East + West = Identity Crisis

April 8, 2009. Istanbul really is a world of its own, and there’s nothing quite like it. It is surrounded by water on every side, including right down the middle by the Bosphorus that separates European Istanbul from the Asian side. This makes Istanbul the only metropolis in the world to be situated on two continents. History imposes itself on you, and one cannot help but gaze at the remains of the Ottoman Empire and not be struck with awe by its architectural and cultural feats.

We spent roughly one week in Istanbul before exploring further down Turkey’s western coast to Selcuk, Ephesus, and Pamukkale. While some inhabitants claimed to be European and boasted of different sites being the longest/highest/largest blah blah blah in Europe, we were often baffled because after all, Turkey is still considered Central Asia, and we certainly were not in Europe. Others quite proudly flaunted and discussed their strong Asian heritage and loved to boast of Rumi’s strong and long presence in Turkey after having left the Balkh province of northern Afghanistan. And, most peculiar was how much more modern and Western the Asian side of Istanbul turned out to be in comparison to the so-called European side with its skyline studded with mosques and minarets. Since most Istanbullus are desperate for inclusion into the European Union, it seemed very apparent that there was some level of denial among the younger generation over their ‘continentality,’ lending to a bit of an identity crisis. That aside, Istanbul has now become one of my favorite cities in the world with the perfect balance of it all. As a renowned author once said, “If one had but a single glance to give the world, one should gaze on Istanbul.”












Pamukkale is an incredibly unusual natural wonder of the world, and I figured it was appropriate to give a little bit of background before posting photos. The word means cotton castle in Turkish and is a natural site in southwestern Turkey in the Denizli Province. The ancient city of Hierapolis is situated just above Pamukkale. Quoted from Wikipedia: “The tectonic movements that took place in the fault depressions of the Menderes river basin triggered frequent earthquakes and gave rise to the emergence of a number of very hot springs. The water from one of these springs, with its large mineral content—chalk in particular—created Pamukkale. Apart from some radioactive material, the water contains large amounts of hydrogen carbonate and calcium, which leads to the precipitation of calcium bi-carbonate. In the course of time, some sources dried up because of earthquakes, while new ones arose around it. The effect of this natural phenomenon has left thick, white layers of limestone and travertine cascading down the mountain slope, resembling a frozen waterfall.”