Istanbul: The Clown Car of the World

There might be more beautiful metaphors for Istanbul, but the one that keeps coming to my mind is a clown car. Just when I think there can’t possibly be one more thing crammed into this city, into the history of this place, another clown pops out. The past three days have been a whirlwind of historical sites and cultural centers, each one distinct and important in their own way. The scope of what one can find in Istanbul is beyond amazing- major centers for Christianity, Islam, and Judaism; Greek neighborhoods dating back hundreds of years; trinkets and monuments from every part of the world and every time; tons of languages. The history alone is mind boggling. The Byzantine, Roman, and Ottoman Empires all existed here at one point.

It must have grown piecemeal, adding here and there, but I wonder if people always knew that Istanbul would be a mishmash. The rest of the world is classical, or rock, or jazz- Istanbul is fusion. The shifts are, in my opinion, somewhat jarring, but not in a bad way- it just adds to the experience. I can’t even begin to hold all the pieces in my head, but that’s ok. They’re all there, waiting for closer examination should I choose, willing to be put down again. I guess part of what makes this city work so well, despite so many radical differences side by side, is the fact that none of them are vying for dominance. There is space here for every lifestyle, every belief.

There is a level of tolerance here that seems to be just a way of life, rather than a forced state of mind, and Istanbul has been this way for centuries. In stark contrast to the naturally forming "socioeconomic bubbles" of the United States, here mixture is inevitable. It might not be welcomed (I haven't gotten a feel for the specific attitudes between groups in Turkey), but it does appear to be accepted as a matter of fact. Where I come from, if you do not want to associate with something or someone specific, you don't have to. It is entirely possible to cut yourself off from whatever you want. I couldn't stay in a bubble here if I tried.