Istanbul – not Constantinople

Turkey is a long way from Singapore. And despite 97 percent of the country's land mass and approximately 90 percent of Turkey's population being in Asia – it's a stretch to consider Turkey an Asian nation. At least not the Asia represented by Singapore.

A view across the Golden Horn on the European side of Istanbul. The Galata Tower can be seen towering over the city skyline (photo: Imran Ahmed)

Though Singapore and Turkish Airlines offer direct flights covering the almost 9,000 kilometers between Singapore and Istanbul, Gulf carriers like Emirates and Qatar Airways offer cheaper fares though with the discomfort of a transit in Dubai and Doha respectively. On this journey I chose Qatar Airways and had a two hour layover in Doha.

Qatar Airways was a good decision. The airline did not disappoint. New planes with good in-flight entertainment options; staff was attentive and available for that cup of tea or glass of water even in the middle of the night (both flights were night flights).

Doha airport? It's a contrast from Dubai airport. Dubai airport is crowded (bustling!) and has started to look tired. Dubai shows its age - it has been a popular air travel hub for several decades. On the contrary, Doha Hamad Airport is (relatively) new. Passengers have some breathing space. Perhaps it's not fair to compare an airport (Doha) which serves 35 million passengers with the third busiest airport (Dubai) in the world serving almost 90 million passengers in 2018?

There's no reaching a destination without a journey … but this post is about my arrival in Istanbul and not my experiences getting to Istanbul.

Crowds of people throng the streets of Kadikoy in the Asian side of Istanbul (photo: Imran Ahmed)

Istanbul, not Constantinople!

More than many cities, Istanbul is a living collection of the multiple civilizations which have owned the city streets over the centuries. Dating from the pre-Christian Roman period to today's Turkish Republic. Physical traces of each civilization are visible around the nation, from Roman ruins to Byzantine churches to Ottoman mosques and everything in between.

However, Istanbul's 'je ne sais quoi' comes from its cultural uniqueness.

By any yardstick, Istanbul is an European city. It has an European feel about it. Yet, the uninitiated may be surprised to hear the Azan or Muslim call to prayer ringing crisply through the air five times daily. Moreover, a glass of wine or beer are easily available at restaurants and cafes around the city. Again, the uninitiated will soon realize it's virtually impossible to find a ham and cheese sandwich in Istanbul. Alcoholic beverages are alright but pig meat is not!

Just as there is more to Istanbul than the Hagia Sofia and the Blue Mosque there is more to Turkey than Istanbul. Stay tuned for more from Turkey. The mystery and adventures in the proverbial Orient are just beginning.

Imran is a Singapore based Tour Guide with a special interest in arts and history. Imran has lived and worked in several countries during his career as an international banker. He enjoys traveling, especially by train, as a way to feed his curiosity about the world and nurture his interest in photography. He is available on twitter (@grandmoofti); Instagram(@imranahmedsg) and can be contacted at imran.ahmed.sg@gmail.com.

Civilization, parking and the modern Gulf

It's the little things that define a society. Respect for disabled parking spots or community cats say more about a people than spanking new buildings or gleaming infrastructure.

So it is with Singapore. When a resident disregards parking rules and parks illegally he informs the world, "I am selfish and don't care at all for other members of my community."  

Thus, when I read about a foreign diplomat involved in a scuffle over a disabled parking spot, it reminded me of Dubai.

At least until I left, parking rules were rarely enforced. Four wheel drives parked on the pavement, luxury sports cars driven by healthy persons in disabled spots and small cars parked so as to take up two parking spots. Some of the violations were due to necessity – there is a shortage of parking spaces in a city where many families own more than two vehicles. However, the majority of the infringements were due to a selfish disregard for the larger community.

Driving on the Gulf's highways is a similar experience. Save your own vehicle from accidents and don't assume speed limits, turning indicators or any other driving norm will be respected. In other words, be as selfish a driver as possible as few drivers care for the rules. Ironical, given that tests for driving licenses are rigorous and religiously enforced in the region.

Maybe the Gulf mindset is due to the individualist nature of the society?

The Gulf has no personal income taxes. The business environment is as laissez faire as the Wild West prior to the arrival of the US cavalry. The community is defined along tribal and clan lines, not along state or civil lines. I imagine the Bedouin tribesmen valued a communal lifestyle while travelling from oasis to oasis in the vast Arabian desert.

However, today the desert is connected by modern highways and shiny skyscrapers. Neighbours do not know each other and Bedouins have adjusted to air conditioned apartment blocks. Yet, disabled parking spots are a reminder that modern Gulf society still has some adjustments to incorporate.

Dubai, like many other Gulf cities, may have skyscrapers and indoor ski slopes but civilization is about the little things. For the needy, finding an empty disabled parking spot in Dubai must be as hard as finding water in the desert.

Dubai – is it flu or a cardiac arrest?

Everyone needs a rest from time to time. Even cities need a break.

Dubai was a city on steroids during the last decade. On doctor's orders, it is in the midst of a breather. Without this lull, the city may have suffered a serious cardiac arrest and be out of business for some time.

I just paid a short visit to Dubai. It was my first trip to Dubai since returning to Singapore in June 2009.

My flight bookings were confirmed one and a half days prior to my departure. In the past, flights to and from Singapore required reservations weeks in advance. There were empty seats on my flights, another unusual sight.

The airport formalities were a breeze. No long queues at the immigration counter. No need to rush to the counters and try and sneak into a 'fast track' immigration lane. Dubai airport seemed almost as efficient as Singapore!

But the real shocker came on Dubai's roads. It was like being in a Dubai of yesteryear. One could travel from Sheikh Zayed Road, the city's main drag, to the airport in under twenty minutes (during peak evening hours), a journey which normally required over one hour in the good old days.

Dubai is not a ghost town. It is a success story.

Luxury hotels have an 80% or more occupancy rate, albeit at much lower average room rates. The cars on the road are fancy. Passenger planes representing many airlines were parked at Dubai airport. All nature of languages can be heard while walking around the city.

It was the Dubai spirit which was a bit distraught. The city has lost its footing and its residents are disoriented.  Dubai's residents are suffering from trauma brought about by the shellshock of financial meltdown.

It does not help that the local media is mum about Dubai World's financial crisis. The UAE press is owned by the private sector, but that does not mean domestic reporting is aggressive. (Singapore government please take note and allow meaningful private sector participation in the media.)

Few news reports pointed out that Dubai World has lost the prestigious W Hotel in New York. A property which the firm's private equity arm purchased in 2006 for USD 282 million was sold for USD two million at a foreclosure auction on December 8.

The go-go years are over. Many now see the hitherto successful Dubai model as a textbook example of 'how not to develop.' Economists and political scientists will dissect Dubai's rise and fall for many years to come.  

Yes, it borrowed too much money. Foreign banks were major creditors and forgot to read the fine print when lending the money.  These foreign banks are too used to being bailed out by government funds. Unfortunately for the banks, Abu Dhabi did not establish a TARP fund to make good their bad loans.

Yes, Dubai represents some of the greatest excesses of the last decade. It has a ski slope inside a mall; a swimming aquarium in another mall. You can watch in amazement as a mechanism costing a few hundred million dollars shoots water to the sky – a mechanism normally called a water fountain!

However, will tennis stars stay away from the annual Dubai Open? Tiger Woods (for personal reasons) may not grace the 2010 Dubai Golf World Championship but most other golfers will be there. Tourists, especially from South Asia and the Arab world, will continue to flock to Dubai's five star hotels and shopping malls – the temples of the modern world.

I could go on with reasons why Dubai is a modern day success story.

I once heard someone in Abu Dhabi say, "My grandfather rode a camel to move around in the desert. So what's wrong if my grandson has to ride a camel too?!"

I suspect Dubai's world class infrastructure is not going anywhere any time soon. For many years to come, the best place in Dubai to see a camel will remain Dubai's specialized camel race course.