Above: a marbled wall inside Hagia Sofia, Istanbul, Turkey a Roman inscription at one of the excavated sites of Izmir
Hagia Sofia in Istanbul
Connecting Europe and Asia
WONDER OF THE WORLD
It is absolutely one of the must-see countries in anyone's lifetime. It had been on my agenda for many years, and what better time than the half century mark to see the spot that cradled the beginnings of civilization?
Our trip began in Istanbul, as most do. A visa is easily obtained upon landing, so there's no need to apply and wait forever on the other side. We gorged ourselves at the Grand Bazaar , continuing on to what they call the Egyptian Market, or the Spice Market . Everyone was eagerly feeding us bits of cheese and olives (this is the land of olive trees!!), and surprisingly, as we neared the end of the stalls, we purchased bottles of Acqua di Gio for less than US$5.00!
Since I have written extensively about this trip in my journals on Igougo.com, I will direct you to the proper links to discover the marvel that is Hagia Sofia, an architectural wonder that has yet to be replicated. It spurred the construction of the Blue Mosque , as Sultan Ahmet I tried to outdo the beauty and gravitas of Sofia. I recommend that you read through all of the links to appreciate the genius that went into the realization of these monuments.
I did not miss the marbled wall designs while walking the huge corridors of Hagia Sofia; at the time, and still today, the association was marbleized paper. I then discovered a school, not too far from the church, that taught the art of marbleizing and other traditional crafts. There I saw the wondrous examples of this ancient art with variations that were new to me. Floral motifs in the marble design, as well as combings which I had always associated with other cultures. It seems that here lied the origins of all these designs, and all of the papers I had seen being made in Italy, England, France, Spain and other areas had merely studied and copied the techniques. I am grateful to Gozen Yayinkari for having researched the Turkish Art of Marbling, and the designs you see below are taken from his book.
Marbled Wall inside Sofia
The Grand Bazaar has no equal
Combed Marbling, Tulay Taslacioglu
Large Marbling, Meryem Akgul
Margin Marbling, Meryem Akgul
Peafowlish Marbling, Mustafa Duzgunman
Nightingale Nest Marbling
Tide Marbling, Mustafa Duzgunman
Poppies, Meryem Akgul
Orator Marbling, Mustafa Duzgunman
Tide Marbling, Mustafa Duzgunman
Large Marbling, Tuzin Yayik Tiryaki
Fishbone Marbling, Tulay Taslacioglu
Shawl Marbling, Tuzin Yayik Tiriyaki
My visit to the Craft School where Marbling is taught
UNDERSTANDING MARBLING TERMS
The wonderful examples of the various types of marbling you see above represent a small cross section of what will be eventually shown to be an entire range. Each technique requires specific skills and materials, and though a certain type may be executed by different artists, they remain true to their designation.
COMBED MARBLING: this is the taking of a large marbling that was tuned into "tide". It is named after the type of comb used, as follows:
fine - made using a comb with very dense and fine teeth
thick - made using a comb with widely set and thick teeth
fantasy - (a.k.a. peafowlish marbling) fine or thick combed marblings are combed once again with another comb, and the shape of a peacock tail is fomed.
wavy - made with a second combing of fine or thick combed marblings with another comb in waves.
FISHBONE MARBLING: it is a sub-group of sandy marbling (coming soon). It is particularly made with Lahore Blluing or with paints that contain Lahore Bluing. There is less water in these paints than usual. The sandy style paint is released on the surface of the tray, and covered with glass if possible, and set aside for 15 to 20 minutes. The paints on the gum tragacanth solution get dry and crack, thus forming V shapes like a fishbone.
LARGE MARBLING ; a classical type of marbling where the darkest color is sprinkled on the tray surface with a brush first; usually made with two, three or four colors. A circle of 2" to 2½" diameter is formed; the second color goes on in the same manner and makes its way by pushing forward the previous one. By the time all empty spaces are filled, the design is ready.
MARGIN MARBLING - type of flowered or Orator marbling which is made in the size that could be used on board margins. The flower base is dropped on the tray in Large style. Flowers of 1½" to 2¾" in diameter are made on this surface. The gaps between teh flowers are again 1½" to 2¾". Generally applied are tulips or violets.
NIGHTINGALE NEST MARBLING: the surface of gum tragacanth solution is filled with a few colors of paint with small drops. It is then combed in spiral shapes using the spiral combing style. This pattern was formerly used in binding covers.
ORATOR MARBLING: orator marbling colors are dropped on a wide suface provided that they are dropped on top of the other one to six colors from dark to light, generally four, lined with five to six centers, one inside the other. These color waves, which form circles one inside the other, are combed with an awl from top to bottom, from bottom to top, from left to right and from right to left. The waves in the middle may be combed in different shapes as well. Every kind of combing of the waves constitutes another sub-group of Orator marbling.
PEAFOWLISH MARBLING: a type of combed marbling; see above.
POPPY: marbling which is made on dark and light, two-colored base in the shape of a poppy It can be made in a group of flowers from one to four.
SHAWL MARBLING: after a few colors of "Large" are dropped, Tide is made from top to bottom and from left to right. The Tide shown in the lower right hand corner above is combed diagonally from the top left corner of the tray to the bottom right. This combing is repeated from the top right hand corner to the bottom left. It can also be made by drawing a casual "S" shape on the Tide, but in an esthetic manner. Shawl Marbles can be "dense" or wide" depending upon the manner of combing. A sprinkle can also be applied on top, to created a Sprinkled Shawl.
TIDE MARBLING: the surface of the gum tragacanth solution is filled with one or two colors. It is combed in the surface combing style with an awl below. The shape can be either "Narrow Tide" or "Wide Tide" according to the width of the comb. Sprinkle may be dropped on the surface.
ISTANBUL: CONNECTING DIVERSE CULTURES FOR AGES by Gulfem Akten
Istanbul, known as Constantinople in history, has had a very important location in the world. It is the only city that connects the two continents of Europe and Asia. It once reigned as a capital of many noted such as Byzantine, Roman, and Ottoman in history.
Byzantium was the name of the city, originally settled by Greek colonists from Megara in 667 BC, and named after their king, Byzas. Byzantium’s location attracted Constantine the Great who changed the city's name to Constantinople. It was the largest city in Europe and the center of the Greek world. The Eastern Roman Empire had its capital in Constantinople from then until 1453. In May 1453, Fatih Sultan Mehmet conquered the city and named it Istanbul, which was part of the Ottoman Empire until its official dissolution in 1922.
Istanbul is one of the world's most beautiful cities. It has a lot of potential for new business and it attracts people from all over the world for its growing market potential. Istanbul is a compendium of beauty, charm and ideas. Since it has a lot to offer, it is therefore a big tourist attraction as well. Europe on one side, Asia on the other,- just 20 minutes away! You can do it with a simple ferry ride; it's really something to see. Istanbul welcomes people from all over the world with a happy smile and promises an experience that could never be forgotten.
The Roman theater at Ephesus
Iznik: a city famous for its tiles
Dyed wool at a carpet factory in Pergamum
Remains of the Temple of Artermis
We learn how they cultivate silk worms
WOMEN IN TURKISH CULTURE The influence of Ataturk
by Gulfem Akten
As the popular saying goes, behind every successful man is a good woman. Ataturk, founder of Turkey, was aware of the importance of women in society; he not only launched many reforms to give Turkish women equal rights and opportunities, but also adopted the new Civil Code, which abolished polygamy and recognized the equal rights of women in divorce, custody, and inheritance. He changed the entire educational system and made it coeducational.
Ataturk believed that women had the potential to surpass men in science, scholarship and culture. He admired the contributions of women. He believed that women needed to have the same opportunities as men, including full political rights. In the mid-1930s, eighteen women, amongst them a villager, were elected to the National Parliament. Later, Turkey had the world's first woman Supreme Court Justice.
Today, Ataturk's Turkey has millions of well-educated women who are teachers, doctors, lawyers, engineers, writers, administrators, executives, artists, etc. Turkish women were given their rights before many European countries, and unlike many of those countries, they did not have to fight for these rights. Because of Ataturk's vision, women were given equal rights. Later, Tansu Ciller served Turkey as the first female prime minister.
Although women are equal in every aspect by law, the goal has not yet been reached. Unfortunately, Eastern Turkey is not as lucky as the western parts of the country. What the government and society have been trying to do for years is to help school aged kids nationwide get an education. However, Eastern mentality does not always allow for such democracy. Today, there are scholarships to help school age girls get a good education. It is getting better every year. And as more girls who go to school are seen by the villagers, the more girls get permission from their fathers to go to school and be well educated. Our goal is to become what Ataturk wished for, and that is to give the opportunity to every single child to go to school and be well-educated.
Currently, only 24.3% of working-age women are employed. This is mostly due to the fact that Turkey has a large agricultural economy. There are scores of women who work for family businesses or farms without pay, and therefore are not recorded in the system. That percentage reflects poorly for a country that had its fundamental freedom way before many others. Big cities like Istanbul, Izmir and Ankara are the primary locations for working women. This will have to change since Turkey has such a young population. Women’s importance has to be realized so that society can capitalize on this opportunity.
Ataturk had wished for a modern European Turkey, and this should not be forgotten. The man that had given the country everything it has today, and made us realize how much potential Turkey possesses cannot be underestimated. Therefore as an independent woman, I am ready to do everything I can to take advantage of the opportunities that have been given to me and help my country to become better in every aspect.
1955 - Jacqueline in a Turkish jacket
PICASSO IN ISTANBUL
On view now until the end of March 2006 at the Sabancı University’s Sakıp Sabancı Museum (SSM) is Turkey's first exhibition dedicated to a Western artist. Picasso, considered to be one of the twentieth century's greats, is shown through 135 of his works. For more information about the exhibit, please click on this link
ON LINK TV: TURKEY & THE EU
If you are fortunate enough to have access to Link TV, they are presenting a most interesting documentary about European leaders and their real sentiments with regard to Turkey's admission to the E.U. The broadcast will be aired this evening, and three more times on Tuesday, November 29, 2005. Catch it while you can.
