Sunday, May 29, 2011

Sketches of Istanbul-- “Passing the entrance to the Egyptian (Spice) bazaar, [I] hesitated—then plunged in. The rich aromas of cinnamon and cloves, of cumin, coriander, and pounded ginger made [my] head whirl. Mountains of vividly colored powder rose on every stall, pungent spices gathered from all across the world, from the coasts of India and mountains of China, from Persia and Arabia and the Islands of the South Seas, brought here to this great entrepôt of the world’s trade by dhow, by carrack, by camel train and mule train, over deserts, through wild seas, crossing the passes of legendary mountain ranges, bartered and bought, fought for and pilfered, growing ever more valuable and rare until, at last, they reached this market on the edge of Europe, and vanished into a soup, or a dish of rice.” Yashim efendi, eunuch (like Jake in the Sun Also Rises) and Sultan’s lala (1834)

2 comments:

  1. Thank you Ted for sharing this with us. I now have a deeper understanding of a question I have always pondered.. Why this culture holds on so tightly the old traditional way of life to the point of it being unchanged for thousands of years. Seeing the beauty that puts me in awe, I can only imagine that they feel the wonder, mystery, pride and the sheer importance of this (their) time in the world that surrounds them and it is a constant reminder. You wowed me. Thank you Your seestaaa Nancie PS I am dying to visit Cuba with you next.

    ReplyDelete
  2. Thank you Ted for sharing this with us. I now have a deeper understanding of a question I have always pondered.. Why this culture holds on so tightly the old traditional way of life to the point of it being unchanged for thousands of years. Seeing the beauty that puts me in awe, I can only imagine that they feel the wonder, mystery, pride and the sheer importance of this (their) time in the world that surrounds them and it is a constant reminder. You wowed me. Thank you Your seestaaa Nancie PS I am dying to visit Cuba with you next.

    ReplyDelete