In Rainbows In Istanbul

In September, Istanbul was invaded.

They crept in by night, climbing steadily and quietly in the darkness. At first, the authorities fought back, but quickly conceded to the inevitable and let the invaders return, and continue to spread. Whole streets were conquered day by day. Neighborhoods awoke, looked up, and realized: they’re here.

Istanbul streets and steps, like Dorothy, had gone over the rainbow.

The rainbow steps in Findikli arrived courtesy of a polychromatic sexagenarian as a way to add joy to his beloved neighborhood. They were quickly re-painted gray by a misguided municipality and the outcry was immediate. This invasion of color was a welcome one.

Unusually, authorities acquiesced and allowed the steps to again go rainbow. And a new colorful sort of protest was born.

Sidewalks and cobblestones became chromatic overnight. Stairs across the city mimicked the original Findikli steps– not just in the center or in the more liberal neighborhoods, but all over. Drive along Istanbul’s highway and peer out the window: steps tucked between dirty concrete and ugly underpasses are resplendent with rainbows.

After the initial invasion, we are still in Technicolor. The steps are a pilgrimage point for people of all types– they pose and play and take photographs. This was an invasion of pure joy– and thank goodness, it worked.