2019 Nov 3 Istanbul · Wandering

Nov 3, 2019 · Wandering
• Because of jet lag I was wide awake a little after five. For someone used to long nights, that natural five-hour sleep drops me straight into a healthy rhythm—my first healing reason to love Turkey. The morning tram was already packed, and because it was the Istanbul Old City Marathon, the line stopped four stations earlier than I’d planned; everyone had to walk to anywhere along the route. Looking down the street toward the far end, the Mediterranean became the backdrop to an old shopping street. In a little Turkish breakfast place that sold all kinds of soups, I soaked the complimentary flatbread in beef soup—down-to-earth and delicious, the perfect way to wake a brand-new day. Around the corner, several grand mosques stood by an obelisk moved from the Temple of the Sun; flocks of pigeons squabbled with a few thieving gulls over the feed people tossed. Time and architecture hide cemeteries very subtly in these lively blocks—you pass by without feeling anything strange. Souls from different eras simply share the same sky; maybe it’s their guardianship that gives the city its spirit.

After working quietly for centuries, the Basilica Cistern is now a historical site at 20 lira per person—behind it lies the city’s determination and resolve to guard against outside invasion. Two Medusa heads, one upside down and one sideways, lie beneath the columns at the far end of the water palace; the “weeping column,” streaked like tears, stays perpetually damp. These distinctive pillars, together with the more than three hundred others here, record a brilliant course of civilization.

The Istanbul Archaeology Museums—said to be second only to the British Museum—are a comprehensive complex of stone sarcophagi, reliefs, and mosaics; the highlights are stunning. Alexander’s Sarcophagus lies there quietly; you can put your face close and study it at point-blank range. A serene church nestles between the palace and Hagia Sophia, leaning against it like a retired elder, telling visitors stories of the old ecclesiastical days and delivering a deep inner calm.

For lunch I watched ships slip across the Mediterranean: seafood cheese pasta, a medium steak, grilled-fish salad—letting food and sunlight pour into me. I strolled the busy streets and through the royal park; alongside tourists were marathon runners straining forward. Perhaps, right now, they’re the ones with the clearest goals; walking or running no longer matters—what matters is that the finish line isn’t far.

The circular Golden Horn cruise is the most magical ride—25 lira, about 1.5 hours. After passing two bridges the boat turns back; historic buildings on both banks blend seamlessly with the modern city, like a scroll slowly unrolling. The best sunset sailing is 16:30; the closing minutes of the return instantly drop you into a vision of merchant ships entering port centuries ago. Fairytale silhouettes before your eyes; opportunity and wealth shimmer in the scene—familiar yet breathtaking. A balık ekmek fish sandwich on the Golden Horn, waving a Turkish flag, pudding from a century-old dessert shop—night arrives without notice. A dream of a city.

因为时差的原因，五点多已经是大醒，对于长时间熬夜的人来说，这自然给的5个小时正好会让人进入非常健康的作息周期，这是我感到土耳其第一项很有治愈的理由。早上的电车已经是满满的人了，即使街面上的人熙熙攘攘，因为赶上了土耳其古城马拉松，电车在我预计到达的前4站就不再前行，所有人需要步行前往这条路线上的所有地区。透过街道向路的尽头望去，地中海成了这条充满店铺老街的背景。在一家卖各种汤的土耳其早餐店里用牛肉汤泡着免费的油香，接地气的美味唤醒了崭新的一天，几个大清真寺围绕着从太阳神神庙搬来的石柱就在街角矗立着，成群的鸽子在和几只贼鸥争抢投喂的吃食。时间和建筑风格把繁闹街区中的墓地隐藏的非常微妙，从身边走过都不会感到异样，不同时期的灵魂就这么分享着同一片天空，也许是他们的守护才有了灵气的城市，地下水城在默默的工作了几个世纪后的今天成为了20里拉每人的历史景点，背后是对这个城市对预防外来侵略的决心和毅力，两尊美杜莎的雕像倒着和侧着压在水宫尽头的石柱下，满是泪痕的哭柱在保持着一贯的湿润，这些独特的石柱和这里的其他三百多跟石柱一起记录着璀璨的文明进程。土耳其国家考古博物馆，世界上仅次于大英博物馆的第二大硬核博物馆，一座由各种石棺，石版画，马赛克艺术展品呈现的综合博物馆，馆藏精品很是震撼，亚历山大大帝石棺的就这么的静静躺在那里，你甚至可以把脸贴在上面进行超近距离的赏析。一座空灵的教堂就这样的趴在皇宫和圣索菲亚大教堂之间，依偎着圣索菲亚，像一个退休的老人，给来到这里的参观者讲述着昔日的教廷时光，和送来内心深处的平静。午餐眺望着地中海上的来往船只，海鲜芝士面，七成熟的牛排，烤鱼沙拉，我就这样任由美食和阳光注入我的身体。漫步在繁闹的市井街头，穿过皇家公园，除了游客还有正在拼搏的马拉松运动员，也许他们是此时此刻最有目标的吧，走着跑着已不再重要，重要的是终点已经不远了。海湾的环形航程是最具魔幻的行程，25里拉，一个半小时，在穿过两座大桥后返航，两岸的历史建筑和现代化城市结合的天衣无缝，像是一幅卷轴慢慢地展开，日落最好班次16:30分，回程的尾声一下子会把人带入几世纪前商船入港时候的即视感，眼前童话般的剪影，眼中的机遇与财富就在这画面里即熟悉又震撼。金角湾的烤鱼三明治，举着土国国旗，吃着百年甜品店的布丁，夜晚不察觉的来临，梦的城市。