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Saffron scented Arasta
[See more at:
http://whc.unesco.org/sites/614.htm http://www.altinsafran.com/ingana.htm ] x0x Saffron scented Arasta By Yelda Baler Along the rough cobblestone pavements in the bazaar of Safranbolu, the products displayed tell the stories of the old wooden mansions. This wood-scented, saffron-coloured city has a 5000-year past. From the Hittites to the Byzantines to the Seljuk Turks, many civilisations have left their traces. Fatih Mehmet the Conqueror took the land from the Candarogullari Turks, thus making it possible for us to see the colourful traces of Ottoman culture as well. Safranbolu, in the inner Black-Sea region, was an important centre on the east-west trade route to Istanbul in the 13th and 14th centuries. Traders stopped to sleep and to exchange their goods. Naturally, extensive trade led to production. One street houses the saddle and harness makers, another the quilt makers and head scarf makers. On the street below, the ironmakers and blacksmiths, all incessantly producing. Lack of arable land in the area led to the development of production and trade among the people of this hilltop city. Practices maintained for centuries constitute a heritage that lives on. One must wake up early in the morning in order to observe the liveliness Safranbolus Arasta brings to the city. If you take my advice, first take the road up the hill from the paved streets. Visit the clock tower built 200 years ago by Izzet Mehmed Pasha, the grand vizier of Sultan Selim III, and take in the view of old and new Safranbolu with the morning sun shining down on it, embroidered quilts hanging down from open windows framed with lace curtains, and red and green peppers hanging from wooden terraces. This was a good introduction before proceeding down to Arasta Bazaar next to the Koprulu Mehmed Pasha Mosque. The stone walled shops inside the Arasta, all arranged in order, may have not opened their shutters yet. They have wooden doors and window frames that contribute to the warm atmosphere. Look carefully through the frosted windows and you may glimpse scenes from history. As the sun rises higher, the shops, one by one show signs of life. Awnings and counters are opened. The elder shopkeepers are the first to open for business. The saddlemaker is at least 80 years old, but he has unlimited energy to continue producing colourful pack saddles, even though horses are no longer used in daily life. He structures the saddle with wood, fills it with straw and decorates it with colourful wools. He always enjoys having a friendly chat while he works. At the end of the street, an elderly woman lays out tablecloths, cotton covers and wooden spoons on her counter. Her tablecloths, called "sini bezi" in some places, are made from fine linen. They have natural designs, figured with imagination. They are printed from patterns delicate as needlework. The patterns are made of linden wood by artisans who carve them with great patience and skill. When completed they are dipped into the natural dyes and printed onto the cloth. BLUE BEADS Another shop opens. This time blue beads are hanging in the window. Enough of these beads are hung there to protect all of Safranbolu from the evil eye. A little further away, we see that the door of the harness shop has opened. There are cords, leather straps, thick ropes all brought out on hangers. Colourful felt scarves are also hung out as decoration. Do not be surprised if you see a child standing at the counter. He must be trying to choose the most colourful of the wooden tops. Meet the young girls in this town, who are making needlework lace called oya. Its a pastime for them, making these lacy borders for their headscarves. The richness of each individuals thoughts is reflected in her needlework. COLOURFUL HANDMADE QUILTS You encounter the most beautiful colours and patterns in the quiltmakers shop. Most of these handmade quilts are arranged in layers in wooden cupboards of old Safranbolu houses waiting for their guests. In one of the side streets a craftsman is already busy at work producing miniatures of the traditional Safranbolu houses. Some people are spreading sand in their gardens, some are watering their flowers. How about the coppersmiths? All these beautiful copper containers may be the reason why Arasta shines brightly under the sun. Teapots, samovars, bowls and glasses adorn shops and houses alike. Copper containers displayed on the counters and windows of the shops spread a dazzle of light along the stone street. Although today it is no longer done in many places, copper re-covering work from around Anatolia is still done here. The sun is nearly overhead now, and the shopkeepers have started eat their sesame rolls (simit) while drinking the morning tea. If you linger awhile in front of one of the shops, you are also invited to tea. At the spice-seller, it is possible to find anything from linseed to hollyhock. You will drink a glass of tea there too, so start to read what those herbs and spices are used for. If you come across a yellowish grain, resembling seeds, hanging from the wooden doors, you must have found the seeds of the salep flower, a variety of orchid. Your memories of Safranbolu will warm you in winter, More than the creamy, hot salep drink you make from the seeds or powder from Safranbolu, it is your memories of Safranbolu that will warm you this winter. Time is always the culprit. It consumes, makes you forget and destroys everything. The passion for technology, the speed and chaos of our age can easily sweep our saffron-scented values from our hands. Many among us pining after the old values still hold onto what we are about to lose, hiding them in big wooden cupboards and chests. They place the needlework left from grandmothers in the chest with great care and hang the natural-dyed rugs on their walls. Some people are not only saving the old treasures but are also actually working to bring them alive by producing and selling them. It would seem that we owe a debt of gratitude to those who have this urge to protect and maintain the traditional practices, the headscarf makers and weavers in Gaziantep; packsaddle makers and hamam clog-makers of Tire; the weavers of Kastamonu; backyard pattern makers and cloth printers as well as all the shopkeepers in Safranbolus Arasta Bazaar, the packsaddle makers, headscarf makers, quilt makers and blacksmiths, who continue to produce their traditional wares. Yelda Baler is a photographer and freelance writer |
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