Istanbul the Beautiful
Saturday, October 14, 2006
4 comments
I just returned from 5 days in Istanbul. This marks my third visit to the city, and I can safely claim that it is one of the most unique cities on the planet.
Istanbul, in all of its massive complexity, is rife with problems and growth issues (not the least is an identity crisis), yet it maintains a charm and intrigue that is unmatched. My previous visits have been largely confined to the European side, so I decided to focus on Asian Istanbul during this trip. Upon concluding my visit, I have come to realize that Istanbul contains two of the most beautiful subjects on the planet: mosques and women.
There’s no question about it: the Ottoman-period mosques are the most grand and elaborate mosques in the world. Most Islamic countries generally feature one or two grand, beautiful mosques, but pale in comparison with the scale, detail and number of the mosques that grace the Istanbul skyline. Absolutely stunning.
Turkish women, for the most part, are extremely beautiful. I can’t quite put my finger on it; perhaps it is the unique mixture between the Arab, Persian and European races that results in such an attraction. I would go so far to say that 60% of the women traversing the city’s streets would be classified as intensely gorgeous. That’s a pretty high percentage, on average.
After an overcast and rainy spell in Istanbul, it was nice to return to the bright and sunny skies of Amman. I’ll take a dry, arid heat over a humid-laden climate any day. And my return flight was made even more bright after reading about the removal of the ridiculous telecommunications ban on Skype.
Istanbul, in all of its massive complexity, is rife with problems and growth issues (not the least is an identity crisis), yet it maintains a charm and intrigue that is unmatched. My previous visits have been largely confined to the European side, so I decided to focus on Asian Istanbul during this trip. Upon concluding my visit, I have come to realize that Istanbul contains two of the most beautiful subjects on the planet: mosques and women.
There’s no question about it: the Ottoman-period mosques are the most grand and elaborate mosques in the world. Most Islamic countries generally feature one or two grand, beautiful mosques, but pale in comparison with the scale, detail and number of the mosques that grace the Istanbul skyline. Absolutely stunning.
Turkish women, for the most part, are extremely beautiful. I can’t quite put my finger on it; perhaps it is the unique mixture between the Arab, Persian and European races that results in such an attraction. I would go so far to say that 60% of the women traversing the city’s streets would be classified as intensely gorgeous. That’s a pretty high percentage, on average.
After an overcast and rainy spell in Istanbul, it was nice to return to the bright and sunny skies of Amman. I’ll take a dry, arid heat over a humid-laden climate any day. And my return flight was made even more bright after reading about the removal of the ridiculous telecommunications ban on Skype.
posted by Dave at 12:34 PM
4 Comments:
welcome back dude
Thanks man. It's good to be back.
Intrigued to know your assessment of women in Amman.
Arab women in general are quite striking. It's hard to apply a percentage figure, since you can't see half of them. That's not a jab at the hijab, but rather a matter of fact. Much Arab feminine beauty goes largely hidden and unnoticed.
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