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9/18/05 Day Twelve Breakfast in the large hotel restaurant. By leaving at 8:30 am, we missed the crowds who had departed earlier. Ate yogurt, raisins, apricots. We drove west to see the Red water river and weavers who Meli had asked to be there even though it was a Sunday. Weddings: First the father, mother and elders of the groom go to the bride’s home and offers them a silver tray or bowl full of chocolates and flowers. They are served Turkish coffee (often with individual requests) by the bride to see how she prepares them. The groom’s mother says “Reason is obvious why we are here. With order of God and permission of Mohammed, would you let your daughter marry my son?” If the girl agrees, a date is established for “giving the promise”. Then they bring a ring on a smaller silver plate to the girl’s home. The oldest person in the groom’s group, puts the ring on her and establish a date. The girl’s side shows a huge copper tray with shirts and blouses on it (dowry). The engagement is like a one day wedding paid for by the girl’s family. The groom’s side takes one bracelet and a gold coin and silver coffee cups to the bride’s house to discuss the three day wedding which is paid by the groom’s family. Henna night: The groom’s side brings the bride’s gold thick chain necklace and pin coins on her. The girl wears thin red scarf with sequins, which is open only when the groom arrives. He circles her three times and gives his heart to her. All men and women wear some henna. The wreaths used at weddings is the same as at funerals. Now they use fake flowers which they purchase from the Turkish Educational Foundation. The money goes to support educational activities. Divorce rates have gone from 4% in 1981 to about 15% in 2005. Stopped to see thermal hot waters and a wooden rope-making machine. Religions Islam Muslims live in China, West Africa, Iran (different from Arabs as many have adopted Zoroastrianism in 6th c BC with four elements of fire, earth, water and air), Turks (diverse pagans, shamanism, Buddhism and Islam) and Arabs. Islam is the name of the religion. Moslems/Muslims are the one who submit to God Islam is divided into: 1) Sunni Arabs – Iraq 2) Hubali – NW China 3) Shi’as – Iran 4) Hanefi – Turks Cultural there have been historical differences. Islam did not preach ethnic racism. Mohammed’s daughter married Ali who was not of Semitic descent and who became a caliph. Some of Mohammed’s followers opposed him. In Karbala, his two sons Hassan and Hussein, were killed and became idols for Shiites. Shiites are more liberal with equal rights for men and women. With Sunnis, if a woman not of your kin touches you, you need ablution. Sufism is like Buddhism. Alevites like Shiites consider the sons of Ali to be the legitimate heirs to Mohammed. There are 35 million Alevites in Turkey. Houses can be built in 4 days. The upper part is left for the children. A new mortgage law was passed which will make construction easiest. A pit stop at a gas station with a carpet store allowed us to watch Meli and driver Hussein bargain for 3 kilims for her terrace. In Kizilcaboluk, w visited a vocational school where weaving is being taught. We sat in a circle on chairs outside of the building where we got a briefing. There are about 15 students participating in the 4 year high school program. About 40% are females. The first year is general curriculum with textiles, computers and electrical work introduced in the second year. It is possible to move into a regular college afterwards but students would need to take classes to prepare themselves for the highly competitive slots. Turkey has free adult continuing education. It is connected with the Ministry of Education unlike the autonomous universities. Served ubiquitous tea in glass containers. 16% unemployment rate in Turkey. 10,000 take the civil service exam. There is corruption in getting jobs. There are few high school drop outs due to close knit families and knowledge of the value of education. Minimum wage is 450 lira per month. Taxes on everything pay for free education. Kindergarten (red uniforms) at age 6. Graduate from high school at 18/19 years. There are no state run nursery school but businesses with 50 or more employees must offer nurseries. Families in Eastern Turkey are larger. We went inside and saw the 73 year old weaving teacher and two students working looms. We bought some student produced items. Red tiled roofs everywhere. Lunch at Anatolia Restaurant. Yogurt with red pepper spots, good home-made bread, crispy rolled pastry dough with cheese, broiled mushrooms and cheese
Aphrodisias Museum Site of ancient cities was due to availability of water, easy to defend and products produced Aphrodisias – pure white mountains; iron used for nails; 6 millennium BC – 1963 occupied. They made statues with removable heads so that if one perished, it was replaceable. There were angels with wings in Islam/Turkey during the Roman era. Wheat and poppy were symbols of prosperity. Statues have finely draped clothing. Emancipating slaves was the norm in Anatolia. Moved away from the school of structure of “perfect” people. The way people dressed indicated the type of jobs they had. There was brain surgery in 2,000 BC. Aphrodite was the Greek goddess for lust and love. Athena was born from the head of Zeus. Thought she could do everything. There was a competitor who could paint, weave and sculpt better. Athena turned her into Arachna (spider). Amazons were women who carried a double edged labrix. Nude sports figures. Ruins – semi-circle. Originally housed 75,000 – 80,000 people. The center was a temple and a House of Philosophers. There was a semante, a two-tier theater built next to a gymnasium in 50 BC. Huge reflection pool decorated by statues in the Roman era. There were stone public toilets. Romans forced the use of the Latin alphabet. Hadrian beginning of 2nd c AD. Baths had 3 degrees of heat: hot, tepid and frigid. We saw a backgammon board in the floor. Temple of Aphrodite was the original. It became Herapolis, the name of the Christians who used it as a church. Also saw a nearly perfect 30,000 seat stadium. Very rich Meander Valley. Clear blue sky. Get tangerines in November; olives in November; oranges, figs and grapes in August and cotton in September/October. 9th c BC Gauls were the mercenaries of the Lydians until the Persians took control. Gauls pushed to the area near Ankara which became Galacia. When the Venetians and the Phoenicians came, there was cooperation. Today, gypsies make money from woven baskets and mats. There is wind from 2-8 pm from the sea making for very pleasant weather on the coast. Storks come in March and leave in August returning to the same nests the following year. Kusadesi has 30,000 in winter and 300,000 in summer Our hotel is large and overlooks a huge outdoor pool on one side and the Aegean Sea on the other. Varied choices at the large hotel restaurant – salads, chicken, liver, yogurt, olives, desserts. We ate at tables outside so that we could see the sunset. Full moon. |
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