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GROUP
JOURNAL FOR
Kathy Kline’s Notes on |
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9/12/05 Day Six CAPPADOCIA Visited a family in a rock house. They can be inherited. Always has a place for guests reflecting the communal nature of Turkish society. Few branches can warm up the stone house even in winter when there is snow. Walls are decorated primarily with kilims. The one in this house was from Eastern Turkey and the wool is thinner. Grandma used to spin their own wool.
Meli told us stories about Turkey while we were riding in the bus. Folkloric art displays survival (mother is important; shown with hands on her waist became a diamond shape with hands on hip mirror image) Impregnation bull or ram is the symbol of power and wisdom. If a woman weaves headwear into a carpet, it is an indication that a girl wants to get married or she is having a problem with her mother-in-law or she wants children. There have not been arranged marriage for the past 2-3 generations. Earrings design found in carpets. En route to Kayseri, we saw more agricultural products and mountains. White, pointed Gypsy tents. Lots of highway signs on nearing a city.
Lunch in Kayseri. Delicious chicken shish kebobs and large, flat bread as a wrap with onions and lettuce, cold yogurt and dill soup. Bought a delicious bite of baklava. Settlers create “pop-up” houses overnight which end up getting the right to remain. Nouveau riche do have problems with drugs. Living in the high rise apartments means not enough room to make the traditional loom carpets. If Turkey joins the EU, it will not be able to continue to use wood to bake bread. Went inside a home. Sat in a room with couches around the walls and embroidered pieces on top of all furniture and doilies under glasses in a cabinet. They were able to buy a tv and a washing machine due to income from making carpets (silk and cotton/wool). They wrap their heads in scarves (once in the city). Gave us lemon water to clean our hands.
There are 5,000 participating households in the weavers’ coop. They use wood looms if possible. Making tea: Double boiler pot. Boil water in the bottom until there is steam; pour boiling water through the tea on top; dilute it and fill to the rim. Could see a patch of snow on a mountain, which is used for skiing and is a national park with waterfalls. Brazil, Uzbekistan and Turkey supply silk for carpets. Church built where St. Paul preached is still in use. Gas was more than $2 a litter. 70% of the city uses natural gas. Stopped off at the coop headquarters. Saw the archive of carpet designs on cardboard in bundles by carpets. Universities have design departments. Silk is categorized by thickness. Women are paid per knot. Saw the step-by-step process of carpet making; cleaning; dying; drying; spinning. Kits go to homes for cleaning and dipping, ironing, etc. We saw little nude boys swimming in a fountain in the middle of the street. They were jumping and waving at us.
If Turkey
joins the EU, the required wage to pay carpet makers will make it
inaccessible to the average Turkish family. with less demand, result in less
workers.
Birth First child must be in a hospital. Often bring a certificate of a poplar tree planting as a gift Given a carpet and a gold coin with a pink or blue ribbon. |
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Family
planning is available. Military service is compulsory. Men hear about family
planning there. Most families have only two children; except Eastern Turkey.
Many
colorfully painted high rise apartment buildings. Students wear uniforms.
Today is the first day of school.
Many
roads made up the Silk Road; caravanseri were stopping places
