One small step into Asia

Yesterday I moved from Arnavutkoy on the European side of the Bosphorus to Kadikoy on the Asian shore.  This marks my first time in Asia... though of course it,s not all that different from European Istanbul.  The biggest change is the more residential feel and lack of tourists.  In order to get to my classes on the European side of the city I take a 20 minute ferry ride, a much less crowded and more scenic commute than the bus ride I had before.

Yesterday, the New York Times published an article about the wide-spread popularity in Turkey of current Prime Minister Recep Tayyip Erdogan.  After reading my previous entries about the attacks on the Prime Minister's campaign convoy, the topic of this may come as a surprise.  However, as the article notes, the current election polls are in full support of this conclusion.  In a country where at least 3 or 4 parties will draw significant percentages of voters, Erogan's AK Party is expected to be the choice of over 50% of voters.  Erogan and the AK party have been very successful at building a coalition of the political centrists from both the secularist and Islamist sides of the spectrum.  It seems that the current riots and acts of violence are being instigate by both the extreme liberal and conservative fringes.  The extreme right nationalists feel threatened by the easing of restrictions on the cultural expressions of Kurdish population of Turkey.  On the other end, the Turkish Communist Party has been out in force in Istanbul with signs, leaflets and demonstrations.  My guess is they feel threatened by business orientation of the AK party and the continued decline of the socialism that has characterized the Republic since its founding.  Groups on the left seem to be the instigators of the riot in Hopa.  The role of the military police, the jandarma or gendarm, in the riot has come into question after a picture emerged showing them standing by as protesters threw stones at the Prime Minister's bus.  I unfortunately have not been able to find any English-language source discussing the the possible motives of the jandarma for allowing the riot to go on.

After class today I took a stroll through the Grand Bazaar.  Built shortly after the conquest of the city by the Turks, its narrow winding passages enclosed by vaulted roofs are so long and numerous they have their own street names and signs.  The Bazaar is roughly organized by type of goods being sold, allowing the shopper to compare goods and prices more easily.  The proprietors of shops selling more tourist-oriented goods can be very in-your-face, greeting you in English and asking how you like their wares.  However, there were also plenty of shops where the owners sat clicking their prayer beads or sipping their tea and let me browse un-accosted. 

To the east side of the Grand Bazaar is a small, separate book bazaar.  It is centered around a quiet square with a monument to Ibrahim, Muteferrika, the producer of the first printed book in Turkish.  There were a number of booths selling pages from Ottoman illuminated manuscripts and I made a mental note to return and buy at least one before I leave.

Also near the bazaar is Constantine's Column.  It was erected in 330 as part of the inaugural celebrations of Constantinople as the new capital of the Roman Empire.  A statue of Constantine used to grace the top, but was felled during a violent storm in 1106.  It is probably the least attractive Roman column in existence. It is reinforced by metal rings which were added in 416 and renewed in 1701 and has also been damaged by several fires.  As a result, it is the color of burnt rust.