by Swami B.G. Narasingha
“Istanbul, Turkey” is a short travelogue posted by Śrīla Narasiṅgha Mahārāja on his blog, narasingha.net, on June 3rd 2011. He gives a brief history of Istanbul and speaks about the Hagia Sophia.
This was to be our last stop before returning to India. Modern day Istanbul, largest city of Turkey. Byzantium, a city of Greece. Constantinople, capitol of the Eastern Roman Empire. Incredible! This is a city that had much to do with the way the western world and its religion were shaped.
Located on the banks of the Bosporus Strait with a natural harbour known as the Golden Horn, this has been an inhabited city since before the 6th century BCE and has seen its fair share of wars, rulers, empires, trade and commerce. Even today it is a prosperous economic centre and one of the most cultured cities in Europe. Alexander the Great crossed the Bosporus here to begin his conquest of Asia some 2350 years ago.
It seemed that we could not actually look in any direction, except out to sea, where our eyes did not fall upon a Mosque and the biggest of all was the renowned Blue Mosque. Other things I found fascinating in Istanbul were the markets [goods from all over the world and the best dried fruits I have ever found anywhere] and the bridge over the Golden Horn. Oh yeah…and the Hagia Sophia and the roasted chestnuts and….
Our visit in Istanbul was brief, just long enough to meet a few people and take a few photos. Now we are back in India at our āśramas and with the devotees. It was an amazing tour thru Europe and wherever we found devotees it felt like home. In other places we were just passers-by.
I expect to be in India until after Kārttika when I again return to Mexico, stopping briefly along the way to visit devotees and friends. Gaura-haribol!
More Articles by Swami B.G. Narasingha
Giants—Myth or Fact?
“Giants—Myth or Fact?” was the last article written by Śrīla Narasiṅgha Mahārāja. In this historical essay, Mahārāja gives various evidence from śāstra for the existence of giants, and looks at the phenomenon in other cultures, as well as modern day hoaxes.
Vedic Global Civilisation
‘Vedic Global Civilisation’ was written by Swami B.G. Narasingha on June 23rd 2019. Swami Narasingha explores the origins of some of the most ancient cultures and suggests that they may have all came from a single civilisation in Vedic India.
Ācāryas at Śrī Śrī Rādhā-Dāmodara Temple, Vṛndāvana
In this article 'Ācāryas at Śrī Śrī Rādhā-Dāmodara Temple, Vṛndāvana' from KṛṣṇaTalk, 2014, Śrīla Narasiṅgha Mahārāja explains the importance of Śrī Śrī Radhā-Dāmodara Temple in regards to the various ācāryas who resided there, including Śrīla A.C. Bhaktivedānta Svāmī Prabhupāda.
