şok Market on Ebussuud Caddesi and buy bread, cheese, fruit and ayran. Then I walk over to the Gülhane Park which is not far away and has lush grass. It’s lovely to have a picnic under the shady trees and read a book. Right now I am reading The Flea Palace by Turkish writer Elif Shafak. I found this book in German, where it is translated as Der Bonbon Palast, and I love it. It tells the story of a bunch of people who live in a grand house in Istanbul. The characters are quirky and lively and not at all German. After more than five hundred pages, it was perfectly fine for the characters to speak German. Istanbul am Rhein…
Just across from the Hagia Sophia is the legendary Pudding Shop. It was a famous restaurant on the hippy trail. Many travellers on their way to India ate there, had a coffee, and left messages on its bulletin board to hitch a ride to Kathmandu.
It’s still there. The bulletin board is still there. But nobody is hitching any rides to Kathmandu anymore.
Next, I’ll be flying to Bangkok.
Again.
Peter on the move 