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There are some places we arrive and instantly feel at ease: Istanbul felt like that for me. Although the war with ISIL along the Turkish-Syrian border was always at the back of our minds, we were consistently greeted by kind, generous and friendly, smiling local faces. After a couple of days sightseeing and tasting the plethora of culinary delights of their diverse cuisine, we were ready for a down day.
We found a park popular with the locals (Gülhane Park) - an easy walk from our Hotel in the bustling and historic Old Town. After lazing here for a couple of hours amongst the shady trees and relaxing families, Sjane ducked off to the loo and I checked my emails. I had one from the Australian government's SmartTraveller subscription:
"On 27 July 2015, Turkish authorities warned of possible threats to public transport in Istanbul, particularly metro stations along the Yanikapi-Taksim route, and stops on the Metrobus line. Authorities are reportedly searching for a number of vehicles laden with explosives. Travellers should expect heightened security measures in Istanbul at this time."
My stomach sunk. Multiple tram lines (including the Yanikapi-Taksim) passed close by the Gülhane Park where we were. The regular sweeps of the park by police cars and security guards made more sense after that. I reluctantly showed Sjane (who until this point had been a little more on edge in Turkey).
It was an interesting situation. On one hand there were obvious signs of agitation around safety and security if you looked for it, but aside from that you could look in every direction and see people going about their daily lives; taking their ease and showing no outward concern. The park was blissfully serene; the silence only broken every few hours by the mesmerising chanting of the Call To Prayer from the city's awe-inspiring mosques.
The rest of our time there passed without incident. A cooking class and some drinks with friends rounding out an amazing immersion in Europe's most densely populated city. A city that spans two continents (Europe and Asia) and at different times through history had been the centre of three different empires: the Byzantine, Roman and Ottoman. Once Christian, now Muslim: it has a rich and fascinating history and intoxicating present. Definitely worth a visit. Five days was only enough for us to scrape the surface and want to dig deeper. Unfortunately, we have run out of time for Europe and Africa is calling!
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