If the city speaks of defeat, destruction, deprivation, melancholy and poverty, the Bosphorus sings of life, pleasure and happiness. Istanbul draws its strength from it,” Orhan Pamuk wrote in Istanbul: Memories of a City. As she stood by the waterfront that Pamuk so lovingly describes, watching the strait that links the Black Sea and the Sea of Marmara and slices Istanbul into Asian and European halves, architect Kohilika Kohli soaked in the grandeur of the architecture of three civilisations around her and wondered, “I can’t believe that I have never been there before.”

Kohli, who went to Turkey this September, is not alone. A large number of Indians trotting the globe in search of the exotic travel experience has also discovered the Turkish Delight. If the epicureans can’t stop raving about the party circuit in this liberal Muslim country, the history-hunters are overwhelmed by the rich remnants of the Roman, Byzantine and Ottoman civilisations. A shopping trip to Istanbul’s Grand Bazar, the heady smells of the spice market and the promise of a good scrub at the hammams are part of the Indian tourist’s itinerary. “It is an amazing, young city with something for everyone,” gushed Kohli.

Bollywood too has been seduced. Mallika Sherawat’s item number in Guru has triggered a rush to capture Pamuk’s Istanbul on celluloid. Mission Istanbul is next in line even as other film producers await permission to start shooting. The bahus of K-serials have also begun taking a break from their high-voltage domestic squabbles to holiday in Turkey. Balaji Films’ Kasamh Se was the first Indian soap to shoot in Turkey and was followed by Kayamath.

... contd.