Mayor of London Sadiq Khan had a very busy schedule on the Istanbul leg of his historic visit to Türkiye. He met with representatives of the business world at the Istanbul Chamber of Commerce, visited the Hagia Sophia Mosque, and then attended the Friday prayer at the Sultanahmet Mosque. His next stop was the Grand Bazaar. I had the opportunity to show him around this 565-year-old bazaar. Frankly, before coming to the Grand Bazaar, it was clear which place he was most curious about. That impressive roof that James Bond passed over on his motorcycle, giving you the opportunity to look at Istanbul's historical peninsula from a completely different perspective! But first, we were going to wander around the streets of the bazaar for a while. With approximately 4 thousand shops, dozens of streets and a centuries-old trade culture, the Grand Bazaar is one of the most extraordinary shopping centers in the world. Khan was impressed by what he saw from the first minutes. One of the first questions he asked me was quite interesting: "So, do you Istanbulites come here too, or is this a place only visited by tourists now?" "Of course we're coming," I said. "Although not very often, we still come with great pleasure. Because, as you can see, this is not just a place where souvenirs are sold to tourists. There is still a real trade going on. Moreover, some families have been doing the same job for generations.
HE LOVES KUNAFAH
The conversation inevitably turned to the similarities between Istanbul and London. Khan thinks there are very strong commonalities between the two cities. First of all, water passes through both of their hearts. One is the Thames River, the other is the Bosphorus... Both are two great metropolises that have brought together different cultures, beliefs and communities throughout history. Khan also sees this cultural diversity as one of the most important features of London. He was also quite sincere when talking about the Turkish community in London. He explained that Turks made great contributions to the life of the city. He cited his assistant Mete as an example; He said that he was one of the Turks who was born and raised in London and has accomplished successful businesses. Then the topic came to food. "There is great Turkish food in London," he said, adding with a smile: "I love kunefe!"
TEA COMES WITHOUT ASKING
After a while, we took a breather at Kahveci Ethem Tezçakar, one of the well-established tradesmen of the Grand Bazaar, in a tiny shop dating back to 1909. Before we even asked for it, Turkish teas were served to us. I explained to Khan that this was no surprise. Because in our culture, tea is not just a drink, it is the beginning of hospitality and conversation. Especially if you are going to shop in the Grand Bazaar, tea comes first, then the conversation begins, and the topic gradually turns into bargaining. Sometimes people drink tea even if they don't shop. Because trade here is not independent of human relations. While drinking our tea, the conversation turned to Ramadan celebrations in London. During Khan's term as mayor, turning on Ramadan lights in central London was one of the important practices that made the city's multicultural identity visible. In fact, I reminded him that this approach had aroused interest in other cities as well, and I asked him if he thought that it had paved the way for a new trend in a sense. In his answer, he emphasized his pride in people of different faiths living together by respecting each other. London's structure, which brings together different cultures and religions, is not only a wealth for him, but also an important value that must be protected.
'ISTANBUL IS THE SECOND MOST BEAUTIFUL CITY IN THE WORLD'
And finally we went to the roof of the Grand Bazaar. To that extraordinary roof extending over the historical texture of Istanbul with its red tiles, which became famous worldwide with its unforgettable scene in James Bond's Skyfall movie... It was not difficult to understand why Khan was so curious about this place. On one side, the domes of the historical peninsula, on the other side, the Istanbul skyline bearing the traces of centuries. Moreover, this entire view is viewed from a still-living trade centre. In fact, the time allotted for us to spend on the roof was quite limited. But the view was so impressive that we stayed much longer than planned. While Khan was admiring his surroundings, I asked him how he found Istanbul.
His answer was both diplomatic and extremely humorous: "In my opinion, Istanbul is the second most beautiful city in the world. The first one is of course London! But the second one is definitely Istanbul." The smile on his face as he said this was enough to tell that he was truly impressed by Istanbul.
