This is Erhan.
Erhan worked for Deutsche Bank in Jacksonville in a different building than Mike and relocated to Frankfurt this past spring. A friend of both connected the two; the rest is history!
Istanbul was never on our radar as a place to visit. I think we just didn't know anything about it, didn't know anyone who had been. Plus, when we first moved there was a big, slightly violent protest going on so we pretty much put it in the back of our minds, until this summer when we decided that it was a priority.
A couple months ago we casually mentioned this to Erhan, who grew up in Istanbul and whose family still resides, and in the blink of an eye, our trip was planned.
"You can stay in our spare apartment above the restaurant my dad owns, it's close to the city center."
This simple favor turned into one of the best experiences of our lives.
We were invited to come when Erhan was visiting his family, so that he could take us around a bit and show us the 'real' Istanbul. We were greeted at the airport at 1 AM on Wednesday morning by his brother shouting our names across the airport pick-up line, and we were off to his parents' home nearby.
Ramadan was currently being observed, meaning that those who participate do not eat or drink anything from sunup to sundown. Erhan's mother welcomed us into her home and prepared a feast at to be eaten at 2:30 before the morning prayers; we somehow managed to stay awake (and alert!) until the call was given. (Their house is directly across the street from a mosque, so it was hard to miss the call!) I can't even describe how cool the call to prayer sounded.... the Imam sings out over a loud speaker, but it's not just him; it's every mosque in the city singing out at the same time.
It's mesmerizing.
The colors... the food... I can't even begin to describe it all. Beautiful chaos, perhaps.
The most beautiful part about life and travel is being welcomed into a home and leaving feeling as if you've always been a part of the family. The Sahins are wonderful, welcoming, amazing people.
I've never eaten so much incredible food in my life!
Erhan did an excellent job of translating back and forth between us, and his brothers invited us into their homes for delicious meals and coffee.
Erdogan, my Turkish teacher!
It's difficult to wrap your mind around a city with such a rich, incredible history.
Dreaming of desserts infused with honey and pistachios, breakfasts of Turkish pepperoni and runny eggs, and cheesy pizza bread from the restaurant :)
No comments:
Post a Comment