Baltimore (CA 68) - Naval Cruise Book

Page 82 text:

ISTANBUL is miiiarets risinj; regally on all sides, Istanbul at first glance, almost too fabulous to believe. A ity which is a curious admixture of the very old and the very new, it was somewhat of a puzzle to those of us for whom Istanbul was a first exposure to the Mysterious East. We spent the first days in the old city, exploring the huge and imposing mosques, trying to picture the ciiv as it iiiiist have been under the sultans. We covered our »lioi ' with slippers to enter the world- famous Blue Mosqiip, with its thick, oriental carpeting and blue mosaic interior. The .Sultan ' s Palace and museum was full of old and beautiful things, from jewel - encrus- ted plates and glass- es to large chests co- mpletelv inlaid with mother - of - pearl, geld, and silver. But it was the ( rand Bazaar that completely captvia- ted us. Miles of see- mingly underground twisting passages, stocked with everything from solid gold bracelets to egg plant and parsley. Milling crowds pushed everywhere, haggling with the vendors, coaxing buyers into tiny shops, eating food, and making a great deal of noise. A more colorful and wonderful spot would be hard to imagine. In the new city, there were authentic Turkish restaurants and night spots, and the USO provided us with a recreational center. Sis kebab and a colorless melon sherbet were the foods we most enjoyed, and the beer was - as promised - the best in the Med. Ferry trips up the Bosphorus, the (Golden Horn, and across to Asia Minor were popular pastimes and there was a good beach for swimming. Istanbul not only introduced the water pipe for smoking to shipboard life but also gave us a view of Eurasian life that we wUl long remember.