Istanbul (not Constantinople)

Everytime someone starts taking about Istanbul, the 50s swing song

Istanbul Not Constantinople by Four Lads starts playing in my head. Usually I start to laugh and then have to explain what was so funny with the friend telling me about their latest trip to Turkey. Most people don’t know the song, and I have to take the phone out, go on youtube and show it. Then the addiction is passed over to the friend.

Once I researched the song finding out that the song had a political agenda. It defends Turks from the attacks of people who were outraged with Turkey’s 1930 decision to change the name of Constantinople to Istanbul. So the songs makes an historical reference telling that even old New York was once called New Amsterdam, and that is nobody’s business but the Turks how they wanna name their city.

Whatever the name , the city is amazing and offers many opportunities for great photos. My trip was short and it was getting dark early so I had just a few hours to go around Taksim, Istiklal Street, visit the hipster neighborhood of Karakoy, the usual treasure hunt at the Grand Bazaar and 1 hour of total relax at Galatasaray Imam.

Taksim & Istiklal Street

Taksim Flower Market

Chestnut Kiosk

Turkish food & tea

Turkish coffee

Grand Bazaar Istanbul

Galatasaray Hamam

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