Istanbul Diary
Where Asia and Europe—moreover, Islam and Christianity—shake hands, across the strait of Bosphorus
Sudheendra Kulkarni
An Ottoman ornament
Each city in the world is unique, but some are more unique than others—if the definition of uniqueness can be so extended by bringing in wider parameters of history, geography, beauty, contemporary reality and future possibility. Istanbul is where Asia and Europe—moreover, Islam and Christianity—shake hands, across the strait of Bosphorus. It is where they also crossed swords, the fall of Constantinople in 1453 being a major turning point in world history. The capital of four empires in the past (Roman, Byzantine, Latin and Ottoman), Istanbul is certainly a city once again on the rise. It’s my first visit to Turkey, where I have been invited to give talks on Mahatma Gandhi. Unable to find the right words to capture my impressions of this enchanting city, I tell my hosts that I have to borrow the words of Mustafa Kemal Ataturk, the father of modern Turkey: “On the meeting point of two worlds, the ornament of Turkish homeland, the treasure of Turkish history, the city cherished by the Turkish nation, Istanbul, has its place in the hearts of all citizens.”
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