Ivy Istanbul Recap (FINALLY)

What you have all been waiting for. A recap on the EPIC Ivy EME Istanbul leg. Instead of doing this chronologically, I have decided to break it up into categories for you: Food, Sights, Universities, and Politics.

One shout out: Thanks to Murat, the Political Advisor to Nursuna Memecan and our BFF who put together this fabulous intro to Istanbul! Big thanks to Nursuna Memecan and the Grand National Assembly of Turkey!!!!

Food

Like every good Ellis girl, I start with food. The Metropolitan Municipality owns everything, even restaurants--which is where we (not) wined but dined at some of the most historic and chic sights. Take the Ottoman Ambassador to Egypt's house where we ate one night--one of the most luxurious sights to get a 15 lire dinner! The prices are affordable and dining in these mansions are amazing! 

Murat also took us out for Mussels and "intestine," equally delicious. My favorite however is the Iskander kebab--a lamb, pita, tomato and yogurt dish that rocks my socks. The rice puddings and baklava pastries (which the Mayor of Istanbul also has a bakery for, both in Istanbul and NYC!) 

Sights

Topkapi palace, a weird mix of Ottoman, French Rococo, and Italian Fresco provided a sort of architectural spaz for me. I loved the fountains by the window--antique anti-spi security systems much? The curator apparently speaks 7 languages or something and refuses to date women who don't speak Persian. Hot. 

Of course the Hagia Sophia made me cry. The zebra like walls, the pendentives, the "ink blot" marble, and the mix of Christian and Muslim motifs just are awe inspiring. And yes, Isodoros and Anthemios knew what they were doing with the "ring of fire" on the dome... I just about passed out. The blue mosque was also brilliant--where Krystal and I got into a deep discussion about the role of headscarves and gender relations in Islam--for another post!! 

The Grand Bazaar provided ample entertainment--with gold bathroom shoes and Templar pins/antiques. Oh free masonry and templar knights. My father will never cease to be entertained. Plus, shopping for military pins with Taimur and Murat was fabulous. (My bartering skills here are not too shabby, mwah ha ha) 

Lastly, the Military Museum proved to be a favorite. The rich history of Ottoman military tradition adds an interesting element to the Nationalist tradition that later developed. Apparently Turkey and Pakistan also have a fascinating relationship as far as military training goes. 

Let us not forget Santral Istanbul--for a tour of the first major electricity plant and new modern art museum (with a Moleskin exhibition with Sigur Ros!) and the MiniaTurk park--where I got an entire tour of Turkey---in Miniature. 

Universities

We visited Bogazici, Bilgi, and Sabanci Universities. Oh my intellectual havens. I loved Bogazici--an old "Yale of Turkey" this university has a view of the Bosporus that rivals any Oxford, Yale, or Stanford environment. Plus, the vice rector was from Yale. 

Sabanci is only about 10 years old, but already in partnership with Harvard, Columbia etc. The Sabanci family is one of those "business groups" that are family owned, like the Mellon's or the Carnegie's back in the day. This is a fascinating time in Turkey for Philanthropy. The university was built from the ground up, sticking it to the man by providing a sort of liberal arts core curriculum that the national government does not approve of (mostly Engineers and economists here...). They are truly progressive. Thanks to a Saybrugian, class of 1968 in the History department, I got some great lessons in Ottoman and Turkish history--plus a connection to pursue more of my Islamic studies while here. 

Naturally, these universities have opened up a world of learning for me. And don't you worry, we've been in contact. I'm already studying some Tajwid (Qu'ran reading) and will be exploring more of the Ottoman history. There is so much to say about the university system here, but I will leave this too for another post. 

Politics 

Let us not forget about our visit with the Deputy Mayor of Istanbul. In our very official meeting--a true honor!--, we discussed the traffic, the corporations, and the governing body of (arguably) the most powerful city in Turkey. The Mayor of Turkey is like a shoe-in for PM, but lets just say local politics can be very... interesting. 

Next, the Young Civilians, as reactionary group here in Turkey to promote democracy. While we may not agree on everything (as I am more of an advocate/practitioner and less of an activist), I found their social and civil work quite important. Every country needs a thesis and antithesis for a synthesis I suppose. 

We also met at the Istanbul Chamber of commerce. Turns out the presenter did his undergrad at UVA and worked in the steel industry in VA for a while--small world. Oh steel. How you unite the world! :) This coming from a steel broker's daughter. 

Naturally this was a very brief overview, but I learned a lot and made a lot of great connections. Having dinner, tea, and e-mail exchanges is proving to be very helpful to me and my work in entrepreneurship, NGO's, Islamic studies, Youth advocacy, and more! I love Istanbul for this.... 

This was honestly one of the best and most informative experiences I have had, which will inform much of what you will read in the future. You just wait.... 

Going to bed after a long day at the office, Istanbul Modern (saw some Yoko Ono work there), and finally a real meal. Eating rice can get old after a while... ;)