The Portuguese Nobel
prized novelist José
Saramago revealed to a
journalist after his visit to
Istanbul in 2007; |
“How have I not ever
made my way to Istanbul
earlier?” |
What may have caused him to say this?
What impressed
him so much that he felt
obliged to express this as
regret?
It is not all that easy
to understand what lies
under this quote; we can only
assume.
I personally think
the difficulty is how to
picture Turkey through its
various angles you look at
her. |
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DIFFERENT ANGLES
Another Nobel prized
novelist, this time Turkish,
Orhan Pamuk depicts
Turkey in his books as in
Istanbul since Istanbul is a
picture of Turkey.
He tells us about the
people there. |
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Turkish film
director, winner of the
biggest award of Cannes in
2008 sees and reflects
Turkey through small rural towns like in
the novels of Marquez.
Those who read about
Turkey from Yasar Kemal,
the most popular novelist of
this country, get acquainted
with
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the southern province
of Turkey with the extension to Taurus
Mountains and there, the social bandits
in their legends -as in Sicily or Corsicaappear
to the reader.
All this, is Turkey. When a
visitor wishes to practice
such experiment and more,
undoubtedly this rich soil
will respond and it will
supply guests with an album
of memories sustainable for
many generations.
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LARGER ALBUM
Should one drop by in the
summer, the scene is a dynamic
land welcoming the top notch
jazz stars.
The same picture features
cool entertainment spots in addition
to luxury hotels along with art
workshops at Galata by a generation
of unlimited energy and speed.
Those that move inland towards
Cappadocia; will face scenes as if from
another planet, an absolute unique
geography. |
If one goes further,
to the East and a
little to the South,
one runs into
ancient beliefs,
religions and their
temples of course. The Christianity of eastern boundaries has left traces as featured in the Bible,
some are still alive. |
In West on the Aegean, the
magnificent remnants of Greco-
Roman cultures revive the ancient
times in today’s harvests of sacred
olives and cotton in addition to vine
like in Homer’s writings.
In the north, The Black Sea in spring
bears the vast plains with thousands
of its endemic plants.
Turkey is featured
in many photographs
but live in one.
This variation is Turkey and the
geography here is observed in different
climates, months with warm breezes in
the Mediterranean versus tough cold
winter days in Eastern Turkey.
The
Aegean grows figs, the north lives on
hazelnuts and tea.
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The geographical differences,
intermingled climates and inevitable
migrations also from earlier nomadic
life style, form the customs and lives on
this land of 300,948 sq. mi. Hence, the
question “how people live, lived?”
counters many answers. |
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Secondly, the history on this
soil is long and therefore complicated.
Many rulers have emerged and
disappeared one after another. There lies
the richness of the soil that makes it
fertile.
The magnificence of Roman times is
observed here in Turkey today.
Prehistory has left important remains
here.
First human built temple of 11.000
years old is in South Eastern Turkey at
Gobeklitepe.
Homer wrote the legends on Western
coasts. Troy is on the Dardanelles, most
of is intact and still inspiring the
mankind.
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The antique sites, Ephesus,
Aphrodisias, Priene, Miletos reflect
Roman times to the visitors.
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The antique sites, Ephesus,
Aphrodisias, Priene, Miletos reflect
Roman times to the visitors.Noah’s ark from the sacred books is
still sought by those after it in eastern
Turkey. Followers of St. Paul after his
steps must start the voyage from east
and south of Turkey.
Those masters made the mysterious
temples and installed the god
heads on top of Mt. Nemrut
and those who carved out the
dwellings under the soft soil of
tufa, all lived here.
The Ottoman ruler inherited the
power from the Roman Empire was
born here and the arisen power of
Ottoman Empire lasted longest after
the Habsburg Dynasty, lived here.
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The rule of the Ottoman Dynasty of
sultans administered the world from
13th to 20th century by a strong
power of skillful conduct over many
people from many ethnicities.
The artists of shaping rocks and
architects of Turkish, Greek,
Armenian masters have proved their
virtues by building Bazaars, glorious
mosques, palaces, baths, have signed
the name of Ottoman in civilization.
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The most dramatic battles of World
War I took place here at Gelibolu
(Gallipoli) of Canakkale where the
world has witnessed the
establishment of a republic on the
basis of an imperial monarchy by the
appearance of Mustafa Kemal Ataturk,
the founder of modern Turkey that
adopted democratic parliamentarian
system.
TO CATCH THE
DAY / THE JOY OF
TODAY
If should outline the life in Turkey today,
the essence lies under the word “JOY” which is indispensable in metropolis.
Those in Istanbul, express their joy when they
watch the nostalgic white boats on the
Bosphorus with friends, or finish a good novel
or watch a well played soccer match. |
In Rize of Black Sea, the traditional rice with
anchovy; in Aegean, stuffed zucchini cooked
with olive oil; In Mardin of South East; Zerde
sweet of ginger are the joys for
those when they reach these
flavor.
This joy is far more than just
tasting but catching the
enjoyment of the moment.
It is stable and is a ritual
which is the meaning of life. |
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Saramago must have seized and saved this “JOY” from what he saw, whom he met, what
he ate, in Turkey, this `Joy` only.
How come you have not made it, not coming
to Turkey?
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