Travel Reference
In-Depth Information
Like great cities in emerging economies around the world, Istanbul bustles with hope for
a bright future.
And yet, this ancient city is striding into the future. During my visit, everyone was
buzzing about the upcoming completion of the new tunnel under the Bosphorus, which
would give a million commuters in the Asian suburbs of Istanbul an easy train link to
their places of work in Europe. This tunnel (which opened in 2013) is emblematic of mod-
ern Turkey's commitment to connecting East and West, just as Istanbul bridges Asia and
Europe. I also see it as a concrete example of how parts of the developing world are emer-
ging as economic dynamos.
Stepping out of my shoes, I entered the vast, turquoise (and therefore not-quite-
rightly-named) Blue Mosque. Hoping for another déjà vu, I didn't get it. Something was
missing. Yes…gone was the smell of countless sweaty socks, knees, palms, and foreheads
soaked into the ancient carpet upon which worshippers did their quite physical prayer
work-outs. Sure enough, the Blue Mosque had a fresh new carpet—with a subtle design
that keeps worshippers organized the same way that lined paper tames printed letters.
The prayer service let out, and a sea of Turks surged for the door. Being caught up
in a crush of locals—where the only way to get any personal space is to look up—is a
connecting-with-humanity ritual for me. I seek out these opportunities. It's the closest I'll
