In Constantinople, there are only a few carts and many donkeys carrying goods in baskets on their backs. However, heavy cargo such as wood, large boxes, or building materials is usually carried by men. It is common to see groups of 8, 12, or even 16 men using long poles to lift and move these loads.
They often carry things like dry goods, iron rails, and lumber. But they can only walk a short distance before needing a rest. While doing so, they block the entire street, making it hard for carriages to pass. Even donkeys struggle to get by Ephesus Guide.
This system makes doing business difficult. Because of these problems, it is no surprise that the trade and commerce in Constantinople is less active than in smaller German or French cities. In fact, more business is done in New York in a single day than in Constantinople in a whole year.
Narrow Sidewalks and Tall Buildings
Most streets in Constantinople have no sidewalks, except for a few major ones. These sidewalks are usually very narrow. The buildings are five to seven stories high, and most do not have elevators. These buildings are often tenement houses, where the ground floor is used for shops or small businesses A City Seen from One Spot.
Poor and Unsafe Architecture
The architecture in the city is plain, and in many places, ugly. Most of the buildings are made of cheap wood, left unpainted, and are already falling apart. Some houses in the better areas of the city, especially in the main residential neighborhoods, have more detail. These homes may have wooden decorations, balconies, or porches, similar to those seen in older areas of Chicago.
But in the Turkish parts of the city, there is even less style. You may rarely see a Moorish or traditional Oriental design. In fact, you can walk down long streets without seeing a single window, roof, or balcony that matches what tourists usually expect to see in Turkey.
Who Lives Where
If you see a window covered with a fixed wooden screen, it usually means that the building is part of a Turkish harem. But this is uncommon. Most homes are used by Greeks, Armenians, Jews, and Europeans. These homes have ordinary windows and no screens or blinds.
Since only about one-fourth of Constantinople’s population is Turkish, you should not expect to see a traditional Turkish look everywhere. Three-fourths of the residents are foreigners, so if you don’t see the exotic Eastern city you imagined, you are simply seeing the real Constantinople.
