Alhamdulillah, I was able to get three khatms, or closings, of the Qur'an over the past day. Because I found the masjid that was going to complete the Qur'an, I was able to attend as they finished last night. I wasn't sure if they had already finished on the 27th, but I lucked out. Alas, the dua wasn't so inspired, but the Imam (Tayyar) was a nice enough guy. He and the muezzin, Muhammad, will help me distribute the clothes mom sent with me.
The second khatm was by this muezzin, Muhammad, I guess he is the one who was reciting before fajr. His dua was a bit more elaborate. I finished my Qur'an after Asr after dropping off the clothes at the mosque to Muhammad, and did my dua at home.
Alhamdulillah, we got off early today, and the office is basically closed until Friday. A pleasant surprise, to say the least. I'm not sure how much celebrating I will do - a bit tomorrow, but after that, I really need to work on apps.
Erkut gave us all a nice box of chocolate covered Turkish delight. He was explaining to me the history of how Turkish delight became popular. Apparently, the brand I brought back home last time, Haji Ali Bekir or something like that, is very famous, popular, and old (1700s). Some British guy was in Istanbul, liked it, and brought it back to the UK, where it was well received, in part because of the connection between London and Istanbul by the Orient Express.
He also advised me to go to the Blue Mosque for Eid prayer and see some museums over the break (the museums, like Topkopi and the Hagia Sophia, will be open except tomorrow morning). My initial inclination was to go to the Suleymaniye, but he said that is still under construction. He recommended keeping my shoes close to me, but I told him about my separation strategy, and he liked it. Apparently, public transporation over this holiday will be free - that is pretty neat! The city is suposed to be relatively empty though.
I was on Skype again last night, and talked to Mom, Rabia, Sulaiman, and Yusuf. Let me know if you have Skype, and I'll add you.
I finally withdrew some money from an ATM - I've decided against using the traveler's cheques unless absolutely necessary. I withdrew in dollars USD 300 from a TEB ATM - they give out dollars, euros, or liras (so does Deutsche Bank/Fortis, though for how long, given the day's news, who knows?). I'm not sure what the fees will be - I'll post when I find out. I only exchanged USD 100 for YTL 120 because the rate had fallen. Still, I had money to spend now.
I spent the afternoon and early evening doing some Eid/Bayram preparation. Mom sent some packages of sheer korma mix with me - I just have to add milk and cook. However, I needed more milk (YTL 1.45 each for two) as well as a metal spoon (YTL 2.95). I bought almost a pound of candy to pass out (YTL 3.38), bag of noodles (YTL 0.89), honey (YTL 9.45), juice box (YTL 1.09), and yes, an umbrella (YTL 4.99) (I am reading my receipts). I decided to get a better lighter as well, so I wouldn't burn my fingers (YTL 1.25).
I have noticed that water doesn't evaporate in Istanbul as easily as it does in Detroit. In Michigan, if I make wudu and leave the water on the counter, by the time I come back, the water is gone. Not the case in Istanbul. The water left in my tub does not evaporate all day. My clothes, hanging since Saturday afternoon, are still damp after about 48 hours. The sink is wet almost all day. At first, I thought someone was breaking into my apartment and using the facilities. Now, I just can't believe how the water is not evaporating. It must be really humid (understandably so); I'm lucky it is not very hot out, otherwise it would be quite oppresive. In light of this, I bought one of those sink water collecter things we have back home (YTL 3.35) so I can keep the sink dry.
Now, I just have to get up early tomorrow and make the sheer korma, get ready, and go to the Old City. We'll see what happens.
I came across an interesting and somewhat relevant article on CNN.com today (http://www.cnn.com/2008/TRAVEL/09/26/journaling/index.html). While I don't really follow that structured of a methodology when writing these entries (they are little better than streams of consciousness), maybe there are some tips in it for you if you go somewhere (ehm, ehm, Osman!).
Monday, September 29, 2008
Sunday, September 28, 2008
Last few days of Ramadan
Alhamdulillah, I have been pretty lucky this Ramadan. I had pretty much the first half off from work, and the latter half, I have been in the Muslim world.
It has been a while since a meaningful post, but I've been keeping notes, so hopefully I won't miss anything important. That being said, my observations over the past week might be spread out over several posts.
I have been looking for a place that will finish the whole Qur'an in Ramadan during Taraweeh, and on Thursday, I think I hit the jackpot. The very same masjid that is nearest to my house apparently has two congregations at the same time. Upstairs, in the main area where I had been going, they do not complete the Qur'an and read only one verse per rakat. Downstairs, there is a smaller group that finishes the whole Qur'an. I don't remember if I noticed them before - if I had, I probably thought they were just over flow. I found out about them when I asked if there was 'Itikaf in the masjid, since I hadn't seen any evidence of the mosque being open too late after Isha. One guy didn't think there was 'Itikaf, but another guy, who was closing the main area, smiled and pointed downstairs. I don't know if there is 'Itikaf there, but at least I know that there are places that finish the Qu'ran in Ramadan - you just have to look really hard. Unfortunately, the discovery was a bit too late for me - I will only be able to go there for tonight, the last taraweeh in Ramadan (I was told by my coworkers that Turkey has already announced Eid is on Tuesday). I hope the khatm is today and that I didn't miss it on Friday, the 27th. As I can really only venture out to other parts of the city on Friday night and Saturday night, I reserved those two days to go to the touristy mosques. One of Muhamad's friends, Yusuf, recommended Eyup for Laylatul Qadr (27th) or Fatih, so those are the two places I went this weekend.
Yusuf warned that Eyup (Eyup Sultan mosque, where Abu Ayyub Al Ansari, may Allah be pleased with him, is buried) would be packed Friday night, and he was right! It was a very Hajj-like experience in that regard, from what I observed. It was very hard to move around. I even saw those chains of people busting through the crowds. I was pushed by the crowd at several points. It was quite tiring. There was not enough room to pray. A little bit dirty. And tiring. All very Hajj-like experiences. (As I was trying to learn more about Eyup and how to get there, I came across different websites claiming the mosque was Islam's fifth, fourth, and even THIRD holiest site! I thought that was pretty funny).
After getting out of work on Friday a bit late, 7:15 or so, I stopped by Gell on the way home and had a Gellburger menu (means combo) for about YTL 5 or so. I ordered a "Tost" (YTL 1.5) to see what it would be like. It is kind of grilled cheese sandwich - not bad. I had asked my coworkers what bus to take down to Eyup, since it is a bit far. The 55M takes you from the Sisli bus stop, about 10 minutes from my place, to Eyup. I left my place at about 7:55, got the bus right away at around 8:10, and reached Eyup about forty five minutes later. I have pictures of the scene around Eyup - my mom is mailing the connecter, so hopefully I will upload soon. It wasn't as festive as the Blue Mosque, but there was still a lot going on (compared to Fatih, where I went the next day - nothing going on there, albeit, that mosque is under construction). There was a big tent where they have special Ramadan activities, but other than that, I think the structures were all permanent.
I reached and as I mentioned, the place was absolutely packed. I had to pray outside - not in the courtyard of the mosque, but in an area outside of even that! I had an inkling that this might happen, so I wore my green rain jacket. I spread that out to pray on, although you could still feel the pebbles and rocks underneath (another Hajj similarity). There were several rows of people circling out from the masjid. Circling (another Hajj similarity) - I'm not sure why, but the rows were definitely not straight - they were focused around a fountain for some reason in an arc. I really couldn't tell what the qiblah was at that point, but I'm pretty sure I was at least praying in the right direction. I had missed Isha and four rakats, but decided to stay for the rest. After witr, which I sat out, I tried to make my way into the complex at least, as a side door opened. It was packed insided. We inched our way in, but there were a lot of people trying to leave too, so at some point, it became standstill, so I tried to go back out from another door. Same problem. Eventually, I did make it out, after the people trying to enter at the second (main) gate held back for a bit. Once I exited, some people were handing out fliers - some things don't change.
I walked around the complex for about an hour, waiting for the crowd to thin a bit. Lots of touristy shops in the area. I bought a cheap prayer mat for YTL 3.5, but it looks nice. I will have to come back later for some other, better ones. Some were as much as YTL 17, I think. I also think I saw the kinds of scarves Mom wants me to get. I bought a small bottle of water (YTL 0.5) for suhoor, since I didn't want to lose my spot once I got in, and I didn't know if suhoor would be provided (it wasn't).
There was some program going on in the mosque - lectures, nasheed, Qur'an recitation, all happened at various times in the night. At the same time, there was a program happening in the big tent as well. Lots of people were sitting and waiting in chairs. I went in, but couldn't figure out what was going on, so I went back out. I should have stayed (although maybe it is good for my ears that I got out). I think there was some kind of Ottoman/jannissary band that played some songs. I could only see from the tent flaps and from the windows, but there were quite a few performers dressed up in interesting costumes (probably Ottoman). They were standing in a semi-circle, with a couple of guys at the front holding flags. On the left, there were some people with some kind of horn, and on the right, drums. In the center, some guy was dancing and going in circles while also playing the drums. At least some of the songs were Islamic - I heard a lot of Allahu Akbars. However, as for the music, I think it reminded me somewhat of some of the music from The Message movie. Maybe this is where Akkad got his inspiration. Once I finally got into the complex and found a spot (outside of the prayer hall area, on a mat), I could still hear the band in the distance. Different strokes for different folks, I guess.
The official program ended at around midnight, concluding with a group Salat ut Tasbeeh. The Imam recited the tasbeeh outloud, helping keep count. I kept my spot outside until about 4 am. I tried to read Qur'an, and I did get quite a bit done - I am all caught up now, after being about 10 behind last week. After a while though, my mind stopped computing, so I had to put that away. Sitting so long, my legs started to hurt, so I would get up every half hour or hour to pray a couple of rakats and stretch out. Mostly, I just did dhikr, but it was quite painful overall, sitting on a mat over stone for so long. There was a constant flow of people in and out and about. The people next to me changed countless times during the night. I don't know where they left or why they left or why new people came. Finally, at around 4 am, I figured I could probably try to go inside and find a spot. I did find a spot, in the second to last row. It was a bit more comfortable, but not much. I prayed witr there, and finished my water. I don't know where or how all the other thousands of people had suhoor - but for the last hour, most people did not move in that building. Perhaps they had also brought water bottles. While I waited in the mosque, the adhan was called, and just as I observed at the mosque near my house, someone started reciting a thirtieth of the Qur'an. This time, they read the 29th juz. Only after that did we get up, pray sunnah, and then Fajr. There was more dua and dhikr after Fajr, but after finding my shoes, I started to make my way out - I was too tired. I stopped briefly outside during the dua, but there are too many birds there, so I headed out. Plus, it was raining. (Another thing I've noticed, you are asked to recite the fatihah quite a bit in these pre/post prayer sessions.)
I went back out to the bus stop. I didn't want to wait for 55M to come around, so I took 55T when it came, which took me to Taksim. From there, I took the Metro back home - it was pretty empty at that time of day compared to the peak time. So was the bus.
I went home and crashed until about 1pm Saturday. I woke up, put in a load of laundry, then went back to sleep. I ended up doing three loads yesterday, so my drying rack is full. Unfortunately, even after almost a day, everything is still pretty moist. I timed myself, it takes me about seven minutes to iron one of those 100% cotton shirts the first time. It adds up and is time consuming, but probably worth it for me to do it, especially if I can manage to do it on weeknights.
After finishing up the laundry and reading some Qur'an, I made my way down to Fatih (Sultah Muhammad/Mehmet II) mosque for Isha and taraweeh. I was running a bit late to get there for iftar, so I stopped in Taksim for Iftar. I went to Taksim Doner, and had an Arabic style doner in a wrap for YTL 3.5 with Ayran for YTL 1.5. It was okay, but the Arabs do this better. Next time, I will just have the Turkish style doner sandwich.
I thought I could take the Aksaray tram to Fatih, so after praying Maghrib at the Taksim mosque, I took a dolmus/minibus down to Aksaray (Aksaray reminds me of Galatasaray - I live right next to there stadium, but strangely, I don't think I actually live in Galatasaray - I don't know where that is). Unfortunately, the tram guard said that it does not go to Fatih, and he said to go walk to the bus stop and take a bus. I never found the right bus (or even a bus stop), but I walked all the way to Fatih, with the help of several people who pointed the way. Along the way (after I stepped into a puddle of mud), I noticed quite a few people selling what look to be used cell phones - perhaps you can check this area out when looking for a cheap deal.
It was about a 15-20 minute walk to Fatih. I stopped and bought an ice cream - some berry flavored one. It had a different texture to it, but it wasn't bad for YTL 1.5.
I think Fatih was under construction when I came earlier this year - most of it is closed off. There are a lot of cats at Fatih, and the steps are all slightly sloped downards for some reason, so you should be careful. Some guy outside was collecting Zakatul Fitr. When I walked in, there was a lecture going on. Alas, even Fatih only reads one verse per rakat, although the Imam read at a little slower pace than the other mosques. After having gone to three big mosques for Taraweeh, and several smaller ones, I've noticed that each place does have its own little thing that it says after 2/4 rakats of taraweeh. After four at Fatih, Ikhlas is recited, then salawat on the Prophet. There are also some other things that are recited. I imagine it would be hard for someone who prays at different places every day to keep track, but I guess most Turks probably just pick one place and pray there. Fatih did fill up, and there was some over flow on mats outside. When I exited, some kid gave me a box that looked like a rose. I think it had candy in it. It asked me to recite Fatihah for someone, so I did. Alas, I left the box at the Internet Cafe last night after Skyping with the family.
I think there is a mosque shortage in Istanbul, although there are more than I initially thought (in Damascus, the minarets all have green fluorescent lights which help you see how many there are - in Istanbul, you just have too try and see the minarets). I went to the same mosque as last time for Jumuah. I went a bit later this time, and it was already packed. The outside mat area was already full - the area was covered with tents - so I made my way inside and lucked out to squeeze into a spot. It started raining during the khutbah, and I could hear a lot of shouting outside. Not good. The tent helps stop the rain from hitting your head, but it does nothing to the water accumulating on the ground! I think I should try to find another mosque - there may be one behind the office. I am going to try and find a way to get there.
I came across a couple of stats in the news: according to a survey of Transatlantic Trends, 35% of Turks pray five times a day regularly, 44% pray five times sometimes, and 18% never pray five times (http://www.turkishdailynews.com.tr/article.php?enewsid=115127). That was a bit encouraging - I thought the last group would be larger. A Global Attitudes survey from Pew had a similar number for the share praying five times a day (34%), but a disappointing one for Ramadan - only 20% fast the whole month. Still, 94% defined themselves as religious (http://www.hurriyet.com.tr/english/domestic/9944645.asp?scr=1). If that starts translating into Jumuah attendees, there will be a major space shortage. People are already praying in the streets on cardboard pieces.
In other notes, last Wednesday (I think), I took Maryam's suggestion and tried some Domino's, which is right by my place. She is right: it was pretty good. I had a small (YTL ~11) Italian pizza. I was a little disappointed that they didn't offer me the Ramadan/Iftar special, which I think would have brought the price down to YTL and included a drink. We usually don't get Domino's back home (either Litte Caesar's or Pizza Hut) - their menu is pretty good. I will have to sample more of it over my stay.
Within the past week, a (relatively) large supermarket opened near my place, on the way back from the office. When I got my apartment, the place was empty and I couldn't tell what would go there. They stocked it up and got it up and running pretty quick. I was impressed. I went inside for a spin, and they have quite a selection. Between all the places in the area, I should be covered in terms of needs (no Cheez-its though!). I even found pudding mix to practice with...!
Some of these stores are much bigger than at first glance. Just near the masjid, there is a store that looks like a simple corner shop, but you go in, and it has three levels and just about everything you could think of! I found these cool jewelry boxes with the basmalah on them - I will probably get a dozen or so to bring back as gifts, in sha Allah. It seems that everytime I walk up or down the street, I see new stores or offerings that I hadn't noticed before.
It has been a while since a meaningful post, but I've been keeping notes, so hopefully I won't miss anything important. That being said, my observations over the past week might be spread out over several posts.
I have been looking for a place that will finish the whole Qur'an in Ramadan during Taraweeh, and on Thursday, I think I hit the jackpot. The very same masjid that is nearest to my house apparently has two congregations at the same time. Upstairs, in the main area where I had been going, they do not complete the Qur'an and read only one verse per rakat. Downstairs, there is a smaller group that finishes the whole Qur'an. I don't remember if I noticed them before - if I had, I probably thought they were just over flow. I found out about them when I asked if there was 'Itikaf in the masjid, since I hadn't seen any evidence of the mosque being open too late after Isha. One guy didn't think there was 'Itikaf, but another guy, who was closing the main area, smiled and pointed downstairs. I don't know if there is 'Itikaf there, but at least I know that there are places that finish the Qu'ran in Ramadan - you just have to look really hard. Unfortunately, the discovery was a bit too late for me - I will only be able to go there for tonight, the last taraweeh in Ramadan (I was told by my coworkers that Turkey has already announced Eid is on Tuesday). I hope the khatm is today and that I didn't miss it on Friday, the 27th. As I can really only venture out to other parts of the city on Friday night and Saturday night, I reserved those two days to go to the touristy mosques. One of Muhamad's friends, Yusuf, recommended Eyup for Laylatul Qadr (27th) or Fatih, so those are the two places I went this weekend.
Yusuf warned that Eyup (Eyup Sultan mosque, where Abu Ayyub Al Ansari, may Allah be pleased with him, is buried) would be packed Friday night, and he was right! It was a very Hajj-like experience in that regard, from what I observed. It was very hard to move around. I even saw those chains of people busting through the crowds. I was pushed by the crowd at several points. It was quite tiring. There was not enough room to pray. A little bit dirty. And tiring. All very Hajj-like experiences. (As I was trying to learn more about Eyup and how to get there, I came across different websites claiming the mosque was Islam's fifth, fourth, and even THIRD holiest site! I thought that was pretty funny).
After getting out of work on Friday a bit late, 7:15 or so, I stopped by Gell on the way home and had a Gellburger menu (means combo) for about YTL 5 or so. I ordered a "Tost" (YTL 1.5) to see what it would be like. It is kind of grilled cheese sandwich - not bad. I had asked my coworkers what bus to take down to Eyup, since it is a bit far. The 55M takes you from the Sisli bus stop, about 10 minutes from my place, to Eyup. I left my place at about 7:55, got the bus right away at around 8:10, and reached Eyup about forty five minutes later. I have pictures of the scene around Eyup - my mom is mailing the connecter, so hopefully I will upload soon. It wasn't as festive as the Blue Mosque, but there was still a lot going on (compared to Fatih, where I went the next day - nothing going on there, albeit, that mosque is under construction). There was a big tent where they have special Ramadan activities, but other than that, I think the structures were all permanent.
I reached and as I mentioned, the place was absolutely packed. I had to pray outside - not in the courtyard of the mosque, but in an area outside of even that! I had an inkling that this might happen, so I wore my green rain jacket. I spread that out to pray on, although you could still feel the pebbles and rocks underneath (another Hajj similarity). There were several rows of people circling out from the masjid. Circling (another Hajj similarity) - I'm not sure why, but the rows were definitely not straight - they were focused around a fountain for some reason in an arc. I really couldn't tell what the qiblah was at that point, but I'm pretty sure I was at least praying in the right direction. I had missed Isha and four rakats, but decided to stay for the rest. After witr, which I sat out, I tried to make my way into the complex at least, as a side door opened. It was packed insided. We inched our way in, but there were a lot of people trying to leave too, so at some point, it became standstill, so I tried to go back out from another door. Same problem. Eventually, I did make it out, after the people trying to enter at the second (main) gate held back for a bit. Once I exited, some people were handing out fliers - some things don't change.
I walked around the complex for about an hour, waiting for the crowd to thin a bit. Lots of touristy shops in the area. I bought a cheap prayer mat for YTL 3.5, but it looks nice. I will have to come back later for some other, better ones. Some were as much as YTL 17, I think. I also think I saw the kinds of scarves Mom wants me to get. I bought a small bottle of water (YTL 0.5) for suhoor, since I didn't want to lose my spot once I got in, and I didn't know if suhoor would be provided (it wasn't).
There was some program going on in the mosque - lectures, nasheed, Qur'an recitation, all happened at various times in the night. At the same time, there was a program happening in the big tent as well. Lots of people were sitting and waiting in chairs. I went in, but couldn't figure out what was going on, so I went back out. I should have stayed (although maybe it is good for my ears that I got out). I think there was some kind of Ottoman/jannissary band that played some songs. I could only see from the tent flaps and from the windows, but there were quite a few performers dressed up in interesting costumes (probably Ottoman). They were standing in a semi-circle, with a couple of guys at the front holding flags. On the left, there were some people with some kind of horn, and on the right, drums. In the center, some guy was dancing and going in circles while also playing the drums. At least some of the songs were Islamic - I heard a lot of Allahu Akbars. However, as for the music, I think it reminded me somewhat of some of the music from The Message movie. Maybe this is where Akkad got his inspiration. Once I finally got into the complex and found a spot (outside of the prayer hall area, on a mat), I could still hear the band in the distance. Different strokes for different folks, I guess.
The official program ended at around midnight, concluding with a group Salat ut Tasbeeh. The Imam recited the tasbeeh outloud, helping keep count. I kept my spot outside until about 4 am. I tried to read Qur'an, and I did get quite a bit done - I am all caught up now, after being about 10 behind last week. After a while though, my mind stopped computing, so I had to put that away. Sitting so long, my legs started to hurt, so I would get up every half hour or hour to pray a couple of rakats and stretch out. Mostly, I just did dhikr, but it was quite painful overall, sitting on a mat over stone for so long. There was a constant flow of people in and out and about. The people next to me changed countless times during the night. I don't know where they left or why they left or why new people came. Finally, at around 4 am, I figured I could probably try to go inside and find a spot. I did find a spot, in the second to last row. It was a bit more comfortable, but not much. I prayed witr there, and finished my water. I don't know where or how all the other thousands of people had suhoor - but for the last hour, most people did not move in that building. Perhaps they had also brought water bottles. While I waited in the mosque, the adhan was called, and just as I observed at the mosque near my house, someone started reciting a thirtieth of the Qur'an. This time, they read the 29th juz. Only after that did we get up, pray sunnah, and then Fajr. There was more dua and dhikr after Fajr, but after finding my shoes, I started to make my way out - I was too tired. I stopped briefly outside during the dua, but there are too many birds there, so I headed out. Plus, it was raining. (Another thing I've noticed, you are asked to recite the fatihah quite a bit in these pre/post prayer sessions.)
I went back out to the bus stop. I didn't want to wait for 55M to come around, so I took 55T when it came, which took me to Taksim. From there, I took the Metro back home - it was pretty empty at that time of day compared to the peak time. So was the bus.
I went home and crashed until about 1pm Saturday. I woke up, put in a load of laundry, then went back to sleep. I ended up doing three loads yesterday, so my drying rack is full. Unfortunately, even after almost a day, everything is still pretty moist. I timed myself, it takes me about seven minutes to iron one of those 100% cotton shirts the first time. It adds up and is time consuming, but probably worth it for me to do it, especially if I can manage to do it on weeknights.
After finishing up the laundry and reading some Qur'an, I made my way down to Fatih (Sultah Muhammad/Mehmet II) mosque for Isha and taraweeh. I was running a bit late to get there for iftar, so I stopped in Taksim for Iftar. I went to Taksim Doner, and had an Arabic style doner in a wrap for YTL 3.5 with Ayran for YTL 1.5. It was okay, but the Arabs do this better. Next time, I will just have the Turkish style doner sandwich.
I thought I could take the Aksaray tram to Fatih, so after praying Maghrib at the Taksim mosque, I took a dolmus/minibus down to Aksaray (Aksaray reminds me of Galatasaray - I live right next to there stadium, but strangely, I don't think I actually live in Galatasaray - I don't know where that is). Unfortunately, the tram guard said that it does not go to Fatih, and he said to go walk to the bus stop and take a bus. I never found the right bus (or even a bus stop), but I walked all the way to Fatih, with the help of several people who pointed the way. Along the way (after I stepped into a puddle of mud), I noticed quite a few people selling what look to be used cell phones - perhaps you can check this area out when looking for a cheap deal.
It was about a 15-20 minute walk to Fatih. I stopped and bought an ice cream - some berry flavored one. It had a different texture to it, but it wasn't bad for YTL 1.5.
I think Fatih was under construction when I came earlier this year - most of it is closed off. There are a lot of cats at Fatih, and the steps are all slightly sloped downards for some reason, so you should be careful. Some guy outside was collecting Zakatul Fitr. When I walked in, there was a lecture going on. Alas, even Fatih only reads one verse per rakat, although the Imam read at a little slower pace than the other mosques. After having gone to three big mosques for Taraweeh, and several smaller ones, I've noticed that each place does have its own little thing that it says after 2/4 rakats of taraweeh. After four at Fatih, Ikhlas is recited, then salawat on the Prophet. There are also some other things that are recited. I imagine it would be hard for someone who prays at different places every day to keep track, but I guess most Turks probably just pick one place and pray there. Fatih did fill up, and there was some over flow on mats outside. When I exited, some kid gave me a box that looked like a rose. I think it had candy in it. It asked me to recite Fatihah for someone, so I did. Alas, I left the box at the Internet Cafe last night after Skyping with the family.
I think there is a mosque shortage in Istanbul, although there are more than I initially thought (in Damascus, the minarets all have green fluorescent lights which help you see how many there are - in Istanbul, you just have too try and see the minarets). I went to the same mosque as last time for Jumuah. I went a bit later this time, and it was already packed. The outside mat area was already full - the area was covered with tents - so I made my way inside and lucked out to squeeze into a spot. It started raining during the khutbah, and I could hear a lot of shouting outside. Not good. The tent helps stop the rain from hitting your head, but it does nothing to the water accumulating on the ground! I think I should try to find another mosque - there may be one behind the office. I am going to try and find a way to get there.
I came across a couple of stats in the news: according to a survey of Transatlantic Trends, 35% of Turks pray five times a day regularly, 44% pray five times sometimes, and 18% never pray five times (http://www.turkishdailynews.com.tr/article.php?enewsid=115127). That was a bit encouraging - I thought the last group would be larger. A Global Attitudes survey from Pew had a similar number for the share praying five times a day (34%), but a disappointing one for Ramadan - only 20% fast the whole month. Still, 94% defined themselves as religious (http://www.hurriyet.com.tr/english/domestic/9944645.asp?scr=1). If that starts translating into Jumuah attendees, there will be a major space shortage. People are already praying in the streets on cardboard pieces.
In other notes, last Wednesday (I think), I took Maryam's suggestion and tried some Domino's, which is right by my place. She is right: it was pretty good. I had a small (YTL ~11) Italian pizza. I was a little disappointed that they didn't offer me the Ramadan/Iftar special, which I think would have brought the price down to YTL and included a drink. We usually don't get Domino's back home (either Litte Caesar's or Pizza Hut) - their menu is pretty good. I will have to sample more of it over my stay.
Within the past week, a (relatively) large supermarket opened near my place, on the way back from the office. When I got my apartment, the place was empty and I couldn't tell what would go there. They stocked it up and got it up and running pretty quick. I was impressed. I went inside for a spin, and they have quite a selection. Between all the places in the area, I should be covered in terms of needs (no Cheez-its though!). I even found pudding mix to practice with...!
Some of these stores are much bigger than at first glance. Just near the masjid, there is a store that looks like a simple corner shop, but you go in, and it has three levels and just about everything you could think of! I found these cool jewelry boxes with the basmalah on them - I will probably get a dozen or so to bring back as gifts, in sha Allah. It seems that everytime I walk up or down the street, I see new stores or offerings that I hadn't noticed before.
Thursday, September 25, 2008
Places to visit in Istanbul during Ramadan
Yesterday's Zaman came out with an interesting (and for me, very appropriate) list of places to visit in Istanbul during Ramadan.
Here is the link (I've copied the text below): http://www.todayszaman.com/tz-web/detaylar.do?load=detay&link=154186
Unfortunately, I do not think I will be able to see all of these places. Indeed, I am not terribly keen on most of them. However, in sha Allah, I will at least try to see the first (Eyup) and last (relics) over the next few days. I am planning on spending tonight (Laylatul Qadr, possibly) at Eyup. We'll see what happens, in sha Allah.
I've got a lot more to say - but it might have to wait until after Bayram/Eid - too busy these days. I'm keeping notes in my phone so I don't forget, in sha Allah.
Top 10 places to visit in İstanbul during Ramadan
İstanbul, an amazing city that rests on two continents, is home to many historical and tourist sites, which tourists visiting Turkey long to see.
If your tour to İstanbul has come at the holy month of Ramadan, you should absolutely spare a few days to visit some spiritual sites, which draw thousands of domestic and foreign tourists during this month. Here are the top 10 places to be visited in this wonderful city during the month of holy Ramadan:
The tomb of Abu Ayyub al-Ansari, a companion of the Prophet Muhammad, is adjacent to the Eyüp Sultan Mosque and is one of the outstanding structures in the district of Eyüp. The tomb has always been a center of attraction, drawing thousands of visitors every month. The number of visitors to the tomb increases significantly during religious holidays, Friday prayers and the holy month of Ramadan in particular. Since Abu Ayyub al-Ansari’s tomb is situated in Eyüp, thousands of prominent personalities have been buried in its vicinity. Today, the Eyüp cemetery is one of the largest in İstanbul, but it is difficult to find a plot there as almost every pious Muslim would like to be buried there in the hope of being raised on the Day of Judgment together with the Prophet’s companion.
The tombs of 28 sahabas (companions of the Prophet Muhammad) are known to be in İstanbul. These sahabas are said to have come to İstanbul with the Umayyads and the Abbasids -- both of which tried to conquer the city. They were buried in İstanbul after dying here. The tombs of 12 sahabas are situated in the Suriçi area (near the city walls), nine are in Ayvansaray, four are in Eyüp, three in Karaköy (Yeraltı Mosque) and one in Karacaahmet. The tombs of these sahabas attract dozens of visitors every day.
The tomb of Yahya Efendi, a relative of Sultan Süleyman the Magnificent, was designed by famous Turkish architect Mimar Sinan upon a request by Süleyman’s son Selim II. The tomb is situated in the Beşiktaş district and is a spot frequently visited by tourists.
The tomb of Merkez Efendi is in Zeytinburnu. Merkez Efendi is known to be the creator of the Manisa mesir macunu (a spicy paste which is supposed to restore health, youth and potency). The story of Merkez Efendi’s discovery of mesir macunu is as follows: Süleyman the Magnificent’s mother, Ayşe Hafsa Sultan, became terribly ill and doctors were unable to help her. However, she was able to recover thanks to a spicy paste provided by the director of the Darüşşifa (a hospital), Merkez Efendi. After seeing enormous demand from the public, mesir macunu then started to be distributed to the public from the domes and minarets of mosques built by sultans. Gaining international fame over time, the distribution of mesir evolved into a festival. During the festival, small packages of mesir macunu are thrown from mosques. The mayor of Zeytinburnu notes that the tomb of Merkez Efendi is visited by many from around the world every year.
The Hırka-i Şerif Mosque, constructed in 1851 in the Fatih district, is where the cloak of the Prophet Muhammad (Hırka-i Şerif) is on display. The cloak remains on display throughout the month of Ramadan, and every year thousands of people from all around Turkey flock to the mosque to see the holy garment.
The Tomb of Aziz Mahmud Hüdayi is in Üsküdar. Aziz Mahmud Hüdayi was a Sufi saint who asked of God the following: “Those who visit my tomb after I pass away and who recite the Fatiha (the opening chapter of the Holy Quran) here belong to our lodge. I pray to You that those who love me will not drown at sea, will not suffer from poverty all their lives and will not pass away before they have total faith in You.”
The tomb of Sünbül Efendi, located in İstanbul’s Kocamustafapaşa neighborhood, is part of a complex that goes by the same name as the district and is the resting place of Sünbül Efendi, the founder of the Sünbüliyya branch of the Halveti order of dervishes. The tomb, built in 1529, is in the garden of the Kocamustafapaşa complex. Its present structure is mainly the result of major renovations it underwent during the reign of Sultan Mahmud II (1808-1839) and restoration undertaken by Grand Vizier Mehmet Rıza Paşa prior to 1920.
The tomb of Ya Vedud Sultan is situated in Ayvansaray. He is believed to have preached to his followers that the conquest of a place should be through spiritual guidance, not with swords. His tomb is a frequently visited place in İstanbul.
The Yuşa Mosque in the Yuşa Tepe neighborhood features a lodge and a tomb. While some claim that this complex belongs to Prophet Yuşa, others say it was named after a dervish of the same name.
Sacred relics of the Prophet are being kept and exhibited in a special section of Topkapı Palace. The relics were brought here by Yavuz Sultan Selim I upon his conquest of Egypt in 1517. The sacred relics include chests containing the Holy Mantle of Prophet Muhammad and the Holy Banner (Sancak-ı Şerif), the Prophet’s swords, his letters (Name-i Saadet), some hairs from his beard (Lihye-i Saadet), a casket containing soil from his tomb, a reliquary containing one of his teeth (Dendan-i Saadet), locks of the Kaaba and his footprint.
25 September 2008, Thursday
MUSTAFA AYDIN İSTANBUL
Here is the link (I've copied the text below): http://www.todayszaman.com/tz-web/detaylar.do?load=detay&link=154186
Unfortunately, I do not think I will be able to see all of these places. Indeed, I am not terribly keen on most of them. However, in sha Allah, I will at least try to see the first (Eyup) and last (relics) over the next few days. I am planning on spending tonight (Laylatul Qadr, possibly) at Eyup. We'll see what happens, in sha Allah.
I've got a lot more to say - but it might have to wait until after Bayram/Eid - too busy these days. I'm keeping notes in my phone so I don't forget, in sha Allah.
Top 10 places to visit in İstanbul during Ramadan
İstanbul, an amazing city that rests on two continents, is home to many historical and tourist sites, which tourists visiting Turkey long to see.
If your tour to İstanbul has come at the holy month of Ramadan, you should absolutely spare a few days to visit some spiritual sites, which draw thousands of domestic and foreign tourists during this month. Here are the top 10 places to be visited in this wonderful city during the month of holy Ramadan:
The tomb of Abu Ayyub al-Ansari, a companion of the Prophet Muhammad, is adjacent to the Eyüp Sultan Mosque and is one of the outstanding structures in the district of Eyüp. The tomb has always been a center of attraction, drawing thousands of visitors every month. The number of visitors to the tomb increases significantly during religious holidays, Friday prayers and the holy month of Ramadan in particular. Since Abu Ayyub al-Ansari’s tomb is situated in Eyüp, thousands of prominent personalities have been buried in its vicinity. Today, the Eyüp cemetery is one of the largest in İstanbul, but it is difficult to find a plot there as almost every pious Muslim would like to be buried there in the hope of being raised on the Day of Judgment together with the Prophet’s companion.
The tombs of 28 sahabas (companions of the Prophet Muhammad) are known to be in İstanbul. These sahabas are said to have come to İstanbul with the Umayyads and the Abbasids -- both of which tried to conquer the city. They were buried in İstanbul after dying here. The tombs of 12 sahabas are situated in the Suriçi area (near the city walls), nine are in Ayvansaray, four are in Eyüp, three in Karaköy (Yeraltı Mosque) and one in Karacaahmet. The tombs of these sahabas attract dozens of visitors every day.
The tomb of Yahya Efendi, a relative of Sultan Süleyman the Magnificent, was designed by famous Turkish architect Mimar Sinan upon a request by Süleyman’s son Selim II. The tomb is situated in the Beşiktaş district and is a spot frequently visited by tourists.
The tomb of Merkez Efendi is in Zeytinburnu. Merkez Efendi is known to be the creator of the Manisa mesir macunu (a spicy paste which is supposed to restore health, youth and potency). The story of Merkez Efendi’s discovery of mesir macunu is as follows: Süleyman the Magnificent’s mother, Ayşe Hafsa Sultan, became terribly ill and doctors were unable to help her. However, she was able to recover thanks to a spicy paste provided by the director of the Darüşşifa (a hospital), Merkez Efendi. After seeing enormous demand from the public, mesir macunu then started to be distributed to the public from the domes and minarets of mosques built by sultans. Gaining international fame over time, the distribution of mesir evolved into a festival. During the festival, small packages of mesir macunu are thrown from mosques. The mayor of Zeytinburnu notes that the tomb of Merkez Efendi is visited by many from around the world every year.
The Hırka-i Şerif Mosque, constructed in 1851 in the Fatih district, is where the cloak of the Prophet Muhammad (Hırka-i Şerif) is on display. The cloak remains on display throughout the month of Ramadan, and every year thousands of people from all around Turkey flock to the mosque to see the holy garment.
The Tomb of Aziz Mahmud Hüdayi is in Üsküdar. Aziz Mahmud Hüdayi was a Sufi saint who asked of God the following: “Those who visit my tomb after I pass away and who recite the Fatiha (the opening chapter of the Holy Quran) here belong to our lodge. I pray to You that those who love me will not drown at sea, will not suffer from poverty all their lives and will not pass away before they have total faith in You.”
The tomb of Sünbül Efendi, located in İstanbul’s Kocamustafapaşa neighborhood, is part of a complex that goes by the same name as the district and is the resting place of Sünbül Efendi, the founder of the Sünbüliyya branch of the Halveti order of dervishes. The tomb, built in 1529, is in the garden of the Kocamustafapaşa complex. Its present structure is mainly the result of major renovations it underwent during the reign of Sultan Mahmud II (1808-1839) and restoration undertaken by Grand Vizier Mehmet Rıza Paşa prior to 1920.
The tomb of Ya Vedud Sultan is situated in Ayvansaray. He is believed to have preached to his followers that the conquest of a place should be through spiritual guidance, not with swords. His tomb is a frequently visited place in İstanbul.
The Yuşa Mosque in the Yuşa Tepe neighborhood features a lodge and a tomb. While some claim that this complex belongs to Prophet Yuşa, others say it was named after a dervish of the same name.
Sacred relics of the Prophet are being kept and exhibited in a special section of Topkapı Palace. The relics were brought here by Yavuz Sultan Selim I upon his conquest of Egypt in 1517. The sacred relics include chests containing the Holy Mantle of Prophet Muhammad and the Holy Banner (Sancak-ı Şerif), the Prophet’s swords, his letters (Name-i Saadet), some hairs from his beard (Lihye-i Saadet), a casket containing soil from his tomb, a reliquary containing one of his teeth (Dendan-i Saadet), locks of the Kaaba and his footprint.
25 September 2008, Thursday
MUSTAFA AYDIN İSTANBUL
Tuesday, September 23, 2008
Settling in
I'm finally setting in I guess. I've explored the immediate areas and am at least somewhat familiar with things within a one kilometer radius, I think. I can't really see that much from our 10th floor office, but I think I've walked most of it.
Walking around in Istanbul is no joke, generally speaking. I don't live on a "main" road, so my walk isn't too bad - there are sidewalks and I don't have to cross any major streets. If you do have to cross a street however, beware - Erkut's advice to me was to pretend you are invisible. Maybe it is not as bad as India, but I think it is worse than Damascus. That Istanbul is so large makes it impossible to rely solely on walking, but if you combine it with the public transportation, you don't need a car, you just need to be careful.
One thing I've noticed (and expected) - unlike Damascus, Istanbul does not appear to sleep. I've been awake a couple of times well into the AM, and have still heard several cars going by, EVEN ON MY SIDE STREET. And this is in the business area. I imagine Taksim or other tourist oriented areas are even livlier. Of course, it slows down, but it doesn't really stop, as far as I can see.
Another thing I've noticed (quite painfully) is that some things in Istanbul can be quite expensive. I don't remember if I mentioned this before, but I have been thinking it - Germany is rather more expensive than the US on the whole, and Turkey is rather less, but they are in the same ball park. Damascus was not in the same ball park. A shawarma sandwich in the US might cost USD 4 or so; in Syria, it was USD 0.5 when I was last there. In Istanbul, the Doner Kebab, which is a shawarma equivalent, is about USD 4, so eight times as expensive as neighboring Syria. Now, Syria subsidizes its food, I'm sure, but I didn't think it was that subsidized.
Other inflated items on the Nauman Price index - shirts! I'm usually not one to iron my own shirts - I drop them off (Dryclean Depot) or have them picked up (Heavenly Cleaners) for USD 1-1.25 or so per shirt. I've been to a couple of places in Istanbul, and the prices range from YTL 6-8, which is pretty outrageous. Being eight times more expensive than Syria is one thing; being eight times more expensive than the US is quite another! I brought mostly 100% cotton, so ironing them myself will be a bit painful. So far, so good though (if I iron once while it is still wet, and then again when it is dry), although the fact that the detergent and the washing machine only have instructions in Turkish leads me to do some guessing - the temperatures are clear enough, but beyond that, I just hope not to ruin a load. I just need to get some starch, and some fabric softener for the t shirts; as there is no dryer, I am hanging everything on an indoor rack. (I am still doing a cost benefit analysis though - Erkut says I may be able to negotiate with one of them to just do the ironing for YTL 2 or 3 - we'll see; that would be okay).
While my birthday wasn't so great, Erkut, Gizem, and Elcin took me out to dinner/iftar to a nice kebab house called Venge, near Levent 4. We took a cab out there. It was a nice place - mostly coworkers, not families. It was a different experience than a typical western restaurant. I think we had reservations, but we did not have one waiter - it seemed like twenty different people brought us different rounds over the course of the meal. There were various dishes already on the table, including some tomato think, eggplant/garlic sauce, and even dates. Then the waiters brought successive plates of doner kebab, other kinds of meat and BBQ, as well as some baked goods. Then they finished it off with dessert. I had bought what I thought was a creme brulee cake (YTL 19) from a nearby store to eat with the team (it turned out to be a banana, vanilla cake with caramel), so we took it to the restaurant. They brought it out with all the sparklers, candles, music, and singing when I went upstairs to pray so Erkut sent them back! When I came back, they redid it. Going upstairs to pray was interesting. I asked where to pray namaz and where the qiblah was - I was directed to the coat hanging area, where the lady came out and brought a prayer rug and another rug for underneath (it was wet out - it has been drizzling on and off for days - thunderstorming as I type). She took me to a corner outside, near the wood and other fuels, and I prayed out there. Overall, the food was good, and it was interesting service. As we walked in, they had some western music playing, with an imam on the TV, as we were eating iftar.
My friend, Muhamad Haydar, has taken it upon himself to get me some friends, with good results, alhamdulillah. He sent me some contacts, as did his friend, Muizz Rafique, whom I sat next to at Muhamad's wedding. In sha Allah, I will start meeting them soon.
I got out of work late today, so I could not really eat anything until about an hour after iftar. I stopped by at a local burger joint - it was still open, but apparently, they were out of food. So I went to the Iskander kebab place and asked for a YTL 6 Kofte special - the guy said they were out too, but then said they had one left, so I lucked out, otherwise it would have been microwaved soup for me. The kofte was good - I ate it at home. The restaurant was completely empty when I went today, an hour after iftar. When I went the other day at iftar, it was rather full.
I found out today that it looks like I will be getting off 3.5 days for Bayram Seker, or the Holiday of Sweets, or Eid ul Fitr as most of us know it. I was hoping for a day, but 3.5 is NICE! It more than makes up for losing Thanksgiving. Alas, it falls in the middle of the week, otherwise I would have made a trip to HYD. Maybe for the next Bayram! Maybe I can get some essay work done. I think it also means I might be able to at least do 'itikaf for a couple of days, if I can find a good place to do it. We'll see.
My Turkish is coming okay. I know a few key phrases and some basic numbers. Everyday, I try to learn one or two new phrases. I should have built a decent vocabulary by the time I leave, in sha Allah.
Walking around in Istanbul is no joke, generally speaking. I don't live on a "main" road, so my walk isn't too bad - there are sidewalks and I don't have to cross any major streets. If you do have to cross a street however, beware - Erkut's advice to me was to pretend you are invisible. Maybe it is not as bad as India, but I think it is worse than Damascus. That Istanbul is so large makes it impossible to rely solely on walking, but if you combine it with the public transportation, you don't need a car, you just need to be careful.
One thing I've noticed (and expected) - unlike Damascus, Istanbul does not appear to sleep. I've been awake a couple of times well into the AM, and have still heard several cars going by, EVEN ON MY SIDE STREET. And this is in the business area. I imagine Taksim or other tourist oriented areas are even livlier. Of course, it slows down, but it doesn't really stop, as far as I can see.
Another thing I've noticed (quite painfully) is that some things in Istanbul can be quite expensive. I don't remember if I mentioned this before, but I have been thinking it - Germany is rather more expensive than the US on the whole, and Turkey is rather less, but they are in the same ball park. Damascus was not in the same ball park. A shawarma sandwich in the US might cost USD 4 or so; in Syria, it was USD 0.5 when I was last there. In Istanbul, the Doner Kebab, which is a shawarma equivalent, is about USD 4, so eight times as expensive as neighboring Syria. Now, Syria subsidizes its food, I'm sure, but I didn't think it was that subsidized.
Other inflated items on the Nauman Price index - shirts! I'm usually not one to iron my own shirts - I drop them off (Dryclean Depot) or have them picked up (Heavenly Cleaners) for USD 1-1.25 or so per shirt. I've been to a couple of places in Istanbul, and the prices range from YTL 6-8, which is pretty outrageous. Being eight times more expensive than Syria is one thing; being eight times more expensive than the US is quite another! I brought mostly 100% cotton, so ironing them myself will be a bit painful. So far, so good though (if I iron once while it is still wet, and then again when it is dry), although the fact that the detergent and the washing machine only have instructions in Turkish leads me to do some guessing - the temperatures are clear enough, but beyond that, I just hope not to ruin a load. I just need to get some starch, and some fabric softener for the t shirts; as there is no dryer, I am hanging everything on an indoor rack. (I am still doing a cost benefit analysis though - Erkut says I may be able to negotiate with one of them to just do the ironing for YTL 2 or 3 - we'll see; that would be okay).
While my birthday wasn't so great, Erkut, Gizem, and Elcin took me out to dinner/iftar to a nice kebab house called Venge, near Levent 4. We took a cab out there. It was a nice place - mostly coworkers, not families. It was a different experience than a typical western restaurant. I think we had reservations, but we did not have one waiter - it seemed like twenty different people brought us different rounds over the course of the meal. There were various dishes already on the table, including some tomato think, eggplant/garlic sauce, and even dates. Then the waiters brought successive plates of doner kebab, other kinds of meat and BBQ, as well as some baked goods. Then they finished it off with dessert. I had bought what I thought was a creme brulee cake (YTL 19) from a nearby store to eat with the team (it turned out to be a banana, vanilla cake with caramel), so we took it to the restaurant. They brought it out with all the sparklers, candles, music, and singing when I went upstairs to pray so Erkut sent them back! When I came back, they redid it. Going upstairs to pray was interesting. I asked where to pray namaz and where the qiblah was - I was directed to the coat hanging area, where the lady came out and brought a prayer rug and another rug for underneath (it was wet out - it has been drizzling on and off for days - thunderstorming as I type). She took me to a corner outside, near the wood and other fuels, and I prayed out there. Overall, the food was good, and it was interesting service. As we walked in, they had some western music playing, with an imam on the TV, as we were eating iftar.
My friend, Muhamad Haydar, has taken it upon himself to get me some friends, with good results, alhamdulillah. He sent me some contacts, as did his friend, Muizz Rafique, whom I sat next to at Muhamad's wedding. In sha Allah, I will start meeting them soon.
I got out of work late today, so I could not really eat anything until about an hour after iftar. I stopped by at a local burger joint - it was still open, but apparently, they were out of food. So I went to the Iskander kebab place and asked for a YTL 6 Kofte special - the guy said they were out too, but then said they had one left, so I lucked out, otherwise it would have been microwaved soup for me. The kofte was good - I ate it at home. The restaurant was completely empty when I went today, an hour after iftar. When I went the other day at iftar, it was rather full.
I found out today that it looks like I will be getting off 3.5 days for Bayram Seker, or the Holiday of Sweets, or Eid ul Fitr as most of us know it. I was hoping for a day, but 3.5 is NICE! It more than makes up for losing Thanksgiving. Alas, it falls in the middle of the week, otherwise I would have made a trip to HYD. Maybe for the next Bayram! Maybe I can get some essay work done. I think it also means I might be able to at least do 'itikaf for a couple of days, if I can find a good place to do it. We'll see.
My Turkish is coming okay. I know a few key phrases and some basic numbers. Everyday, I try to learn one or two new phrases. I should have built a decent vocabulary by the time I leave, in sha Allah.
Sunday, September 21, 2008
9/21: 25
Alhamdulillah, I had a rather uneventful birthday today. It is some strange twist of fate that has brought me to this part of the world for my 25th and 20th birthdays (which are probably more meaningful to me than 18 or 21, as I do not smoke or drink). These milestones seem to mean less when you are removed from your family. I don't think I noticed I turned 20 for a few days. I noticed the quarter century only because I've been thinking of it for a while. I wonder how much longer I have? Not long by any truly rational standard.
It has been a rainy weekend here in Istanbul. I ventured back down to Sultanahmet yesterday for taraweeh, but alas, the pictures I took probably aren't as nice as they could have been - it was on the dark side, and there weren't as many people. Now I just have to figure out how to upload the pictures.
I was a bit delayed on my way down to Sultanahmet yesterday, as I was trying to get an essay draft done, so I had to stop in Taksim for Iftar after I got of the Metro (YTL 1.4). I had a Big Mac meal (YTL ~8 I think) - I don't remember the last time I had one of those (in Saudi maybe) or if I had ever even had one before. It wasn't too great. Unlike Burger King, McDonald's did not have a Ramadan special.
I walked around for a bit trying to find a bus that went directly to Sultanahmet. Unfortunately, nothing doing. I asked several people, but got conflicting instructions. One thing I've noticed so far here in Turkey - people don't like saying they do not know how to get somewher, so you end up going in circles sometimes. It was getting late, so I had to find a masjid to pray at. I went to this big domed structure, but it was closed, and I think I saw some Greek script, so perhaps it was a church. I went around in circles for a while, before I finally was directed to a rather small masjid for such a central area. Then I decided to just go back to Sultanahmet the same way I had returned last time - using the microbus/dolmus (YTL 1.5).
I got of at Aksaray. This time, instead of walking however many kilometers to the Blue Mosque, I took the tram (YTL 1.4), which got me there pretty quick, in time for Isha anyways. I went back the same way, for a total of YTL 4.3 one way or YTL 8.6 round trip. I really wish they had a monthly pass or something, because that does add up. That being said, I would rather walk a couple of miles than take a taxi at this point in Istanbul - I would not know if I was being taken for a ride, figuratively.
I just noticed today I am down to my last YTL 50, so I need to exchange some more soon. I will probably just use some dollars, since I still haven't decided what to do about the traveler's cheques. I am rather low because I finally got a local cell phone (YTL 30). It looks a bit used, but I hope the battery lasts and it works well. The same guy sold me a TURKCELL SIM for YTL 25. Of course the grocery damage didn't help either.
Anyways, back to yesterday. Because of the rain, there weren't as many people, but the mosque was still full for taraweeh. There was a roll of plastic bags for people to put in their muddy shoes. It is wierd entering that mosque, because at taraweeh, the women take up the rear quarter or third of the building, but you have to go through them to enter or exit. I left after eight, not feeling well, and there was only a single file row left between all the women. Quite odd.
After leaving, I decided to have one of those Ottoman sweet popsicle candy stick things I noticed last time. I have a picture of them to show, in sha Allah. It is pretty much jelly and was melting rather quickly, so I had to eat it fast. Sticky too.
I saw an add for a whirling derwish show every Tuesday and Saturday at 730. I might check it out some day, after the apps. The essays are as bad as I expected them to be. Khayr in sha Allah.
On Friday, I had prayed taraweeh at the closest mosque to me, and they had switched to a four rakat taraweeh. I'm not sure how someone is supposed to know what to intend with the first 2/4. Maybe there is an announcement in Turkish. At least the Blue Mosque was still 2/2. The only difference I detected was a rather long salwat/singing after the eighth rakat, which is when I made my exit.
I discovered an internet cafe near the closest masjid, so I chatted with Osman and Mom on Friday night, and again with Baba, Mom, and Rabia today. Alhamdulillah, it works pretty well, and isn't too much - YTL 1.5 per hour. I've spent YTL 7 or so there so far.
Mom wanted me to go out for dinner and eat healthy, and also to get myself a cupcake or something. I ended up just making some soup using those packages (Maggi) - just add water and boil. Alas, I think I had too much water for one package (mushroom), so I put in a second (veggie), so it was thicker than it should have been. Still, with the leftover bakery goods and Cheezits, it was good enough for me. I did get some kind of dessert item from a relatively larger grocery store that is nearby - chocolate covered cream puffs (YTL 2.7) - but alas, it was not so great. I still need to find a good cooking spoon - the plastic one I used to make the soup is no good.
...
I had just taken a break to go pray taraweeh/Isha at the mosque close to work. Even though it is the last 10 days, it seemed like it was a bit empty today. Less than a quarter full. I think either IAGD or Unity would have beaten it hands down. I thought it was more full during the week last week. Perhaps there was a wedding in the area tonight. (I wonder where Turks get married. I didn't notice any shadi khanas/wedding halls here. I never saw any in Damascus either.) That being said, no one came late to taraweeh, and everyone stayed until the end.
A couple of other things I noticed. There seems to be a chorus at this masjid, and I think the others as well, in the back - a small, enclosed area where a couple of guys sit and say the iqama and the duas, etc. It is is a little strange. Even the post prayer dua stuff, they led it. After the 20, they say "rabbana amanna bima anzalta wat taba'nar rasula" and everyone adds "faktubna ma'a ash shahideen." Then everyone reads a dua. I left before witr, but no one else did. Also, my strategy of leaving one shoe/sandal in one corner and another in the other corner is working so far, alhamdulillah - nothing stolen/taken yet!
It has been a rainy weekend here in Istanbul. I ventured back down to Sultanahmet yesterday for taraweeh, but alas, the pictures I took probably aren't as nice as they could have been - it was on the dark side, and there weren't as many people. Now I just have to figure out how to upload the pictures.
I was a bit delayed on my way down to Sultanahmet yesterday, as I was trying to get an essay draft done, so I had to stop in Taksim for Iftar after I got of the Metro (YTL 1.4). I had a Big Mac meal (YTL ~8 I think) - I don't remember the last time I had one of those (in Saudi maybe) or if I had ever even had one before. It wasn't too great. Unlike Burger King, McDonald's did not have a Ramadan special.
I walked around for a bit trying to find a bus that went directly to Sultanahmet. Unfortunately, nothing doing. I asked several people, but got conflicting instructions. One thing I've noticed so far here in Turkey - people don't like saying they do not know how to get somewher, so you end up going in circles sometimes. It was getting late, so I had to find a masjid to pray at. I went to this big domed structure, but it was closed, and I think I saw some Greek script, so perhaps it was a church. I went around in circles for a while, before I finally was directed to a rather small masjid for such a central area. Then I decided to just go back to Sultanahmet the same way I had returned last time - using the microbus/dolmus (YTL 1.5).
I got of at Aksaray. This time, instead of walking however many kilometers to the Blue Mosque, I took the tram (YTL 1.4), which got me there pretty quick, in time for Isha anyways. I went back the same way, for a total of YTL 4.3 one way or YTL 8.6 round trip. I really wish they had a monthly pass or something, because that does add up. That being said, I would rather walk a couple of miles than take a taxi at this point in Istanbul - I would not know if I was being taken for a ride, figuratively.
I just noticed today I am down to my last YTL 50, so I need to exchange some more soon. I will probably just use some dollars, since I still haven't decided what to do about the traveler's cheques. I am rather low because I finally got a local cell phone (YTL 30). It looks a bit used, but I hope the battery lasts and it works well. The same guy sold me a TURKCELL SIM for YTL 25. Of course the grocery damage didn't help either.
Anyways, back to yesterday. Because of the rain, there weren't as many people, but the mosque was still full for taraweeh. There was a roll of plastic bags for people to put in their muddy shoes. It is wierd entering that mosque, because at taraweeh, the women take up the rear quarter or third of the building, but you have to go through them to enter or exit. I left after eight, not feeling well, and there was only a single file row left between all the women. Quite odd.
After leaving, I decided to have one of those Ottoman sweet popsicle candy stick things I noticed last time. I have a picture of them to show, in sha Allah. It is pretty much jelly and was melting rather quickly, so I had to eat it fast. Sticky too.
I saw an add for a whirling derwish show every Tuesday and Saturday at 730. I might check it out some day, after the apps. The essays are as bad as I expected them to be. Khayr in sha Allah.
On Friday, I had prayed taraweeh at the closest mosque to me, and they had switched to a four rakat taraweeh. I'm not sure how someone is supposed to know what to intend with the first 2/4. Maybe there is an announcement in Turkish. At least the Blue Mosque was still 2/2. The only difference I detected was a rather long salwat/singing after the eighth rakat, which is when I made my exit.
I discovered an internet cafe near the closest masjid, so I chatted with Osman and Mom on Friday night, and again with Baba, Mom, and Rabia today. Alhamdulillah, it works pretty well, and isn't too much - YTL 1.5 per hour. I've spent YTL 7 or so there so far.
Mom wanted me to go out for dinner and eat healthy, and also to get myself a cupcake or something. I ended up just making some soup using those packages (Maggi) - just add water and boil. Alas, I think I had too much water for one package (mushroom), so I put in a second (veggie), so it was thicker than it should have been. Still, with the leftover bakery goods and Cheezits, it was good enough for me. I did get some kind of dessert item from a relatively larger grocery store that is nearby - chocolate covered cream puffs (YTL 2.7) - but alas, it was not so great. I still need to find a good cooking spoon - the plastic one I used to make the soup is no good.
...
I had just taken a break to go pray taraweeh/Isha at the mosque close to work. Even though it is the last 10 days, it seemed like it was a bit empty today. Less than a quarter full. I think either IAGD or Unity would have beaten it hands down. I thought it was more full during the week last week. Perhaps there was a wedding in the area tonight. (I wonder where Turks get married. I didn't notice any shadi khanas/wedding halls here. I never saw any in Damascus either.) That being said, no one came late to taraweeh, and everyone stayed until the end.
A couple of other things I noticed. There seems to be a chorus at this masjid, and I think the others as well, in the back - a small, enclosed area where a couple of guys sit and say the iqama and the duas, etc. It is is a little strange. Even the post prayer dua stuff, they led it. After the 20, they say "rabbana amanna bima anzalta wat taba'nar rasula" and everyone adds "faktubna ma'a ash shahideen." Then everyone reads a dua. I left before witr, but no one else did. Also, my strategy of leaving one shoe/sandal in one corner and another in the other corner is working so far, alhamdulillah - nothing stolen/taken yet!
Thursday, September 18, 2008
TGIF
Alhamdulillah, the first week back to work is under my belt. It took a while to get back in the swing of things, especially fasting while working, but alhamdulillah, I no longer feel too sleepy in the afternoons. I'm going to start trying to come in earlier next week though.
I decided to go pray Fajr at the mosque for the first time since leaving the US. After eating a peach for suhoor, I walked over to the one near my apartment and sat down to read Qur'an for a bit. After the adhan, I was the only one to pray sunnah. Everyone else remained seated, and some guy, not the imam, went to the front and started reading Qur'an aloud. Alhamdulillah, he had a good voice. He kept reading. And reading. And reading. I couldn't figure out what was going on at first. He kept it up for about an hour after the adhan. I was reading on my own, trying to catch up, but I eventually pieced together that he was reading the 19th juz on the 19th day. He finished the whole thing before anyone else prayed sunnah and before we prayed Fajr. I guess to make up for the brief taraweeh, they make it up by reading the corresponding juz after Fajr, at least at this masjid. At the other masjid, near work, they were reading after Asr or Zuhr, so I wonder if they split up the same thing over there. I will find out, in sha Allah.
Another thing I noticed is the way the prostration of recitation (sijda at tilawah) was done. The one who was reading made an announcement after he got to a stopping point, and then everyone stood up and then went into prostration together and then stood back up. The leader then said a short dua and went back to reading. The way this was done was unfamiliar to me, but also the when. In the typical Qur'an/mus'haf we see in the West and in the Haramayn, there is a clear indication of when the prostration should take place. I was noticing quite a few differences in the styles from that regular mus'haf to the Turkish one I was reading from. In the Turkish one, there is no indication of when to make prostration. Also, the friendly/helpful indications of the rules of tajweed are not present in the Turkish one. I'm not talking about the color coding – rather the little meem when there is Iqlab, or the different/open tanween if there is Ikhfa or Idgham, etc. I found I had to work a bit harder to read properly without these little helpers.
Anyways, after Fajr I went to go home, but unfortunately, there was a dog in the way in attack position. I quietly backtracked and went around the long way. Alas, the same dog had walked over to oversee that pass, although he was more relaxed this time. I had just read a report in the Turkish news of a rabid dog going berserk and biting several people, mostly children, in Istanbul, so I am even warier than I normally am with respect to dogs. I am thinking of getting a big umbrella to defend myself. We'll see.
As for Jumuah, I had another hour long wait. The adhan was at around 12:20 or so, so I walked down after a few minutes. The building receptionist had said the adhan was at 1:18, but I went with the first one. There was a lesson going on in Turkish for about forty five minutes after I got there. I don't know when it started. Then the second adhan and Turkish khutbah and Friday prayer took half an hour after that. I can't say I was terribly mesmerized. I thought if they had that lesson before hand, they might have the khutbah in Arabic, but it was mostly Turkish. I was impressed with how full the masjid was for Jumuah though, alhamdulillah. A lot of people went to the outside pavilion area first, with people sitting on straw mats and the like. It probably won't be so prime in the winter. By the end the whole pavilion had filled. The masjid area and the mezzanine/balcony area were also full. The Imam asked us twice or three times to move up and create more room. I had never had that happen to my in Damascus before, but I guess there aren't as many masjids per capita here. I was quite pleased, especially with the variety of people attending. I even saw a guy with earrings in both ears. You can never tell, alhamdulillah. Alas, I don't know that most people attended Jumuah – if they did, there wouldn't be any room. I don't see any new mosques coming up in Istanbul, or especially in this central business area, so even if more people became practicing, they would have to pray in the streets. It is interesting, that at one time, it was a rule that the buildings of other religions could not be taller than the largest mosque. Now however, the buildings of that new religion – capitalism/materialism – outstrips everything in the Muslim world. I am sitting in the 10th floor of a 20+ story building. One other note, while the mezzanine/balcony is typically for women I think, even during taraweeh, it was full of men during Jumuah.
Of course, after Jumuah, and even taraweeh, there is the typical appearance of the needy. I need to start carrying around coins – my wallet is too hard to get out easily.
I decided to go pray Fajr at the mosque for the first time since leaving the US. After eating a peach for suhoor, I walked over to the one near my apartment and sat down to read Qur'an for a bit. After the adhan, I was the only one to pray sunnah. Everyone else remained seated, and some guy, not the imam, went to the front and started reading Qur'an aloud. Alhamdulillah, he had a good voice. He kept reading. And reading. And reading. I couldn't figure out what was going on at first. He kept it up for about an hour after the adhan. I was reading on my own, trying to catch up, but I eventually pieced together that he was reading the 19th juz on the 19th day. He finished the whole thing before anyone else prayed sunnah and before we prayed Fajr. I guess to make up for the brief taraweeh, they make it up by reading the corresponding juz after Fajr, at least at this masjid. At the other masjid, near work, they were reading after Asr or Zuhr, so I wonder if they split up the same thing over there. I will find out, in sha Allah.
Another thing I noticed is the way the prostration of recitation (sijda at tilawah) was done. The one who was reading made an announcement after he got to a stopping point, and then everyone stood up and then went into prostration together and then stood back up. The leader then said a short dua and went back to reading. The way this was done was unfamiliar to me, but also the when. In the typical Qur'an/mus'haf we see in the West and in the Haramayn, there is a clear indication of when the prostration should take place. I was noticing quite a few differences in the styles from that regular mus'haf to the Turkish one I was reading from. In the Turkish one, there is no indication of when to make prostration. Also, the friendly/helpful indications of the rules of tajweed are not present in the Turkish one. I'm not talking about the color coding – rather the little meem when there is Iqlab, or the different/open tanween if there is Ikhfa or Idgham, etc. I found I had to work a bit harder to read properly without these little helpers.
Anyways, after Fajr I went to go home, but unfortunately, there was a dog in the way in attack position. I quietly backtracked and went around the long way. Alas, the same dog had walked over to oversee that pass, although he was more relaxed this time. I had just read a report in the Turkish news of a rabid dog going berserk and biting several people, mostly children, in Istanbul, so I am even warier than I normally am with respect to dogs. I am thinking of getting a big umbrella to defend myself. We'll see.
As for Jumuah, I had another hour long wait. The adhan was at around 12:20 or so, so I walked down after a few minutes. The building receptionist had said the adhan was at 1:18, but I went with the first one. There was a lesson going on in Turkish for about forty five minutes after I got there. I don't know when it started. Then the second adhan and Turkish khutbah and Friday prayer took half an hour after that. I can't say I was terribly mesmerized. I thought if they had that lesson before hand, they might have the khutbah in Arabic, but it was mostly Turkish. I was impressed with how full the masjid was for Jumuah though, alhamdulillah. A lot of people went to the outside pavilion area first, with people sitting on straw mats and the like. It probably won't be so prime in the winter. By the end the whole pavilion had filled. The masjid area and the mezzanine/balcony area were also full. The Imam asked us twice or three times to move up and create more room. I had never had that happen to my in Damascus before, but I guess there aren't as many masjids per capita here. I was quite pleased, especially with the variety of people attending. I even saw a guy with earrings in both ears. You can never tell, alhamdulillah. Alas, I don't know that most people attended Jumuah – if they did, there wouldn't be any room. I don't see any new mosques coming up in Istanbul, or especially in this central business area, so even if more people became practicing, they would have to pray in the streets. It is interesting, that at one time, it was a rule that the buildings of other religions could not be taller than the largest mosque. Now however, the buildings of that new religion – capitalism/materialism – outstrips everything in the Muslim world. I am sitting in the 10th floor of a 20+ story building. One other note, while the mezzanine/balcony is typically for women I think, even during taraweeh, it was full of men during Jumuah.
Of course, after Jumuah, and even taraweeh, there is the typical appearance of the needy. I need to start carrying around coins – my wallet is too hard to get out easily.
New Taraweeh Experiences
Alhamdulillah, my apartment is up and running - power, microwave, cabinet, and the other outstanding details have been taking care of. I still need to get a fan - I really need the white noise. I gave Yahya Uzun Bey his YTL 450 commission plus YTL 60 for a gas tank for cooking. I hope I use it, in sha Allah.
Last night was a bit rough, with no power. I made my way back there pretty late. Alhamdulilah, it had stopped raining by then, and I had one of those pump-action flash lights that Mom thoughtfully included. It was quite necessary, because the flat didn't have any candles to speak of (they were out of wax). It was hot, but I opened a window and slept on the couch. I even woke up for suhoor with my Blackberry alhamdulillah - I had been having trouble waking up to that thing. The wind had died down by the time I got back, so the building's flimsy roof no longer sounded like a locomotive or something (like the ghoul in the Burrow attic from Harry Potter, perhaps).
Anyways, I decided to go to a third masjid for taraweeh today. This one is just down the street from my office, in the other direction from my house (East). It is right next to the Gayrettepe metro station, although I do have to cross a big street. It is not often you go to taraweeh and see something new, but it happened again today. I can't recall ever praying taraweeh in four rakat intervals, but that is what happened tonight at this masjid. When the Imam got up after the second rakat's tashahhud without saying salam, I thought it was a mistake, and he did two more rakats to no one's objection before saying salam. Of course, the next time it happened, in rakats 5-8, I knew it was not a mistake. Maybe this is an alternative Hanafi way of praying taraweeh. I know the basic prayer is 4 rakats in that fiqh. I just had never seen it before.
Some other observations about taraweeh - the imams have good recitation and pronunciation generally - this one did a good job in Isha. However, they the tajweed and pronunciation out the window when they go for speed in taraweeh (Fatihah in one breath). I heard some of the typical desi-type mispronunciations, but the guy normally reads fine. I don't know what the big hurry was, since this was another masjid where only one verse per rakat is read. The only time more than one verse was read was when he said a couple of small chapters from the end of the Qur'an. Another thing, if you are in the first row, or even the first few rows, or the first half of the masjid, you should plan on sticking around through witr, since everyone else is staying and it would be difficult to get out. Also, before Isha, the Imam had a brief lesson, and completely ignored the adhan. He also lead taraweeh. After Witr, he recited some Qur'an. Trifecta. Another observation - there are tasbeehs that they pass out after witr to do dhikr, and then collect back after the regular 100 are done. I thought that was neat, as was the shoe horn hanging on the outside door for people to use.
Live and learn.
Last night was a bit rough, with no power. I made my way back there pretty late. Alhamdulilah, it had stopped raining by then, and I had one of those pump-action flash lights that Mom thoughtfully included. It was quite necessary, because the flat didn't have any candles to speak of (they were out of wax). It was hot, but I opened a window and slept on the couch. I even woke up for suhoor with my Blackberry alhamdulillah - I had been having trouble waking up to that thing. The wind had died down by the time I got back, so the building's flimsy roof no longer sounded like a locomotive or something (like the ghoul in the Burrow attic from Harry Potter, perhaps).
Anyways, I decided to go to a third masjid for taraweeh today. This one is just down the street from my office, in the other direction from my house (East). It is right next to the Gayrettepe metro station, although I do have to cross a big street. It is not often you go to taraweeh and see something new, but it happened again today. I can't recall ever praying taraweeh in four rakat intervals, but that is what happened tonight at this masjid. When the Imam got up after the second rakat's tashahhud without saying salam, I thought it was a mistake, and he did two more rakats to no one's objection before saying salam. Of course, the next time it happened, in rakats 5-8, I knew it was not a mistake. Maybe this is an alternative Hanafi way of praying taraweeh. I know the basic prayer is 4 rakats in that fiqh. I just had never seen it before.
Some other observations about taraweeh - the imams have good recitation and pronunciation generally - this one did a good job in Isha. However, they the tajweed and pronunciation out the window when they go for speed in taraweeh (Fatihah in one breath). I heard some of the typical desi-type mispronunciations, but the guy normally reads fine. I don't know what the big hurry was, since this was another masjid where only one verse per rakat is read. The only time more than one verse was read was when he said a couple of small chapters from the end of the Qur'an. Another thing, if you are in the first row, or even the first few rows, or the first half of the masjid, you should plan on sticking around through witr, since everyone else is staying and it would be difficult to get out. Also, before Isha, the Imam had a brief lesson, and completely ignored the adhan. He also lead taraweeh. After Witr, he recited some Qur'an. Trifecta. Another observation - there are tasbeehs that they pass out after witr to do dhikr, and then collect back after the regular 100 are done. I thought that was neat, as was the shoe horn hanging on the outside door for people to use.
Live and learn.
Wednesday, September 17, 2008
Wretched day and apartment rentals
Alhamdulillah, it was a tough day today. Allah tests people he likes, so maybe that is a good thing. I don't think I necessarily aced this particular test, but I hope I scraped passing marks at least, in sha Allah.
I will be covering all of the bills in sha Allah - electricity, water, heating/natural gas, and the association fee. I hope the hit won't be too bad.
Alhamdulillah, I settled on a place last night. It is a decent enough, though it could be in better shape, but alhamdulillah, very close to the office. I think around seven minutes door to door walking, alhamdulillah. That was the key criteria. It is theoretically a two bedroom I guess, but one room is very small and just has a chair, an ironing board, and some storage space. Alhamdulillah, it is just down the street from a masjid, which is also great of course. The realtor still has some work to do, even though I paid the USD 1500 deposit and YTL 1500 first month's rent already - in sha Allah, in the morning, he will bring a microwave, some sheets, towels, gas for the stove, and a carpenter to assemble a chest. I still have his 10% (YTL 450) deposit to make sure this gets done. One negative is that is on the fourth floor and there is no elevator (dragging my suitcases up and out from the rain was no picnic). Also, no fan or A/C. I may not need the A/C soon enough, but I have the fan on 12 months out of 12 if possible, even if it is facing the other direction.
I may as well post some "borrowed" pictures from the ad so you see what it is like:
I was debating between this place and another place for the same price. It was a very large, three bedroom, duplex, with two full baths. It would have been great if many guests were coming. However, many people are maybes (Phuppuma/Phuppababa), possiblies (Yousuf Uncle, Manju Bhai), or even probablies (Muhammad Baba/Atiya), but there really aren't any certainlies, not even Nayna yet. However, it was a bit further, with ups and downs, though still less than a kilometer. It was in slightly better shape, and it least it had working electricity for the first night (I am sitting in the office past midnight writing this), and had an A/C and fan and even an elevator. Heck, it was also adjacent to a masjid. However, when I tried to go down and actually measure the time, I ran into a bunch of unleashed dogs, so I backtracked and said forget about it. I only saw cats in the other area. So that really drove the decision (along with the 7 minute door to door figure).
I will be covering all of the bills in sha Allah - electricity, water, heating/natural gas, and the association fee. I hope the hit won't be too bad.
A couple of comments about renting an apartment in Istanbul. In Taksim or the more touristy areas, it is much easier to get a short term rental than it is up here. Three months is just not long enough for most people it seems, at least in this area. Alhamdulillah, I ended up with a couple of good options, but it took a lot of digging (and the use of sahibinden.com, which I eventually figured out how to navigate and what to look for - Emlak is real estate; Daire is flat; Kiralik is rental; Mobilya is furnished; Esyali also implies some furnishings I think).
Another thing about renting, it seems that the renter pays the commission - I paid 10% of the total fee to the agent. In Damascus, I remember that the owner paid the real estate agent. It just seemed wierd.
Also, I will be paying future rent directly to the bank account, not to the realtor or any real person. Same with the bills - I go to a bank branch and pay the bank. That seems odd, but whatever.
Now, for all the talk at my office about how developed the Turkish banking system is, the banks today really raised my ire. I didn't yell at anyone, but I was pretty furious and frustrated after walking around for five hours trying to cash my American Express traveler's cheques. I had only brough USD 3000 in cash with me and USD 2000 in traveler's cheques. I didn't want to use all my cash on the apartment, so I went around trying to generate some money from the cheques. Alas, nothing doing, so I just have a couple hundred dollars on me at the moment. Of course, I could use my debit card to pull money out of an ATM, and I may have to resort to that. Had I known that every bank in Turkey does not accept traveler's cheques, I would not have brought them. Live and learn, I guess - you can learn from my mistakes.. It is really silly though. The whole point of a traveler's cheque is to protect the owner in case it is lost. If a wallet is lost, there goes the cash and the cards. However, I think traveler's cheques are kept separately and should still be accessible in the worst case scenario. Not anymore, I guess, at least not in Turkey. Here are a list of places I went that did not take my traveler's cheque: Garantibank; Teb; Finansbank; Vakifbank; a local post office branch; various doviz/money exchangers; Akbank; Yapicredi bank; ING bank; Fortis Bank; Citibank; Deniz Bank; Ziraat Bank; and Kuvayt Turk Bank; all these banks said no way. Isbank at least tried, but one bank took an hour before saying they couldn't figure it out and they sent me to another branch, which tried to send me to the central branch before making an attempt and saying "the system is down, try again tomorrow." I was quite angry. Having no suhoor this morning didn't help either. So, if you have a traveler's cheque, Isbank is the only one that will accept them; whether or not they can actually cash it is another matter. I've read that larger post offices also may accept them. We'll see. Isbank does want to charge a hefty 8% commission though. It is almost better for me to tear up the cheques, have my mom claim them back in the US, and deposit them in my account for me to withdraw by ATM - I think Chase only takes a 3% cut.
Khayr, in sha Allah. I have enough cash for at least a couple of weeks so I can sort out these things.
Tuesday, September 16, 2008
Sultanahmet
As I mentioned a couple of days ago, my experience at the Blue Mosque on Saturday night deserves its own post, so here it is.
Alhamdulillah, all is well. I started work on Monday, after about six weeks off. Still have to get used to it. I haven't yet moved into an apartment, because for some reason, in Istanbul it is rather difficult to get short term rentals, at least in the area I am targeting (in the tourist areas, it is much easier). I think it was much easier to find short term rentals in Damascus when we were there - to be fair, at that time, I guess demand was much lower in Damascus than it ever was here.
Anyways, back to last Saturday.
I kind of ended up at the Blue Mosque by accident. I wanted to do some exploring on the weekend and use the public transportation system. I also wanted to pray taraweeh in the Sultanahmet area, where all of the old mosques are (like the Blue Mosque, the Suleymaniye Mosque, the Hagia Sophia, and others), because I figured I would not get a chance during the week. Initially, I thought I would take the Metro down to Taksim and then take a bus or ferry or something over the Golden Horn to Sultanahmet area (I could even walk, like Omer and I did earlier this year). However, once I saw a bus near my hotel with "Topkopi" on it, I knew that it would be going near these places, so I asked the bus driver to drop me off at Sultanahmet. I thought he would just drop me off in the general area, but he dropped me off and directed me to go straight to the Blue Mosque, or Sultan Ahmet mosque, so that is where I ended up, rather than one of the other ones.
I was dropped off maybe half a mile from the mosque, so I walked down a street full of shops and restaurants. It wasn't too long before Maghrib, so quite a few people were already sitting at the cafes, waiting (of course, many were not waiting). I saw some dates and other useful things being sold in this area, even those ceramic Turkish plates my Mom always mentions, so I will have to do some shopping here at some point.
Once I got to the actual Blue Mosque area, I was quite impressed. There is a large park surrounding the Mosque complex, and it was full of people. There were thousands of families picnicing, spreading newspapers on the ground. Some even brought plastic chairs and tables and stools. It was quite crowded. I don't think the area was completely full, but it had as many people as it could handle comfortably. Certainly, several walkways were overcrowded. A bunch of what I imagine are only temporary stalls wound there way around the park area as well. They were mostly iftar cafe/restaurants, but several were selling sweets, tourist items, or other things. The surrounding road areas were also mostly blocked up with parked cars. I really should take a picture of this next weekend, in sha Allah. I don't know if this scene replays itself everynight in Ramadan or only on weekends, or if it is only at this masjid or at other large masjids, but it is worth seeing.
As I did not really want to sit down and eat - there was not much room, and I didn't see the point in sitting by myself anyways - I made my way carefully over to the masjid, so I could pray and then come back out and eat. I didn't want to lose track of how I walked in, because I wanted to go back to the same road and take same bus back (alas, this didn't happen anyways, but what can you do?). I had bought a bottle of cold water for YTL 0.75 (I think) to break my fast with, so I took it in with me. As I entered the masjid complex itself, I saw that the crowd extended even to the open area around the building.
Alas, when Maghrib rolled around, less than two full lines prayed with us. I was a bit disheartened by that. I mean the whole complex is full of THOUSANDS of Muslims waiting to break iftar - they are in the MASJID COMPLEX - but maybe twenty or thirty made the effort to pray Maghrib with the jamat.
Oddly, when they made the adhan, I could only hear the Blue Masjid adhan. In Damascus, you hear numerous adhans on even a normal day. Heck, I think the Omayyad masjid itself has four adhans or something. When in Rome, I guess, or Byzantium, as it were.
After Maghrib, I went out the same way, to the northeast corner of the masjid/complex where I came from and looked for something to eat. To the left of the gate, there were huge crowds, so I went to a Doner Kebab place and got a YTL 5 Doner sandwich. I ate it while walking to another masjid-like building I saw nearby. I walked until the crowd dissipated. I made a circuit of this other building. I couldn't tell what it was, but it was as abandoned as the Blue Mosque was full.
On the way back to the Blue Mosque for taraweeh, I decided to try some of the Tamer Hindi (YTL 3.5) I had spotted earlier. It was okay. There were countless other goodies that people in stalls and people on the ground and people in booths were all selling. In sha Allah, I would like to try the chocolate covered hazelnuts sometime. Also, it looked like some booths were making a type of candy/lollipop/popsicle out of toffee or taffy or something. It looked interesting enough to try some time, in sha Allah. There were all sorts of other things that could only be Ramadan specials, as the whole scene was one big Ramadan special. And I only saw about a quarter of the spectacle, the northeast corner.
I had nothing else going on, so I made my way back to the first row to read Qur'an and wait for taraweeh. Alhamdulillah, this time, the masjid filled up behind me. I don't know that everyone came to pray - I daresay those who were lounging outside outnumbered those inside two to one (the men, that is). However, it was still neat to see, considering the disappointment of Maghrib. I will say this though, 99% of those there stayed through 20 and witr. I wanted to scoot before witr, but it was so packed, I just prayed with everyone. Of course, the fact that the Imam read one ayah per rakat made things a bit easier. We were done within an hour or so.
Alhamdulillah, the Imam had a nice, Sudais-like voice. At first, I thought he was reading consecutive verses, as he read from the second to last page of Imran. Then, it seemed he was only reading verses that were duas. Then he switched over to verses that addressed the Muslims. Then, I think he just started saying whatever popped into his head. Once he got to Rahman though, he had to say at least two verses - it would have been wierd to just say "Fa bi ayyi aa'laai rabbikuma tukadhdhiban" and then bow down!. Unlike in Saudi, or the Unity Center, and like the Syrians and IAGD, the Turks do say something after every four, or even after every two. They recite salawat on the Prophet. After four, "allahumma salli 'ala sayyidina Muhammadin an nabi al ummiyi wa 'ala aalihi wa sahbihi wa sallim." I still like how they do it in Damascus best (at least in Murabit for sure that I can remember) - "ya hannan, ya mannan, ya dhal judi wal ihsan, thabbit qulubana 'alal iman, narju 'afwaka wal ghufran, wa ja'alna min 'utaqai shahri Ramadan."
It took a while to get out, and then much longer to get back, but on the whole, I was quite pleased with how that evening went down, alhamdulillah.
Alhamdulillah, all is well. I started work on Monday, after about six weeks off. Still have to get used to it. I haven't yet moved into an apartment, because for some reason, in Istanbul it is rather difficult to get short term rentals, at least in the area I am targeting (in the tourist areas, it is much easier). I think it was much easier to find short term rentals in Damascus when we were there - to be fair, at that time, I guess demand was much lower in Damascus than it ever was here.
Anyways, back to last Saturday.
I kind of ended up at the Blue Mosque by accident. I wanted to do some exploring on the weekend and use the public transportation system. I also wanted to pray taraweeh in the Sultanahmet area, where all of the old mosques are (like the Blue Mosque, the Suleymaniye Mosque, the Hagia Sophia, and others), because I figured I would not get a chance during the week. Initially, I thought I would take the Metro down to Taksim and then take a bus or ferry or something over the Golden Horn to Sultanahmet area (I could even walk, like Omer and I did earlier this year). However, once I saw a bus near my hotel with "Topkopi" on it, I knew that it would be going near these places, so I asked the bus driver to drop me off at Sultanahmet. I thought he would just drop me off in the general area, but he dropped me off and directed me to go straight to the Blue Mosque, or Sultan Ahmet mosque, so that is where I ended up, rather than one of the other ones.
I was dropped off maybe half a mile from the mosque, so I walked down a street full of shops and restaurants. It wasn't too long before Maghrib, so quite a few people were already sitting at the cafes, waiting (of course, many were not waiting). I saw some dates and other useful things being sold in this area, even those ceramic Turkish plates my Mom always mentions, so I will have to do some shopping here at some point.
Once I got to the actual Blue Mosque area, I was quite impressed. There is a large park surrounding the Mosque complex, and it was full of people. There were thousands of families picnicing, spreading newspapers on the ground. Some even brought plastic chairs and tables and stools. It was quite crowded. I don't think the area was completely full, but it had as many people as it could handle comfortably. Certainly, several walkways were overcrowded. A bunch of what I imagine are only temporary stalls wound there way around the park area as well. They were mostly iftar cafe/restaurants, but several were selling sweets, tourist items, or other things. The surrounding road areas were also mostly blocked up with parked cars. I really should take a picture of this next weekend, in sha Allah. I don't know if this scene replays itself everynight in Ramadan or only on weekends, or if it is only at this masjid or at other large masjids, but it is worth seeing.
As I did not really want to sit down and eat - there was not much room, and I didn't see the point in sitting by myself anyways - I made my way carefully over to the masjid, so I could pray and then come back out and eat. I didn't want to lose track of how I walked in, because I wanted to go back to the same road and take same bus back (alas, this didn't happen anyways, but what can you do?). I had bought a bottle of cold water for YTL 0.75 (I think) to break my fast with, so I took it in with me. As I entered the masjid complex itself, I saw that the crowd extended even to the open area around the building.
Alas, when Maghrib rolled around, less than two full lines prayed with us. I was a bit disheartened by that. I mean the whole complex is full of THOUSANDS of Muslims waiting to break iftar - they are in the MASJID COMPLEX - but maybe twenty or thirty made the effort to pray Maghrib with the jamat.
Oddly, when they made the adhan, I could only hear the Blue Masjid adhan. In Damascus, you hear numerous adhans on even a normal day. Heck, I think the Omayyad masjid itself has four adhans or something. When in Rome, I guess, or Byzantium, as it were.
After Maghrib, I went out the same way, to the northeast corner of the masjid/complex where I came from and looked for something to eat. To the left of the gate, there were huge crowds, so I went to a Doner Kebab place and got a YTL 5 Doner sandwich. I ate it while walking to another masjid-like building I saw nearby. I walked until the crowd dissipated. I made a circuit of this other building. I couldn't tell what it was, but it was as abandoned as the Blue Mosque was full.
On the way back to the Blue Mosque for taraweeh, I decided to try some of the Tamer Hindi (YTL 3.5) I had spotted earlier. It was okay. There were countless other goodies that people in stalls and people on the ground and people in booths were all selling. In sha Allah, I would like to try the chocolate covered hazelnuts sometime. Also, it looked like some booths were making a type of candy/lollipop/popsicle out of toffee or taffy or something. It looked interesting enough to try some time, in sha Allah. There were all sorts of other things that could only be Ramadan specials, as the whole scene was one big Ramadan special. And I only saw about a quarter of the spectacle, the northeast corner.
I had nothing else going on, so I made my way back to the first row to read Qur'an and wait for taraweeh. Alhamdulillah, this time, the masjid filled up behind me. I don't know that everyone came to pray - I daresay those who were lounging outside outnumbered those inside two to one (the men, that is). However, it was still neat to see, considering the disappointment of Maghrib. I will say this though, 99% of those there stayed through 20 and witr. I wanted to scoot before witr, but it was so packed, I just prayed with everyone. Of course, the fact that the Imam read one ayah per rakat made things a bit easier. We were done within an hour or so.
Alhamdulillah, the Imam had a nice, Sudais-like voice. At first, I thought he was reading consecutive verses, as he read from the second to last page of Imran. Then, it seemed he was only reading verses that were duas. Then he switched over to verses that addressed the Muslims. Then, I think he just started saying whatever popped into his head. Once he got to Rahman though, he had to say at least two verses - it would have been wierd to just say "Fa bi ayyi aa'laai rabbikuma tukadhdhiban" and then bow down!. Unlike in Saudi, or the Unity Center, and like the Syrians and IAGD, the Turks do say something after every four, or even after every two. They recite salawat on the Prophet. After four, "allahumma salli 'ala sayyidina Muhammadin an nabi al ummiyi wa 'ala aalihi wa sahbihi wa sallim." I still like how they do it in Damascus best (at least in Murabit for sure that I can remember) - "ya hannan, ya mannan, ya dhal judi wal ihsan, thabbit qulubana 'alal iman, narju 'afwaka wal ghufran, wa ja'alna min 'utaqai shahri Ramadan."
It took a while to get out, and then much longer to get back, but on the whole, I was quite pleased with how that evening went down, alhamdulillah.
Sunday, September 14, 2008
First weekend
Alhamdulillah, my first weekend in Istanbul has just wrapped up. Shortly, for the first time in over six weeks, I will be heading to work in sha Allah. I thought I would give a short recap of the weekend and some quick impressions of various aspects of Istanbul. I really should start taking pictures, because there were some very interesting sights.
The weekend was pretty uneventful. I slept in quite late on Saturday, and missed an apartment showing. That is okay, since the guy rented it out anyways. In the afternoon, I took a bus down to Sultanahmet, where I walked around until Iftar and stayed for Taraweeh. I couldn't find the original bus stop, so I had a long walk to Aksaray before I found a Dolmus (minibus) that took me to Taksim where I got on the Metro back to the hotel.
Sunday, I still got up late, but not as late as Saturday. In the afternoon, I took the Metro down to Taksim/Cihangir to take a look at an apartment. It was nice enough I guess, but way too far of a commute for me. It would take twenty minutes just to get back to Taksim square - the overall commute would be forty five minutes, which is unacceptable. I walked around Taksim, trying to figure out the public transportation/bus/Dolmus network, but I think I will just have to take random trips to figure it out. I need to get one of those speed pass credit buttons they use (I'll post a pick, in sha Allah.) Also, I should keep track of my expenses anyways, so I will start saving receipts and posting prices I come across.
Ramadan in Istanbul - I've seen signs showing that the City is celebrating Ramadan (Ramazan) and there is a holiday spirit certainly. It is nice that there are a lot of masjids, but I haven't encountered them with the same frequency as in Damascus. There is only one that I can tell is within walking distance, and I can't even hear the adhan in my hotel or just about any building. Even outside, I had to concentrate to hear the adhan over the road noise of Buyukdere. At the Blue Mosque, I could only hear one adhan, despite so many being nearby. Perhaps they turn the volume low so that you can't hear multiple adhans at any given place - I don't know. That being said, Sultanahmet on Saturday night was something else that I had never seen before. Maybe it was like that in Syria, but we never really went out like that that I can remember. A lot of people are celebrating Ramadan I would say. However, ...
Role of Fasting in Istanbul - I don't think all, or maybe even most, people in Istanbul are fasting. The cafe's and restaurants have a suprising amount of traffic during daytime hours, not just in touristy Taksim, but even nearby where I am. The restaurants are not full by any means, but I've seen quite a few places that looked half full at least.
Taraweeh in Istanbul - I thought it would be easier to concentrate if the taraweeh rakats were not so long. Well, it might be a little bit easier to concentrate, but not much. At both places I've been to so far, the Blue Mosque and the one near my hotel, the imam has read one or maybe two ayahs per rakat. It was like this at some mosques in Damascus as well (e.g., Jamiah Kinnaneh). I could hardly get into it before we went into ruku. Something in the middle might be better. You can be in and out in less than an hour. I wonder if there is any place in the city that does the whole Qur'an. That being said, for the summer time, maybe these Istanbulites have the right idea. The recitation was great, and they do say salawat on the Prophet after every two rakats loudly. Unfortunately, they don't have an indication of what rakat it is like they do in Syria though.
Blue Mosque experience - This deserves its own post and more time. I will get to it in sha Allah.
Public Transportation in Istanbul - Alhamdulillah, very easy to use, although somewhat time consuming. Just going down into the Metro takes five minutes. Walking to the station is another five, ten minutes. Walking to your destination may be another five, ten minutes, so it adds up. The bus trip that I took from my area to Sultanahmet was even longer, since the bus makes several stops. The Dolmus from Aksaray to Taksim was quick though. It is easy enough to make connections, and if you know where you need to go from a given hub, you probably won't get lost. Alhamdulillah, so far, I've been able to get back without a taxi. Each trip on a bus or Metro or Dolmus is about YTL 1.3 or 1.4, or a bit more than a dollar.
Malls/Shopping in Istanbul - CNN had some clip talking about the shopping craze in Turkey, and I would have to agree. Less than ten minutes from my hotel on both sides are rather large, nice malls. One is five levels, the other is a bit smaller. Very fancy. I didn't do any shopping, but things in Turkey are not cheap. There is a Migros in one of the malls, which is a supermarket where I will probably do most of my shopping. Although I missed big shopping centers when I lived in Syria, I kind of liked having the corner store that had just about everything I needed. They still have that hear, bakkals, but maybe not for long.
Gastronomic experiences - So far, I haven't really eaten too much. I missed suhoor on Saturday, and for iftar, I just had a YTL 5 doner kebab sandwich outside Sultanahmet. It was okay, but sometimes it can be tough eating that thick bread. Lots of air. I tried some tamr hindi drink (YTL 3.5) which I had always seen in Damascus, but never tried (didn't trust the cups). I got a disposable cup, so I tried it. It was nice and sweet, I guess. I had suhoor Sunday at the hotel. A very nice buffet with the typical cheeses and meats and breads that I remember from my last trip to Istanbul. For iftar, it was Sbarro's, where I spent YTL 7 for a slice of pizza with veggies and meat and a Pepsi. Once I settle down in sha Allah, I will branch out more and maybe make some things.
The weekend was pretty uneventful. I slept in quite late on Saturday, and missed an apartment showing. That is okay, since the guy rented it out anyways. In the afternoon, I took a bus down to Sultanahmet, where I walked around until Iftar and stayed for Taraweeh. I couldn't find the original bus stop, so I had a long walk to Aksaray before I found a Dolmus (minibus) that took me to Taksim where I got on the Metro back to the hotel.
Sunday, I still got up late, but not as late as Saturday. In the afternoon, I took the Metro down to Taksim/Cihangir to take a look at an apartment. It was nice enough I guess, but way too far of a commute for me. It would take twenty minutes just to get back to Taksim square - the overall commute would be forty five minutes, which is unacceptable. I walked around Taksim, trying to figure out the public transportation/bus/Dolmus network, but I think I will just have to take random trips to figure it out. I need to get one of those speed pass credit buttons they use (I'll post a pick, in sha Allah.) Also, I should keep track of my expenses anyways, so I will start saving receipts and posting prices I come across.
Ramadan in Istanbul - I've seen signs showing that the City is celebrating Ramadan (Ramazan) and there is a holiday spirit certainly. It is nice that there are a lot of masjids, but I haven't encountered them with the same frequency as in Damascus. There is only one that I can tell is within walking distance, and I can't even hear the adhan in my hotel or just about any building. Even outside, I had to concentrate to hear the adhan over the road noise of Buyukdere. At the Blue Mosque, I could only hear one adhan, despite so many being nearby. Perhaps they turn the volume low so that you can't hear multiple adhans at any given place - I don't know. That being said, Sultanahmet on Saturday night was something else that I had never seen before. Maybe it was like that in Syria, but we never really went out like that that I can remember. A lot of people are celebrating Ramadan I would say. However, ...
Role of Fasting in Istanbul - I don't think all, or maybe even most, people in Istanbul are fasting. The cafe's and restaurants have a suprising amount of traffic during daytime hours, not just in touristy Taksim, but even nearby where I am. The restaurants are not full by any means, but I've seen quite a few places that looked half full at least.
Taraweeh in Istanbul - I thought it would be easier to concentrate if the taraweeh rakats were not so long. Well, it might be a little bit easier to concentrate, but not much. At both places I've been to so far, the Blue Mosque and the one near my hotel, the imam has read one or maybe two ayahs per rakat. It was like this at some mosques in Damascus as well (e.g., Jamiah Kinnaneh). I could hardly get into it before we went into ruku. Something in the middle might be better. You can be in and out in less than an hour. I wonder if there is any place in the city that does the whole Qur'an. That being said, for the summer time, maybe these Istanbulites have the right idea. The recitation was great, and they do say salawat on the Prophet after every two rakats loudly. Unfortunately, they don't have an indication of what rakat it is like they do in Syria though.
Blue Mosque experience - This deserves its own post and more time. I will get to it in sha Allah.
Public Transportation in Istanbul - Alhamdulillah, very easy to use, although somewhat time consuming. Just going down into the Metro takes five minutes. Walking to the station is another five, ten minutes. Walking to your destination may be another five, ten minutes, so it adds up. The bus trip that I took from my area to Sultanahmet was even longer, since the bus makes several stops. The Dolmus from Aksaray to Taksim was quick though. It is easy enough to make connections, and if you know where you need to go from a given hub, you probably won't get lost. Alhamdulillah, so far, I've been able to get back without a taxi. Each trip on a bus or Metro or Dolmus is about YTL 1.3 or 1.4, or a bit more than a dollar.
Malls/Shopping in Istanbul - CNN had some clip talking about the shopping craze in Turkey, and I would have to agree. Less than ten minutes from my hotel on both sides are rather large, nice malls. One is five levels, the other is a bit smaller. Very fancy. I didn't do any shopping, but things in Turkey are not cheap. There is a Migros in one of the malls, which is a supermarket where I will probably do most of my shopping. Although I missed big shopping centers when I lived in Syria, I kind of liked having the corner store that had just about everything I needed. They still have that hear, bakkals, but maybe not for long.
Gastronomic experiences - So far, I haven't really eaten too much. I missed suhoor on Saturday, and for iftar, I just had a YTL 5 doner kebab sandwich outside Sultanahmet. It was okay, but sometimes it can be tough eating that thick bread. Lots of air. I tried some tamr hindi drink (YTL 3.5) which I had always seen in Damascus, but never tried (didn't trust the cups). I got a disposable cup, so I tried it. It was nice and sweet, I guess. I had suhoor Sunday at the hotel. A very nice buffet with the typical cheeses and meats and breads that I remember from my last trip to Istanbul. For iftar, it was Sbarro's, where I spent YTL 7 for a slice of pizza with veggies and meat and a Pepsi. Once I settle down in sha Allah, I will branch out more and maybe make some things.
Saturday, September 13, 2008
Journey
We reached the airport with plenty of time to spare. Osman and Mom took me to the airport. Mom parked the car and Osman waited with me in the Lufthansa line. Each time I've flown Lufthansa, the line has been long. I still need to attach my frequent flyer number to my itinerary - when the bookings were made, that info was missing. Lufthansa is in McNamara for now, but when I return in sha Allah, they will be in the new North Terminal. I had to check my carry on, since I guess it weighed too much for Lufthansa at 25 lbs, but there was no extra charge. The airport limit is 40 lbs I think.
Despite the fact that I was a Muslim flying on 9/11, I went through the security without an issue. Since I still had to pray Zuhr and Asr, and the Religious Reflection Room is on the same floor as the check in, I decided to try just walking through the elevator. A security guard just told me to walk through the stairs instead, so I did.
I got to the gate with a few minutes to spare, so I bought a bottle of water (USD 2.xx) to open my fast with on the plane, seeing as I was not allowed to bring one from home. Sitting in the back of the plane, I boarded relatively quickly.
The flight was pretty uneventful. I watched an old episode of Monk that I hadn't seen as well as Kung Fu Panda. Other than that, I just waited for Iftar. It was a little frustrating looking at the sun. We weren't just flying east, or else my fast would have broken relatively quickly. We were flying northeast. As it is still the summer, the days get longer the further north you go. Still, I ended up breaking my fast about an hour before the time in Michigan I think - 6:40 or so. They had served the food about an hour before I ate, so I took one and just held onto it until I couldn't see anymore pink/red in the sky and it looked dark. They gave me a kosher meal for some reason. It wasn't bad actually.
I debated whether to fast the next day, since I really didn't know when suhoor would end. It wouldn't be a particularly long fast, maybe 15 hours or so, but I wouldn't have much eating or drinking time between the two fasts. I decided to go for it, and drank the water bottle as suhoor. I think I may have estimated suhoor to end earlier than it did, since it was still dark in Frankfurt when we landed, but better to be safe than sorry.
I found the correct gate in Frankfurt easily and sat down to wait at the gate. We took a bus out to the plane, where I had a whole row to myself. I was pretty much out the entire flight, so I was a little refreshed when we reached Istanbul.
Just like last time, I spend USD 20 to get a 90 day multiple entry visa. There was hardly a line at the passport check. I converted a EUR 5 note into coins to get a EUR 1 cart. I made my way over to the baggage claim, and within 5 minutes had all three bags. Mom had put a new bluish ribbon on the bags, so they were easy to identify.
Earlier this year, Omer and I learned to change our money at the post office, so I got a pretty good rate - 1USD to 1.24 YTL and a 2% commission. Erkut told me to just use my ATM at the airport for USD 200-300 and change the money in the city, but I decided to just change USD 350 at the post office. Last time, we had used a shuttle to go to the hotel, and it was a pretty penny then, over USD 50. This time, I called to hotel to find out if this was a good idea, but they recommended a taxi, and that came out to only YTL 30 to Divan City Hotel.
Luckily, they had a room, so I got in right away. It is a pretty tiny room, maybe two or three feet on three sides of the full size bed in the center. As I had already missed jumuah, I decided to rest a bit before heading to the office, which was supposed to be nearby.
As I had a 6pm appointment with the Tortois realty, I decided to head for the office at around 4:45. I asked the front desk, and it was even closer than I expected. You can see the office towers - the Astoria building - from the front of the hotel. I made my way over carefully, as there is a very large street in the middle, and Istanbul drivers are not the greatest. I walked into a mall that is at the base of the office towers, but couldn't figure out how to get to the office elevators. I had to ask a security guard to help me. There was an X ray machine at the entrance of the mall - that will get annoying. I was let up to the 10th floor and then I rang the bell.
I met Adil and Gizem, my new coworkers, and of course, Erkut. The building is brand new and the office looks great, if a little stark. It is on the small side, but the view is nice. Erkut and I chatted a bit about everything and what I will be working on. Then, he walked me to the Tortois realtor to make sure they didn't scam me. Unfortunately, they did try, even with him there, so it was good that he came with me. They wanted to charge a commission based on the yearly rental price, which would have amounted to an extra month or so of rent for me - ridiculous! After that, we walked around the area and called some other places and stopped at other realties. We came across one real good option that is near the hotel - right across from Galatasaray Stadium. It is a bit small, but the location can't be beat, since my primary criterion is to live within walking distance. Erkut and I walked to the outside of the building, but we will learn more on Monday. In the meantime, I should find backups, in case that falls through.
Erkut recommended I eat iftar at one of two restaurants at the base of the mall. I picked the Kitchenette. Bad choice. I walked in ten minutes after, and sat for another ten minutes. No waiter came by, so I walked back to the hotel. I stopped at a Burger King, got a Chicken Whopper meal (YTL 9.xx) and ate it in the room. I rested for a bit. I walked to the nearest masjid after a while, but taraweeh was already over. I explored the area to see what was around. The main road was still busy even so late. There is quite a bit in the area - a Domino's, several small cafes, buffets, markets, a Carrefour - the essentials. I got a YTL .5 large bottle of water so I didn't have to raid the minibar. All that I still really need to find is a good laundromat, although I should actually check the Carrefour this weekend to make sure it has everything I need.
The larger area where the Divan City hotel, our office, and my exploration is called Şişli(pronounced Shishli). The smaller areas are Esentepe, Mecidiyeköy (Majidiyaykoy), and Gayrettepe. It to the northwest of Taxim and Dolmabahce Palace on the European side, and still further northwest from Sultan Ahmed, where the Blue Mosque and Topkopi Palace are.
Despite the fact that I was a Muslim flying on 9/11, I went through the security without an issue. Since I still had to pray Zuhr and Asr, and the Religious Reflection Room is on the same floor as the check in, I decided to try just walking through the elevator. A security guard just told me to walk through the stairs instead, so I did.
I got to the gate with a few minutes to spare, so I bought a bottle of water (USD 2.xx) to open my fast with on the plane, seeing as I was not allowed to bring one from home. Sitting in the back of the plane, I boarded relatively quickly.
The flight was pretty uneventful. I watched an old episode of Monk that I hadn't seen as well as Kung Fu Panda. Other than that, I just waited for Iftar. It was a little frustrating looking at the sun. We weren't just flying east, or else my fast would have broken relatively quickly. We were flying northeast. As it is still the summer, the days get longer the further north you go. Still, I ended up breaking my fast about an hour before the time in Michigan I think - 6:40 or so. They had served the food about an hour before I ate, so I took one and just held onto it until I couldn't see anymore pink/red in the sky and it looked dark. They gave me a kosher meal for some reason. It wasn't bad actually.
I debated whether to fast the next day, since I really didn't know when suhoor would end. It wouldn't be a particularly long fast, maybe 15 hours or so, but I wouldn't have much eating or drinking time between the two fasts. I decided to go for it, and drank the water bottle as suhoor. I think I may have estimated suhoor to end earlier than it did, since it was still dark in Frankfurt when we landed, but better to be safe than sorry.
I found the correct gate in Frankfurt easily and sat down to wait at the gate. We took a bus out to the plane, where I had a whole row to myself. I was pretty much out the entire flight, so I was a little refreshed when we reached Istanbul.
Just like last time, I spend USD 20 to get a 90 day multiple entry visa. There was hardly a line at the passport check. I converted a EUR 5 note into coins to get a EUR 1 cart. I made my way over to the baggage claim, and within 5 minutes had all three bags. Mom had put a new bluish ribbon on the bags, so they were easy to identify.
Earlier this year, Omer and I learned to change our money at the post office, so I got a pretty good rate - 1USD to 1.24 YTL and a 2% commission. Erkut told me to just use my ATM at the airport for USD 200-300 and change the money in the city, but I decided to just change USD 350 at the post office. Last time, we had used a shuttle to go to the hotel, and it was a pretty penny then, over USD 50. This time, I called to hotel to find out if this was a good idea, but they recommended a taxi, and that came out to only YTL 30 to Divan City Hotel.
Luckily, they had a room, so I got in right away. It is a pretty tiny room, maybe two or three feet on three sides of the full size bed in the center. As I had already missed jumuah, I decided to rest a bit before heading to the office, which was supposed to be nearby.
As I had a 6pm appointment with the Tortois realty, I decided to head for the office at around 4:45. I asked the front desk, and it was even closer than I expected. You can see the office towers - the Astoria building - from the front of the hotel. I made my way over carefully, as there is a very large street in the middle, and Istanbul drivers are not the greatest. I walked into a mall that is at the base of the office towers, but couldn't figure out how to get to the office elevators. I had to ask a security guard to help me. There was an X ray machine at the entrance of the mall - that will get annoying. I was let up to the 10th floor and then I rang the bell.
I met Adil and Gizem, my new coworkers, and of course, Erkut. The building is brand new and the office looks great, if a little stark. It is on the small side, but the view is nice. Erkut and I chatted a bit about everything and what I will be working on. Then, he walked me to the Tortois realtor to make sure they didn't scam me. Unfortunately, they did try, even with him there, so it was good that he came with me. They wanted to charge a commission based on the yearly rental price, which would have amounted to an extra month or so of rent for me - ridiculous! After that, we walked around the area and called some other places and stopped at other realties. We came across one real good option that is near the hotel - right across from Galatasaray Stadium. It is a bit small, but the location can't be beat, since my primary criterion is to live within walking distance. Erkut and I walked to the outside of the building, but we will learn more on Monday. In the meantime, I should find backups, in case that falls through.
Erkut recommended I eat iftar at one of two restaurants at the base of the mall. I picked the Kitchenette. Bad choice. I walked in ten minutes after, and sat for another ten minutes. No waiter came by, so I walked back to the hotel. I stopped at a Burger King, got a Chicken Whopper meal (YTL 9.xx) and ate it in the room. I rested for a bit. I walked to the nearest masjid after a while, but taraweeh was already over. I explored the area to see what was around. The main road was still busy even so late. There is quite a bit in the area - a Domino's, several small cafes, buffets, markets, a Carrefour - the essentials. I got a YTL .5 large bottle of water so I didn't have to raid the minibar. All that I still really need to find is a good laundromat, although I should actually check the Carrefour this weekend to make sure it has everything I need.
The larger area where the Divan City hotel, our office, and my exploration is called Şişli(pronounced Shishli). The smaller areas are Esentepe, Mecidiyeköy (Majidiyaykoy), and Gayrettepe. It to the northwest of Taxim and Dolmabahce Palace on the European side, and still further northwest from Sultan Ahmed, where the Blue Mosque and Topkopi Palace are.
Introduction
Whenever I have left home for extended periods of time, I have kept journals to keep track of my activities, to pass the time, and also to reflect and better remember the present. I did this several times in Syria, and even during Hajj. However, I rarely go back and review these documents. I am not sure if it is because my papers are terribly disorganized and I simply can't find them, or I just remember my past as well as I care to. Perhaps I will turn to them in my old age.
If the latter reason is the more relevant one that prevents me from reviewing my writing, keeping a blog won't help me much. If the former reason is the underlying factor, than having an easily remembered blog should help matters. In either case, online format will certainly be more accessible for other potential readers - my friends and family.
Speaking of the "memorableness" of this blog, the address is easy enough - SNS is me, and Istanbul is what this blog is focused on. As for the title, it is a little vague. IST is the airport code for Istanbul; airport codes are typically what we use at my company to identify places. EXP is a bit less clear. It could stand for expat, or expatriate, which is kind of what I am right now (though I am still being paid back home in the US). It could stand for the international work experience I sought by coming to Istanbul. More likely, it could stand for the experiences I have while living temporarily in Istanbul, as the purpose of this blog is to record those experiences and reflect on them.
If the latter reason is the more relevant one that prevents me from reviewing my writing, keeping a blog won't help me much. If the former reason is the underlying factor, than having an easily remembered blog should help matters. In either case, online format will certainly be more accessible for other potential readers - my friends and family.
Speaking of the "memorableness" of this blog, the address is easy enough - SNS is me, and Istanbul is what this blog is focused on. As for the title, it is a little vague. IST is the airport code for Istanbul; airport codes are typically what we use at my company to identify places. EXP is a bit less clear. It could stand for expat, or expatriate, which is kind of what I am right now (though I am still being paid back home in the US). It could stand for the international work experience I sought by coming to Istanbul. More likely, it could stand for the experiences I have while living temporarily in Istanbul, as the purpose of this blog is to record those experiences and reflect on them.
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