Threshold Moments in Istanbul
“Nothing in this world can ever match the marvels that we conjure up in our own minds.” - Sabahattin Ali
For a long time, Istanbul has been “The City” for me, and I think it still is. I was reminded of that somewhere on Oba Street on a late morning, when I was exchanging a few words with the young Turkish man who was preparing us the “New York–style” bagels. He told us, smilingly, that Istanbul feels like the capital of the world for him, and his honest smile made me forget the previous four days in which I had struggled to find my rhythm.
The modern name İstanbul derives from the Medieval Greek phrase εἰς τὴν πόλιν (eis tḕn Pólin), literally “to the city” or “into the city,” reflecting how Greek speakers casually referred to Constantinople as “The City.” Even after all these centuries, Istanbul is still “The City” for many travelers, myself included, who keep coming back again and again.
It’s my fourth time returning to this city in the past ten years, and the moment I arrived I was hit by a wave of familiarity and chaos. I had forgotten how hectic this city was; in my mind, it had remained one of the most serene places I’ve visited, but I must have mistaken that for its ability to eventually quiet my mind, as long as I managed to succumb to its rhythm.