Turkey, days eight and nine

With a winter term project like mine, one must echo the Dowager Countess: "What is a weekend?" (sorry, I watched a lot of Downton Abbey over break). Some weekdays have been (and will be) necessarily lost to travel, and the tourism doesn't end just because it's Saturday or Sunday. This particular weekend, however, was fairly relaxed. Saturday, we traveled to the Beyoğlu area, and I looked at Galata Tower for about 30 seconds. Like many things in Istanbul, this tower has worn many hats in its centuries of existence. Now it's home to a nightclub and restaurant with great views of the city.

This plaque was probably really interesting except I can't read it so I make no promises.

Beyoğlu is pretty interesting historically beyond just the tower. The area was traditionally home to the non-Turks of Istanbul, and foreign churches and old embassy buildings remain. On the main shopping street of the area, İstiklâl Caddesi, old-fashioned trolleys (but no cars) run up and down. It's pretty cute, but I think I've perhaps officially had enough shopping in Turkey. This area is also near where the Istanbul Modern, which I already visited and loved, is.

Yesterday was all fine and dandy, but today we did something super cool. This corporation, Borusan (I'm told their work has something to do with pipes), has turned one of their office buildings into a museum--but only on the weekends. During the weekdays, people do their work surrounded by some truly magnificent contemporary art (though they must have to clean off their desks every Friday, which could be a pain). There's a lot of permanent neon sculpture by François Morellet, many works by contemporary American artists, and a really interesting temporary exhibition by Brigitte Kowanz. Interspersed with all this art are desks and computers and books and other workplace essentials. I'd never heard of any museum like this, but it's such an awesome thing to do--and is probably pretty profitable as well. Everyone's a winner! Incidentally, the architecture of the building is pretty boss.

Tomorrow grandma and I are going to Ephesus. This means getting up at 5am (happy Monday!), but I very much feel that it will be worth it in the end!