Dépaysant – a French word that encapsulates far better the feeling of being far from home than any one English word. But more than being far from home, the term signifies an otherworldly feeling, of a place, perhaps exotic, that exposes us to a culture or routine notably different from our own. It’s the first word I used when we arrived in Istanbul on Friday morning and the last word I used upon leaving the bustling metropolis yesterday.
We immediately observed a striking dichotomy between old and modern, secular and spiritual Istanbul; a division reinforced by the fact that it straddles two continents which are separated only by the Bosphorus strait. It is a city defined by dualities – one part European and a smattering of Asian with a dose of Middle Eastern heritage thrown in to define the sprawling city and its people. Imperial mosques and minarets punctuate the skyline while boats, ferries and fisherman line the waterfront in activity. Unlike the immaculate beauty of Paris, Istanbul’s allure is far more raw. Trash coated many streets, even in the old city, and dilapidated buildings weren’t…
