Istanbul-A City of Many Stories

Istanbul is a collage of cultures and religion—current and past. Its 15th century fortresses sit astride modern, boxy apartment buildings and roadways. Ruins from BC times are fenced off from the swirl of a busy street. It transports you to ancient times. And then, in an instant, a merchant snaps you back to reality as he gestures for you to come to his stall, check out his merchandise or his menu. It is an in-your-face culture that makes the hustle and bustle of New York City look laid back. But that is just a part of Turkey as Semester at Sea students discovered.

The other part is the rural, quieter areas that are introduced by fields of sunflowers. There are the rocky masses of Cappadocia (pronounced CAP-A-DOCH-EE-A) that make you feel like you’ve landed on another planet. There are the ruins of Troy. For some students, Istanbul, specifically, and Turkey, in general, was a bit of a culture shock, especially being from a western, predominantly Christian country and going to a Muslim country. For others, it was by far the best experience they’ve had on Semester at Sea.

Click on the short video at the end to view some of the images of Turkey and Istanbul and read the students’ thoughts on their five-day stay in the country. (Don't forget to check the Semester at Sea website for the official audio slideshow on Turkey.)

Lucas Firmino, Daniel Webster College
Istanbul is definitely different than I thought it would be. A lot of my preconceptions were dashed and I learned more about what the country really is. I thought that as a predominantly Muslim country that’s the way the government would work, but it’s not. It’s a more secular government, more like the U.S. I was surprised that people didn’t dress the way you thought they would dress and there are few people who actually wear the full Muslim dress. So, I’ve learned quite a bit from being around the people.

Emily Bialas, Univ. of Pittsburgh
Istanbul has been a big culture shock for me. I didn’t realize how large the Muslim community was here. I heard that there are 3,000 mosques, just in Istanbul. And the call to prayer was very strange and surprising to me. It was good to also leave Istanbul and visit Troy to see rural parts of Turkey. I learned that Turkey is a very independent, self-sufficient country agriculturally. Plus, being in Gallipoli and seeing all the letters from soldiers and their families was very moving.

Sarah Shepherd, Bowling Green State University
Istanbul is probably my favorite port. The people were just so friendly here and more than willing to speak slow since we don’t understand the language and show you where you need to go. I’ve even had people ask me “Do you need a tour guide? I’ll be your tour guide for the day. I’ll even take off work and show you around the city. It’s a beautiful city; I want to share that experience with you.” That’s just amazing to experience—that there are people here who just want you to experience a city they love so much. It just fascinated and thrilled me to see that.

Ana Alexandrescu, Lehigh University
We went to a sustainable car-free day in Istanbul on the second day we were in port and talked with residents and sat down and painted with children. People in the neighborhood brought out their version of doughnuts, a big bowl of them, and they said “Help yourself, you are our guests.” That was amazing. Another person we met the day before told us about a football [soccer] game to go to, where to buy the tickets, and how to get there. So, we ended up going to a football game, chanting the Turkish cheers and just being a part of the crowd, which was another amazing experience.

Eric Paulino, Sarah Lawrence College
I love Turkey. It is my favorite place so far. I really have fallen in love with Istanbul and the people here. I thought when the noon prayer was announced that people were going to stop—that the taxi drivers were going to get out of their cars, get down on the hot ground and pray to mecca. And I was like ‘How ignorant of me’ because life goes on. People pray when they can, just as we do in America. Going to a mosque for the first time and seeing how peaceful the call to prayer was and watching people march in and quietly pray, it was one of the best things I’ve ever seen.

Sarah Cogdill, Univ. of North Texas
I went on a university tour that had SAS students meet Turkish college students. I really enjoyed meeting with students one on one and learning about how they live and their life in college. The best part about being in Turkey for me was the interactions with people because they were so hospitable and friendly. They had a real curiousity for who we are and where we’re from and they wanted to share their city with us. I didn’t have any expectations of Istanbul and it’s exceeded any expectations that I could have had.