When travelling through Istanbul there is a constant dichotomy that is present at every corner. The Byzantine era and influence of the West peek through under the shroud of the East and Islamic culture. There is no greater example of this than in the tourist hotspot of Tacsim. Tacsim is a Fifth-Avenue transported right into the heart of Istanbul and Turkey. After travelling through the hustle and bustle that is Istanbul mass transit we arrived at a square with a statue of Attaturk and his followers. If you spend any time in Istanbul the face that you will quickly become accustomed to is that of Attaturk. He is literally in every restaurant and public location. As you travel through the square and the many vendors you almost unknowingly find yourself on a street that you would place in New York City before Istanbul. There are traditional vendors in the forefront of shops but looming behind them are Starbucks, Pizza Hut, and many other Western staples. As you walk through this area you hear American pop culture music and see many people doing their best to act Western. This area more than any other truly illustrates the effect the West has had on Istanbul and Turkey as a whole.
Also located within this area is the great nightlife that has made Istanbul so famous. There are clubs, bars, cafés, and other social meeting places that give Istanbul its unique cosmopolitan flavor. It is here in Tacsim that Luke and I really took our first plunge into the club scene of Istanbul and went out of our way to meet the locals of Turkey. Many people may hear Turkey, the Middle East, or even Istanbul and be immediately transported to images of a violent and unfriendly place. This place that many think of is not the Turkey that we discovered. As we visited many of the different nightclubs and taverns we met many local Turks who were more than willing to buy us drinks and talk about the history of their country and tell us their individual stories. Our first nightclub was a place called Araf. It was here that we experienced the mix of house-club music that is found in all of the trendy areas of Istanbul. There was a local band that we spoke with that had a few members from Texas and other parts of the States who were willing to tell us the highlights of their stay in Istanbul.
One of the peculiar things about the nightlife in Istanbul is the location. There are many clubs and dancing areas that are positioned within ordinary looking buildings and they have little to no advertising. Imagine walking into a dorm hall or apartment building and blindly walking up eight floors. Once reaching the eighth floor you are greeted by the traditional bass thumping of a club and just an ordinary looking door that has a poorly written sign that says "Club". We awkwardly opened the door and climbed the stairs that followed to find a full dance hall with a bar and band. Finding places such as this illustrates again the hidden nature of Istanbul. Much of the city and the country as a whole is on a "need to know basis" and the really good places are spread by word of mouth. Fortunately for us we were able to find good guides through other young people or friends we have meet throughout our daily travels. When visiting these clubs and after a night of dancing you find yourself falling into a familiarity with those around you and your location that you really forget that you are in another country, let alone in the East. Istanbul is truly an example of two worlds struggling to co-exist.
~SB
No comments:
Post a Comment