Sezen Aksu’s song “We will run out that day” came to my mind. Don’t let the title scare you, nothing will happen to Istanbul. Especially when you consider what they’ve been through for centuries. But of course, when we see that many of our historical buildings have succumbed to time and indifference, as the foreign population increases, and as carelessness turns into a way of life, one becomes afraid. There will always be people who emerge to break the magic of Istanbul and pollute its soul. This is exactly where this deep brand name comes from. The name of professional tour guide, columnist and educator Mois Gabay’s travel agency is “Istanbul Before It Runs Out”. I like this name very much, it gives the message that we should enjoy Istanbul more at every moment.
We participated in the Balat-Cibali-Fener Tour with Mois Gabay, organized by TamEv Association to support the “Let Girls Study” project. Our tour started after meeting at the coffee shop called Atölye Kafası at 10:00 in the morning. A full travel program. Here is the tour route;
Hagia Nicholas Church, Cibali Gate, Cibali Police Station, Gül Mosque (St. Theodosia Church), Primary School, Ayakapı Bath, Fener Taş Mansions, Maraşlı Greek Primary School, Istanbul Fener Greek Patriarchate, Red School, Church of the Virgin of the Mongols (Maria Moğolissa), Dimitri Kantemir Lunch break after the Palace, Sveti Stefan Bulgarian Church, Çıfıt Bazaar, Staircase Hill, Leon Brudo’s House, Çana Synagogue ruins, Balat Court.
While Mr. Mois carefully tells the story of Nev, the poet who said that he would return from Baghdad by miscalculation, Saint Nicholas, the patron saint of sailors and young girls, the painful story of the Virgin of the Mongols in the Bloody Church, and the story of the Church of St. Theodosius becoming the Rose Mosque, we too We listened carefully.
Living in Istanbul is Not Enough to Experience Istanbul
For years, we have been driving past the centuries-old legacy of a history dating back to the 19th century. What we call a dilapidated, ruin-like structure reveals such a history that we get lost in the difference between looking and seeing. This is a district that will take you back to history with its streets. We breathe in an air that smells of history with its inhabitants, tradesmen, coffee shops and antique shops.
An atmosphere that does not miss today while keeping the old Istanbul texture alive with historical buildings and antique shops on one side and modern cafes on the other. It continues to host cinema and TV series shootings.
It tells you about the different religions and nations that existed during the Ottoman Empire with a door, a building, a wall that you can see while walking around the streets of Balat. When we wander around the streets, we understand how different religions and cultures stayed together and lived together for years centuries ago.
You can see closely in the narrow streets that mosques, synagogues, churches, historical Turkish schools, Greek schools, historical Turkish and Greek houses, restaurants, coffee houses have existed in peace for years, that they are good neighbors, and that no one bothers with each other’s language and religion.
It is best to visit a district like Balat, where monotheistic religions coexist, with a tour guide. As someone who has traveled almost all of Europe without a guide, I would like to summarize it as follows; Traveling without a guide is like passing by. Traveling, living and learning with a guide.
Mois Gabay brings us 30 different routes of Istanbul with his travel movement called Istanbul Before Exhaustion. We were guests of this excellent trip, organized by TamEv Association Scholarships Coordinator, dear Seza Demirci, and with the invitation of the Association President, Nuray Marçak. On every route we traveled, we found ourselves in Constantinople of the 1400s, and then during the Conquest of Istanbul. We were surprised at how historical buildings have been preserved since then. This city, which has seen neither wars nor earthquakes, welcomed us tired but standing tall. Balat is one of the oldest settlements of Istanbul, with both its tradesmen and its residents. At the time, this district was one of the richest and most popular districts within the city walls.
Places of worship, regardless of religion, have taken me to very different places. Mosques, churches, patriarchates symbolize each person’s belief in the creator, a power beyond life. Lighting candles in the churches we visited, making wishes, and sharing all our good energies together was very good for all of us. Balat warmed us up in an Istanbul winter. A new memory has been added to our memories. The energy of all of us became a seed with the hope of shedding light on a future where our daughters will shine in their educational lives. I wholeheartedly congratulate TamEv Association and its projects.
When you touch another person’s life, you make God’s job easier.
Mr. Mois explained very well the people who volunteer to do good.
I said in my previous article that TamEv Association has a much different structure than other associations. The only purpose of the association is not to collect aid and deliver it to those in need. At the same time, by creating a social environment that includes the people who provide aid, they also ensure that the togetherness experienced in the activities of the association turns into pleasant moments and unforgettable memories. The trip to Balat was the best example of this. Each event contributes to the projects of the association and provides a unique experience to the people who help these projects. Dear Nuray Marchak, President of the Association, summarizes as follows:
“The purpose of our events is to add beauty to our lives while strengthening our unity and solidarity.”
Are people who are only good to their loved ones good people?
TamEv has a very good answer to this question. With its activities, it supports people who are good in their own environment and in their own lives to do good not only to their loved ones, but also to those they do not know. Mr. Mois addressed the good-hearted people of the association as follows. “Today, we are here with people who are in the third dimension. People who illuminate other lives with their own light. In the first dimension, where did I come from, in the second dimension, where am I going, and in the third dimension, “What can I do for people who need me?” The question is asked. We can also call it awareness stages. We visited valuable places of worship of every religion. “What else can I do to be good in a mystical environment?” we asked ourselves.
Istanbul is an ancient city. Istanbul is a city where different religions, different nations, different cultures and traditions, and ethnic origins live together in peace. In order to become a better person in the light of such a heritage city, we must be able to improve the lives of people who need us.
Living in Istanbul is not enough. Just passing by the buildings in Istanbul or passing by the edge of the Bosphorus is not enough. It is necessary to get to know Istanbul and the people who lived and lived in ancient times. Traveling through history shows how much we value this city.
As Sezen says, “Living is all about three or five short happy moments.” So how can we make use of these three or five short happy moments with people whose hearts are full of goodness? When we ask this question, we always find ourselves at TamEv Association’s events. An association full of projects that touch hearts and warm lives. Today’s trip of Dear Nuray Marchak, the President of the Association, was one of them, to beautify the lives of its volunteers, members, and board of directors and to add a few short happy moments to their lives. We made new memories. We had the opportunity to look at the buildings we passed.
“Owning the city we live in starts with knowing it correctly. “That’s why we don’t just travel,” said Mr. Mois. One of the features of his trips is that you can enter places of worship and historical buildings that you cannot enter during a normal trip. You can visit the gardens of some synagogues and Fener Greek High School, whose doors it is impossible to enter. It was the best way to get to know Balat from a different perspective, a tour that you cannot see or learn by traveling on your own.
Thanks to these trips organized for years, many travelers from all over the world learn the history of Istanbul and different routes. The way he told us about the events from the past to the present was simple, understandable and meticulous.
I recommend you to experience the mystical atmosphere of Balat before Istanbul runs out and is defeated by time. As Istanbul lovers, I recommend you to experience these structures, which are visited by people from all over the world from time to time, each of which is very valuable and contains history.