Photo by Lucy Hoffman
Istanbul-Induced Introspection Story by Ahmet Küçükuncular, Personal Story
Never before has leaving a place behind
or Kostantiniyye. It has witnessed the rise and fall
saddened me more than when I left Istanbul in
of kingdoms, empires, sultanates and republics
July after my brief yet mesmerizing stay. Even
and withstood wars, crusades and conquerors.
the notion of not being able to open my eyes
All that remains now is Istanbul; simple, albeit
to the view of the Bosphorus the next morning
exceptional, Istanbul.
nearly convinced me to miss my ight; surely
After the hassle of work, I checked into my
self-sabotage is validated if it gives rise to a view
hotel in Arnavutköy. There I spoke with the hotel
to be remembered, a smell to be reserved and
concierge. On my taxi ride, I had been too invested
tastes to be savored.
in reading my bite-sized evening newsletter on
I came to appreciate Istanbul as a world of its
my phone to notice the places I had passed. Only
own. Spanning Europe and Asia, it is much more
when the car stopped did I realize the proximity
than a mere bridge or a city that never sleeps. It
of the water, the paralyzing breeze mixed with
is much more than Byzantium or Constantinople
the scent of the sea, a common characteristic of
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