Middle Eastern hospitalitea in Turkey and Jordan 🫖

TL;DR

• Turkey blends east and west in an interesting way

• Jordan is worth a visit for the stunning scenery

• People in both countries are some of the nicest we've met

Turkey

Su had been to Turkey before but this was my first time. It’s a beautiful country that literally straddles the physical and metaphysical borders between Europe and Asia. Partly european, partly middle eastern, Turkey is a place which defies easy labels.

I have never been to a city like Istanbul - cut in two by the majestic Bosporous strait connecting the Black sea in the north to the sea of Marmara in the south. Add in the golden horn which splits the western half of into two parts as well and you don’t have to go far in Istanbul to find stunning views.

Above: Map of Istanbul; Below: Waterside views

The city itself is very cosmopolitan and often features on lists of beautiful European capitals. However with its strong Islamic influences, this Euro-Asian hybrid is unique in the best possible ways. The beautiful cafes and cobblestone streets share space with some of the most impressive architecture the Islamic style has to offer.

Footprint of the prophet Mohammed

Istanbul has been center stage in history dating back to the Byzantines and it was the seat of power for the Ottomans. History is everywhere you look. Topkapi palace, the main residence for Ottoman royalty for over 400 years, is a standout example holding so many of the Ottoman's best treasures.

In addition to historical artifacts, since Istanbul was also the seat of Islamic power, many of the religious relics of Muhammed, Moses and others are housed here. Like many religious relics, their veracity is a matter of faith rather than strict science or archaeology. Painstakingly preserved by generations of believers, they are impressive nonetheless.

Ataturk - he's everywhere in Turkey

While an overwhelming percentage of people in Turkey identify as Muslim (over 90%), Turkey is officially a secular country. This was a key philosophy of the founding father of modern turkey Ataturk. To hear locals tell it, Ataturk is the reason Turkey is a modern progressive republic with a strong economy. He pushed secularism, democracy and human rights as a part of his original reforms package and thereby avoided some of the negative outcomes we saw in other Islamic nations. Ataturk continues to be lionized in Turkey today almost a 100 years after his death with his face not only on the currency but also on billboards, statues and just in about any remotely public building in the country. On a personal level, I did feel the vibe in Turkey was 'more secular' than places like Egypt, Jordan or Dubai. This in spite of the fact that the most impressive buildings in the city are almost exclusively mega mosques. Recent politics in Turkey are somewhat challenging this secular/progressive narrative but Turkey continues to be a place that defies easy categorization.

The thing I noticed the most about the people in Turkey is how kind and helpful they are. On a few different occasions people made an extra effort to be helpful or friendly and it seemed to be a common theme with most of the locals I interacted with. One instance stands out: we were looking for a pharmacy at night and were a bit lost. We approached two ice cream sellers on the side of the road hoping for directions. Not only did they try to help in their broken English, but they also used their own phones to call around and find the closest one open. We were with them for likely 5-10 min  and I still appreciate their genuine desire to help. We didn't even get ice cream that day (don't worry, we went back and did on the following one).

One of our few big group pictures

Helpful locals turned out to be really handy since we were doing our own kind of hosting on this trip. My parents along with my moushis and kakas (aunts and uncles) decided to join us for our Turkey leg. So this time it wasn't just Su and I but we were organizing for a big group of 8 of us (!). While it made for a bit more work than usual, we were so happy we got to share this experience with close family. It was special for me personally to have a chance to give a fun experience to these folks who all played a role raising me through my childhood. We made 3 stops: Istanbul, Cappadocia and Antalya. If Istanbul was the big city with history, Cappadocia was the sunset vibes over cool rocks and Antalya was the fun town on the coast. While we enjoyed seeing all the sights and soaking in all the culture, getting to do with the big family group was the big highlight.

Classic Cappadocia shot

Other random thoughts about Turkey

• While turkish coffee is famous around the world, in Turkey we saw most people drinking Turkish tea. Its red, served in this fancy little cup and is very tasty. We had some pretty ardent turkish tea fans in our group.

• Yogurt is really big here - surprisingly so. As an Indian, we eat a lot of yogurt but the Turks use yogurt in everything. Turkish eggs which are very popular are semi soft eggs with chilli oil and yogurt sauce. Pretty tasty.

• Artisanal pieces are very big. We saw some very impressive ceramics and carpets in particular.

Jordan

After the family left to head home, Su and I made our way over to Jordan. I had heard such good things about Jordan from friends who visited and people from the region that I was really excited to visit. We started by visiting the Wadi Rum desert.

To me, Wadi Rum seemed otherworldly. Granted I haven't been to Death valley or many other famous desert locations but it did not seem surprising at all that many scenes from Sci Fi films like the Martian and Dune were shot here.

After a night in the desert we drove to Petra. While almost everyone with a phone has seen the iconic entry to the treasury picture on someone's social media, Petra is so so much more than that. 

Yes the treasury is amazing but its preceded by a 30 min walk through carved cliffsides (the Siq) and followed by a massive complex of Ruins of multiple types of dwellings, temples and buildings. Built originally by the Nabateans  - a once nomadic community who wanted that sweet city life - Petra was a bustling metropolis and the center of trade in the region around 1st century AD. After Egypt, I thought it would take a lot of impress me when it came to ruins, but Petra does very much impress in person.

In addition to exploring the ruins, we undertook the 1000 step climb to the Monastery (basically a supersized Treasury) and then further up to the best viewpoint. My feet were not happy but #nofomo.

View of the Monastery

 On the hike we were offered free tea in a few places. Its not a gimmick designed to encourage you into buying something else (like it could be elsewhere) but actually their - as they say it - Jordanian hospitalitea. We were offered some version of this in the desert, at a rest stop and even on this hike. More than a third of the Jordanian population is ethnically Bedouin and hospitality is serious business. I really enjoyed this custom since it gave me an intro to chat and bond with the locals on their terms (vs me forcing a conversation - which I have done before :)). Jordanians might be the most welcoming people I have ever come across.

Though we had to cut our time in Jordan short, I remain very fond of it. Hopefully I will have a chance to go back and see more of this beautiful country.