Beneath the Popularity of Istanbul as a Travel Destination, a Discomfort With its Un-relaxing Sense of Hustle

The streets of Kadikoy on the Asian side of Istanbul remind me of Europe. Its backstreets are flooded with the orange-ish streetlights common in Rome and Paris, with the stylish cobblestones and the tiny cars rambling by to match. Many residents dress no differently from their European counterparts, with stylish body-hugging jeans, shirts, and coats accentuating their figures. Many walk hand-in-hand with their spouses and significant others, and some engage in happy public displays of affection that find no equivalence in the Middle East or the Far East.

However, upon closer look, the neighborhood is also not European in ways beyond a simple linguistic and ethnic difference. While many European countries now have large Muslim populations, here Islam can still be mainstream and coexist with the Western-looking cityscape. The occasional headscarves of older women and the ubiquitous mosques somehow fit harmoniously in the Europe-esque town planning. Combined with the many Middle Eastern restaurants, cafes, and shisha lounges dotted around the neighborhoods, the orientalist impression the many Europeans seek out is almost complete.

This eclectic mix may explain the continued pull of Istanbul as a perpetually popular tourist destination in this part of the world, despite the seemingly endless media headlines about economic difficulties from unorthodox monetary policies and the supposed increasing anti-liberal leaning of its political elites. Of course, there is also the bonus of cheap good food, frequent short flights from an ever-growing list of European destinations, and beautiful sea views from ferries and bridges. With such a package, many would gladly take the risk and pay a weekend visit.

That risk makes even more sense given that learning about Middle Eastern culture beyond the confines of Istanbul can be much riskier. The liberal parts of the region where religion does not seem to be so prominent, such as Iraq and Beirut, are mired in outright war with little infrastructure to cater to mass tourism. The parts of the Middle East, like Oman, Qatar, and Dubai, that actively welcome tourists do not exactly want the type that wishes to strip off to skimpy bikinis and host boozy parties. Istanbul provides the best of both worlds.

Will the Europeans enjoy what they find in the streets of Istanbul though? The cultural elements can be authentic enough. Like many other Middle Eastern cultures, the Turkish one can be exceedingly confrontational, and those who cannot forcefully push back may end up with bad deals and worse. The shared economic difficulties of this country and many others to its east ensure that visitors will get a taste of how the region handles day-to-day transactions. Those uncomfortable with the intense haggling and telling people off may be better off in the Gulf, where wealth made aggressiveness unnecessary.

Yet, amidst the commercial aggressiveness, so well-illustrated in the sounds and smells of shop after shop in souqs and bazaars, Istanbul may actually be less spontaneously expressive than Europeans, in particular, expect. A scene from Rome's airport illustrates what Europe and Istanbul (and elsewhere) do not. In the middle of the concourse is a piano, where, unprompted, one player after another gave concerts to hundreds of people waiting for their flights, only satisfied with rounds of applause afterward. In Istanbul, such performances would be chased for payments. 

Indeed, in the wider Middle East, expressiveness has almost entirely been saved for commercial purposes. At Istanbul's airport, the shop lady immediately put "sold" stickers on the souvenirs I was browsing, pushing me to buy. Her expressiveness disappeared right after as she moved on to other customers. Her selective expressiveness was also seen in Tunis, where older gentlemen on the streets waxed lyrical about friendship and shared memories until a monetary tip was given. The transactional expressiveness would not be so discomforting had it not been so blatant. 

Europeans may travel to Istanbul not just to experience an exotic culture in a familiar-looking environment. They are perhaps there to remind themselves that "familiar-looking" is not the same as "familiar" precisely because of that cultural difference. The same exoticism that differentiates Istanbul from their hometowns gives the former an edgy excitement to be around for a few days. But the latter's relaxed expressiveness, without the expectation of money means that few that visit Istanbul would rather like there instead.