“Some cities you go to because you want to; some cities you go to because they want you to.”

Elif Shafak

Life is what happens when you’re busy making other plans, right? Well, that’s precisely what happens when your flight is delayed. You are planning your trip to a distant place. Sometimes it looks as though everything depends on that flight. Things won’t turn out as intended if you don’t arrive at your destination on time. So, what? I guess life has a better plan.

Istanbul – The Meeting Point Of The World

I ended up at the meeting point of the world due to a delayed flight. Having your plans ruined can be frustrating, but not in the city where the West meets the East. This is where time stops and where life suddenly starts to make sense.

East and West are no water and oil. They do mix. And in a city like Istanbul, they mix intensely, incessantly, amazingly.

Elif Shafak for Time Magazine

The charming city of Istanbul never sleeps. If I had to describe Istanbul with only one word, it would definitely be alive. Moreover, what truly makes Istanbul special is its diversity. The oriental culture, cuisine, and philosophy live together with the occidental trends and lifestyles.

What else can you do in Istanbul in one day?

Any guess?

The original and most authentic baklava recipe from Ottoman times is hidden here. This delicious pastry filled with nuts and sweetened with syrup is not to be missed in Istanbul.

In general, food in Turkey is cheaper compared to other European countries, but make sure to avoid tourist traps and enjoy the places where the locals go.

In one of the oldest and largest markets in the world you can find anything from jewelry to food, clothes, carpets, and furniture. All of the products are local and most of them are targeting tourists, so expect higher prices than usual.

The architecture that can conquer your heart

Octavio Paz said that architecture is the incorruptible witness of history. Istanbul’s architecture is a time machine and each monument keeps a secret.

Again, I believe that nothing can beat diversity and this is why anyone can find their place in Istanbul.

Culture is a mix. Culture means a mix of things from other sources. And my town, Istanbul, was this kind of mix. Istanbul, in fact, and my work, is a testimony to the fact that East and West combine Culture gracefully, or sometimes in an anarchic way, came together, and that is what we should search for.

Orhan Pamuk

For me, it has always been a city of ruins and of end-of-empire melancholy. I’ve spent my life either battling with this melancholy or (like all İstanbullus) making it my own.

Orhan Pamuk

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