Istanbul: Exotic city of a thousand enchantments - by Patti Nickell
If I hadn't been there, I wouldn't have believed it. Over the course of an evening, I watched a woman catch her hair on fire (it was quickly doused), a group of angels abandoning any angelic traits to get down and dirty with a group of devils (they turned out to be members of a bachelorette party), and a transvestite belly dancer cavorting on a revolving stage. I was in Istanbul, watching as the city's predominantly Muslim populace carried on as they do most nights here at Al Jamal. Al Jamal, a restaurant/nightclub frequented by locals and visitors, is a microcosm for Istanbul, a city full of contradictions.
Then there is the question of religion. During a city tour, my guide told me that although 99 percent of Istanbul's population is Muslim, only a small fraction go to the mosque daily, with the vast majority considering once a week sufficient. In Turkey, where the constitution mandates a secular government, there is a high tolerance for other religions, as can be seen in two of Istanbul's premier sites.