If ever a city were in a need of a concise recounting of its history, it is Istanbul. Properly told, its story fills multiple volumes of heavy tomes. But we're too busy for detail or nuance, and so have distilled the past of one of the world's most historic cities into a ridiculous list of easily digestible highlights. Students of Mrs. Dent's sixth-grade history class: you're welcome! Academics and graduate students: you might want to look elsewhere.
Wow, that went fast. Our first month in Istanbul flew by way too quickly, leaving us a little nervous about our remaining time. We've prepared a gigantic list of things to do and see and, although we've accomplished a lot, the list doesn't appear to be getting any smaller. Still, it's been an amazing month, which has just left us eager for more. Here are our initial impressions about living in Istanbul.
Art can be found everywhere on the streets of Istanbul. I'm not just talking about graffiti, although there is a lot of that, but the art of architecture, movement, and humanity. Everyday scenes of the city, framed by a minaret or the Bosphorus, changed by the play of shadows, or lightened with a bit of urban humor. Istanbul can be both strikingly beautiful and thought-provoking, simultaneously... just like any great piece of art.
