Is Istanbul Beautiful?

“Istanbul, a universal beauty where poet and archeologist, diplomat and merchant, princess and sailor, northerner and westerner screams with same admiration. The whole world thinks that this city is the most beautiful place on earth.” – Edmondo De Amicis

“It’s such an ugly city. There is no man-made beauty in Istanbul.” – a friend and fellow expat

I never thought that Istanbul’s beauty was something I would question.

I mean, I’ve been here before. I’ve seen sunsets over the mosques of Sultanahmet, taken morning seaside strolls in Moda, floated on the Bosphoros.

But a friend of mine who has lived here for over a year insisted otherwise. And so, I took a closer look around. Istanbul’s beauty, it turns out, is not so straightforward—especially compared to some of the other beautiful cities I’ve visited and lived in.

When I first arrived in Prague during January 2008, I was absolutely floored by the overwhelming magnificence of the city. Every side street looked as gorgeous and important as the old town square of Stare Mesto. The intricate buildings were painted pastels and lined roads of fairy tale cobblestones.

Just your average Prague building.

My friends and I spent our months there careening from street to street, bridge to bridge, bank to bank, constantly enthralled by the beauty pouring out of every corner. There’s a reason tourists love Prague– it’s pure visual poetry. Letting the city surround you while boating on the Vltava is magical.

Prague Castle

Boston is nowhere near the storybook splendor of Prague, though it is lovely in its own way.

The Pru and the Christian Science Church. Boston, MA

The historical center is quaint and fascinating, of course, and the relatively new Rose F Kennedy Greenway is a joy of urban planning. The brownstones of the Back Bay are divine and I had a friend who thought Marlborough St, with its street lamps and tree-lined sidewalks, was the most attractive place in Boston. I spent more of my time in Somerville (where I lived) and Cambridge, and while the architecture for the most part is not so special (excluding the classic red brick buildings and churches around Harvard Square), both areas have an abundance of glorious green space.

Danehy Park

Mount Auburn Cemetery

Spy Pond

Those were my favorite parts of the Boston area– the many parks and paths that were so easily accessible. Boston is small enough that the city and nature could run up right next to each other; it’s the juxtaposition that I loved. For me, Boston is the meditative peacefulness of Spy Pond, the landscaped labyrinths of Mt Auburn Cemetery, the seemingly endless open space of Danehy Park, the minimal architecture of the Zakim Bridge, and the spectacular view of Boston from the Charles River.

The Zakim Bridge

Istanbul is a different beast. To begin with, it’s a giant city– much bigger than Boston or Prague, and I’ve barely seen a fraction of it yet. I have been to many different areas and each one has its own relation to beauty– the historical mosques and cobblestones in the district of Sultanahmet, the twisting halls of the Grand Bazaar, and the charming side streets and passages near Taksim Square  and Istiklal Avenue are all beautiful. An area I found myself in called Atasehir is not. Atasehir is tall and soulless buildings, fast concrete roads, half-finished construction projects that have turned sidewalks into mud… Miserable and very unattractive.

Atasehir

Istanbul doesn’t have the green space of Boston or the Baroque buildings of Prague. But seeing the hazy outlines of the mosques on The Golden Horn as I take the ferry from one continent to another still takes my breath away. The few lucky times that I’ve had this sea-bound view while the call to prayer echoes off the water only enhances the unreality of Istanbul’s historic architecture. When the mosques along the Bosphorus are lit up at night, I think they look like glowing cupcakes– simply delectable. And the wide seaside lanes at Moda and Caddebostan make me thankful that I moved to the Asian side.

Perhaps my friend is a little jaded. He was previously living in Budapest, where they turn even the most horrific address into a work of art.

The Terror House. Budapest, Hungary.

Istanbul is not Paris, nor is it Zagreb or Ljubljana or Krakow. Istanbul is a monster. It sprawls and teems and pulses. It is brimming with history and people and cars and apartment buildings. Parts of Istanbul are ugly and soulless , but there are others that are so beautiful that I want to cry. The sunsets bleed color and the Bosphorus sparkles and the minarets echo and it all makes me love this crazy, messy, truly LIVING creature of a city. It’s a tangle, and that’s how I like it.