| Turkey
Tour 2007 - Page 3 Sultans Paste is an unusual chewy sweet, very fragrant, and it makes your breath smell sweet for a long while. A translation of the story on the box of Sultan’s Paste by Mike Marunchak 74: “In the year 1522,
the paste obtained by the mixing together of 41 varieties of spices
by the era’s famous physician Merkez Efendi, who served
as the manager of the Sultan Mosque complex--which was caused
to be built by Ayse Hafsa Sultan, the wife of Sultan Selim the
Inflexible, and the Mother of Sultan Suleyman
the Lawgiver--upon being found to be a health remedy by Hafsa
Sultan, was commanded to be scattered from the domes of the Sultan
Mosque so that the people might also benefit from its use. The
Mesir Paste Scattering Ceremony, which is performed annually on
the vernal equinox (or Persian New Year) has come down to our
day as a tradition.” |
 Sultans
Paste |
|
The 41 spices, translated to the best of his ability from the box by Mike Marunchak 74: “Cinnamon; Black Pepper; New Spice; Clove; Black Cumin; Mustard Seed; Aniseed; Corriander; Ginger; Turmeric; Cinnamon Flower; Indian Walnut; Common Fennel; Pipe Residue (?!); Senna; Frankincense (or Myrrh); Rhubarb; Black Myrobolan; Yellow Myrobolan; Tartar Creme; Vanilla; Long Pepper; Cardamom; Lemon Peel; Galingale; Cassia; Saffron; Chinaroot; Philosopher’s Stone; Theriaca (or Opium?); Cumin; Galanga (unknown); Mastic; Mirsafi (unknown); Ud-Ul Kahir (Arabic); Licorice Extract; Samli or Sasli (unknown); Myrtle ; Indigo; Cold Reed (?); Orange Peel” |
|
|
At the Onyx shop, I went straight to the amber jewelry. While I was selecting a small rope of amber beads, the proprietor came up with two chunks of amber from their collection. When I saw the spider inside this chunk, I asked if he would sell it to me. He did and threw in the amber rope gratis. While we were deciding on how to mount it so I could wear it, Isa dropped it. The amber chunk bounced several times before Isa caught it. He actually dropped it again! Fortunately, there was no damage and I can wear on a chain. |
|
It took shopping in many different locations to acquire a belly dance costume. And I still need a top, a large veil and lessons! The peasant pants came from Konya. The veiled hat with coins hanging from the brim, the coin-covered hip scarf and the finger cymbals are from Kapadocia. Erdal/Mike gave me the embroidered zippered case under the cymbals. He also gave one to Bobbie, Linda and Sylvia. The purse holds the incomplete
belly dance costume. On top of the second pair of soft cotton
peasant pants are items I purchased in Turkey or were given to
me. |
 Incomplete Belly Dance Costume |
|
|
The camel bag will serve as a pocket when I wear the peasant pants. The blue stone prayer beads are from the plaza outside the Ulu Cami in Bursa. The small dish is from Chez Galip, a gift from Isa. The Zippo evil eye lighter is also a gift from Isa. The lower set of prayer beads is made up of evil eye beads with yellow in them. Above them are two silver encased evil eye beads from Ephesus. The evil eye lighter was given to me gratis from the cashier at the store where I bought the peasant pants. The large evil eye bead below the camel bag was a gift from Linda; she gave one to each of us. |
Souvenirs| Thank you for coming to Connections to see the photos of Turkey Tour 2007. We truly enjoyed each other’s company during our journey through Turkey. We saw what has changed, what has grown, archeological sites that were small have grown to reveal so very much since the 1960s. We experienced what is the same, the welcoming people and the best cuisine in the world, and how everything, including wireless internet connections, is available where things like that, such as telephones and TV, were scarce in the 1960s. Turkey is thriving and there is so much to witness, to see! Be sure to mark your calendars for the next Turkey Tour, June 1-15, 2008. Serefe!
|
|
