http://www.tacam.org/docs/av/av_05_fall

Anatolian voice inside | SUFI & FLAMENCO | Republic Celebration | GATES OF BYZANTINE | Fire of Anatolia FALL 2005 | vol. 7 | issue 23

CONTENTS

FALL 2005

11 16

10 10 from Sufi to Flamenco 11 a celebration of Turkey 16 Gates of Byzantium

feature articles

20 Fire of Anatolia 03 President’s letter 04 Schedule of Events 05 OPEN BOOK

Community News

Peace in the World Flu Shots A Special Thanks

08 from the TACAM Archives 08 CLASSIFIEDS 22 Tasty Recipes 23 Editor’s letter

23 BOARD MEMBERS

ANATOLIAN VOICE

PRESIDENT’S letter Dear Friends, I would like to start my letter by wishing everybody a happy new year. Another busy year is behind us. We started with the General Assembly meeting and continued our events with the Father’s Day Picnic, Zafer Bayrami Picnic, Ottoman Poetry Night at the University of Michigan, Farmington Heritage Festival, Chicago Turkish Festival, wonderfully prepared celebration of the October 29th Republic Day Gala, Seker Bayrami celebration, great show of Fire of Anatolia, ATAA’s Convention in Chicago and saying goodbye to a great friend of our community Canan and Cuneyt Ozaktay. It was definitely a very busy seven months for me. I met many people, I made new friends and I learned many things: it was a good year overall, despite being very busy.

I would like to tell a little bit of my experience in ATAA’s Convention in Chicago. I listened to many good seminars: it was very interesting to meat with Turkish people from all the over United States. I listened to their problems, their solutions and experiences while we had lunch together. Mostly, I liked the evenings when we all sat down, talked and talked about everything and anything. While we are all trying to adopt to life in United States, I realize that we still miss our country, our customs and especially the friendships that we cherish. How lucky we are that we are not alone: we have our community, which provides us the comfort of not being alone.

Remember, you should be receiving your membership renewal forms very soon, and a survey attached too. Please renew your membership, it is very important that you support TACAM: all the work we do, we are doing it for our community—none of us have any gain but only working countless hours to do something for our community. Please do not forget to send your dues. TACAM exists because of your support, without you TACAM has nothing. Also, you should be receiving a survey to fill out, this survey will tell us what you want, what kind of activities you would like to attend, etc.

Let us know what you want, let’s hear from you, our members. We can only serve you better if you tell us what you want.

Now, I will end my letter thanking everybody who has worked very hard to help TACAM and our community, you are greatly appreciated. I salute you for your efforts and work. Thank you for giving me the opportunity to serve you. Thank you all and have a great year!

I would like to leave you with this poem from Cahit Sitki Taranci

DESEM KI Desem ki vakitlerden bir Nisan aksamidir.

Ruzgarlarin en ferahlaticisi senden esiyor.

Sende seyrediyorum denizlerin en mavisini, Ormanlarin en kuytusunu sende gezmekteyim.

Senden kopardim ciceklerin en solmazini.

Topraklarin en bereketlisini sende surdum.

Sende tattim yemislerin cumlesini.

Desem ki sen benim icin, Hava kadar lazim, Ekmek kadar mubarek, Su gibi aziz bir seysin; Nimettensin, nimettensin!

Desem ki....

Inan bana sevgilim inan.

Evimde senliksin, bahcemde bahar; Ve soframda en eski sarap.

Ben sende yasiyorum, Sen bende hukum surmektesin.

Birak ben soyleyeyim guzelligini, Ruzgarla, nehirlerle, kuslarla beraber.

Gunlerden sonra bir gun, Sayet sesimi farkedemezsen, Ruzgarlarin, nehirlerin, kuslarin sesinden Bil ki olmusum.

Fakat uzulme, musterih ol;

LEYLA D. AHMED 2005-2006 TACAM PRESIDENT

Ve neden sonra Kabirde boceklere ezberletirim guzelligini, Tekrar duydugun gun sesimi gokkubbede Hatirla ki mahser gunudur Ortaliga dusmusum seni ariyorum.

ANATOLIAN VOICE

Schedule of events January 2006 15 Sunday | Kurban Bayrami: Lamb and pilav will be served

February 18 Saturday | Fund raising Event: at night, Club House at Willow Court, Southfield, MI 48034

April 1 Saturday | From Sufi to Flamenco: an encounter in music, song and dance with cross-cultural currents from Spain and the Orient. Location TBA, organized by “Peace in the World” 23 Sunday | Children’s Day: more information will be posted in the upcoming issues of the Anatolian Voice and the website as always, check www.TACAM.org for more up-to-date information

diyanet takvimi Yilbasi | 1 Ocak Kurban Bayrami | 10-14 Ocak (4 gun)

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ANATOLIAN VOICE

OPEN BOOK Community News • •

•

Doctors Jennifer and Baran Sumer are happy parents of Ayla Anastasia Sumer. She was born June 17, 2005. Baran is doctors Timur and Nilufer Sumers’ son.

Ilkim Erturk has ventured into the business world with the opening of her diverse store Ionnia in Ann Arbor. The store features imports and hand-painted originals from Central Asia and especially Turkey.

Arun Bartu Sinha made his debut on Wednesday, November 9th at 2:00 am, weighing in at 8lb 1oz, and is 20” tall. He is the child of Rana and Sanjay..

Arun Sinha

Ayla Sumer

Peace in the World Upcoming Events for 2006 The “Peace in the World” Initiative is very excited to pioneer the planning of the first Turkish Festival in Michigan for September 2006. To make this event successful, we are in need of many volunteers. Please contact us at info@peaceintheworld. org or 248.701.1050, if you would like to take part in this exciting event. An event that will promote and show the American public our hospitality, culture and food. This Festival will be very similar to the one in Chicago at the Daley Plaza. It will have the Ankara Olgunlasma Fashion Show, Folklore Dancers, Whirling Dervishes, Mehter Takimi and delightful Turkish cuisine such as Turkish coffee.

ABOUT THE FLU and shots Options for preventing the flu Influenza (flu) kills about 36,000 people in the United States per year. Infection with the virus can result in symptoms: such as muscle aches, fever, sore throat, cough, fatigue and nausea. Getting a flu shot is still the best way to avoid the illness, but other options are also available.

Is the flu shot the best choice for me?

Flu vaccines contain the virus strains that scientists predict will be most widespread during the upcoming flu season. The viruses have been killed, so they cannot cause infection. The vaccine is injected into the upper arm. It takes about 2 weeks after vaccination to be protected, so the best time to get the shot is between October 15 and November 15. People at high risk for the flu should get a shot. They include: • • • • • • • •

Children 6 months to 23 months Caretakers of babies younger than 6 months Children aged 2 years or older who have a chronic illnesses, such as heart disease, diabetes, a blood disorder, or a weakened immune system Adults aged 65 years or older People who live in nursing homes Women planning a pregnancy during this season Those aged .5 to 18 years who take daily aspirin Healthcare workers

People who should not get a flu shot include babies younger than 6 months and people allergic to chicken eggs or who have had a fever. Most people do not experience side effects from the shot.

Am I able to get the nasal flu vaccine?

The vaccine is available as a nasal spray, although there are differing opinions about its effectiveness. About 3 million doses are expected to be available.

Healthy people aged 5 to 49 years can spray the vaccine in their noses instead of getting a shot. Side effects of the spray may include a runny nose and vomiting. Pregnant women and people around someone with a weakened immune system should not use the nasal vaccine. (continued on next page)

ANATOLIAN VOICE

Are antiviral drugs an option for me?

These drugs are another option for preventing the flu or for shortening the length of it if you take the drug within 2 days of sickness. These drugs are most often used in people at high risk of complications from the flu and are estimated to be 70% to 90% effective in preventing the flu. However, they can cause trouble sleeping, shakiness and depression. As always, consult your doctor for advice.

Source: Postgraduate Medicine, September 2005 TEXT sourced by Birol Halicioglu

Thank YOu! TACAM would like to thank all of the staff, performers, contributors, volunteers and sponsors for dedicating countless hours of their own time to provide a most anticipated and enjoyed evening. Thank you!

COMMITTEE

Script Writer: Ebru Basaran Script Editors: Ozlem Falkiewicz and Mine Ozalp Co-producers: Ebru Basaran, Ozlem Falkiewicz and Mine Ozalp Narrators: Ebru Basaran and Kemal Tarakcıoglu PowerPoint® Presentation: Beyza Sarıoglu Music: Mine and Gokhan Ozalp Special Effects: Onur Bay English Translation: Tuba Gurtekin

MineOzalp Chair Ebru Basaran Ozlem Falkiewicz Master of Ceremony Verda Gurol Tuba Gurtekin Canan Ozaktay Beyza Sarıoglu Voula Sonbay Didem Seyhoglu

Cast in the order of appearance

SPONSORS Semra Adman – Donated home-made baklava Leyla & Ferid Ahmed – Donated brownies, fruits and the Cake Mete & Mehpare Gencyuz – Donated Turkish flag balloons Meral & Kemal Goknar – Student Sponsorship Verda Gurol – Donated fruits and the cake Birol Halacoglu – Student Sponsorship Birsel & Alev Kusefoglu – Donated Turkish flag balloons and Çarık key chains as party favors Treasures By Tasci (Mr. and Mrs. Gokhan Ozalp) – Donated bookmarks as party favors OTHER CONTRIBUTORS Leyla and Ferid Ahmed – Logistics Cigdem Biber – Ataturk costumes, VCD from Turkey Sermet Gurol – Balloons and decorations Marcus Mann – Balloons and decorations Nurten Ural – Provided equipment

Paper Boy: Ekin Kayaalp Lord Kitchener: Ron Shull Voice of Ataturk: Serdar Eren Halide Edip Adıvar: Didem Seyhoglu Village Woman: Neziha Agrawal Voice of Officer Ali: Yuksel Taskın Student 1: Neeki Ozdemir Student 2: Ozlem Falkiewicz French Teacher: Mine Ozalp District Governor: Hakan Günel Hallac Asım: Onur Bay Kahveci Ali: Serdar Eren Hasan: Ekin Kayaalp And of course, TACAM would like to thank all of our donors for making it possible to support TACAM through their generous donations for the Silent Auction.

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ANATOLIAN VOICE  

from the TACAM archives Below is a vintage newspaper clipping from Hurriyet Newspaper taken from the summer 1987 issue of the TACAM newsletter (the called the TACAM Times).

CLASSIFIEDS NECC Telecom Inc. is in search for friendly full time or part time sales and customer service representatives who speaks Turkish fluently to join our team in Troy, Michigan. Experience is not required. Please contact the Recruiting Manager Izabela at 248-680-8882 ext. 274 or e-mail Izabela.ludwinska@necc.us. Go to the classifieds section on www.TACAM.org for job details or visit www.neccwireless.com Condominium for rent: 2964 Signature Blvd., Ann Arbor MI, 48103: Built in 2003, 1,469 ft2, 2 bedrooms, 2 full baths, carpet, cathedral ceilings, large kitchen with pantry, stainless steal appliances, finished basement (use as a 3rd bedroom or office), large storage room, attached 1.5 car garaged, washer/dryer, lighting fixtures, windows treatments included, water and sewage are free, easy on/off I-94, next to Briarwood mall, 7 min. to downtown Ann Arbor and U of M, 22 min. to Detroit Metro Airport, lots of shopping and restaurants: rent 1,890 /month + security deposit: 1.5 months rent. Contact Elif Persinger: es31790@yahoo.com; call 734.262.5366; www.TACAM.org for pictures 2002 Dodge Neon SXT: $8,250 or Best Offer; silver, automatic transmission, 4 door, power moonroof, 42,000 miles, air conditioning, 6 in-dash CD and cassette premium stereo, alloy wheels, cruise control, air bags, all records, excellent condition with remaining 7 Year/100,000 Powertrain Warranty from Chrysler Corporation. Contact Cihangir Tasdemir: cihangir@tacam.org; call 248.739.9149

the

Articles

for autumn

from Sufi to Flamenco Cumhurriyet Bayrami Gates of Byzantium Fire of Anatolia

ANATOLIAN VOICE 10

TEXT by Stichting Kulsan

from Sufi to Flamenco an encounter in music, song and dance

Eastern profound mysticism and Andalusian vivid

realism; music from monasteries alongside popular expression; the music, rhythms and dance of Southern Spanish flamenco contain an unmistakable Oriental element, which originated with the mystic 12th century Eastern Sufis. The Sufis and dervishes paid little attention to the borders between the two Islamic Caliphates of East and West. The migration and influence also moved in the other direction. In this way, Spanish-Jewish composers and musicians played an important role in the colorful Ottoman music, which developed in Istanbul at the Sultan’s court and in the Islamic dervish monasteries.

The “ilahi” (Islamic hymn) performed by the Sufi singer from Turkey, is effortlessly and harmoniously continued in the “martinete” (basic form of Flamenco), by the Flamenco singer from Spain. Combinations of string instruments such as the kanun (cither) with the guitar, rhythmic improvisations on the caja and the küdüm and the mystical melodies of the ney (reed flute) create tensions which dissolve with the accompaniment of the songs. In rhythm and movement of dervish-dance and flamenco, in the harmonies of the ilahi and martinete, the boundaries are blurred.

Oriental Influences in Flamenco Over time, Flamenco has developed in Andalucia to take its present form. The Moors occupied this area for centuries, with Cordoba serving as the capital. Because of the colonization and occupation of Andalucia by various peoples, the Moorish, Byzantine, Jewish and Mozarabic cultures greatly influenced flamenco. Furthermore, the 15th century saw the arrival and influence of the nomadic gypsy population. From the 17th century until 1860, flamenco was a part of popular culture—especially of the gypsies and the poor. The Orientalism in the “canto joudo” (deep voiced songs) as well as the complicated 12 beat rhythms can be explained by the contact of Southern Spanish society with the Greeks, Byzantines and Arabs, and also by the influence of Christian liturgical chanting, which has both Syrian and Hebrew roots.

Ottoman Sufi Music Islamic music developed differently in different countries.

The culture which developed under the Ottoman Empire was clearly enriched by the great diversity of peoples, cultures and traditions of this society. The mystical music and dance from the Far East, Tasavvuf (Sufi), became one of the pillars of Ottoman classical and religious music.

The classical musicians served the Palace of the Sultan,

who was often a musician/composer himself.

The musicians also actively participated in the mystical gatherings in the Tekke or Mevlevihane, the houses of the dervish orders.

Hymn and Ayin, classical compositions for the dervish ceremonies, formed the core of the mystical music, with lyrics taken from court poetry and from mystical folk poets, such as Yunus Emre.

The Jews developed their own Sephardic culture out of elements of their culture from Spain, supplemented and combined with Ottoman elements: they greatly contributed to Ottoman classical and mystical music. In Istanbul, Jewish composers made names for themselves in Oriental music as well as in Jewish; such as Izak Algazi and David Behar.Melodies from Byzantine-Greek church music sometimes sound remarkably similar to Islamic mystical hymns or Jewish synagogue song. In the mosaic of cultures people influenced one another. An example is the Greek-Orthodox musician Lambadarios Petros at the time of Sultan Selim III (1789-1807), who conducted the choir of the Greek Patriarchal Church. He taught the ney and was also a musician and composer at the court of the Sultan.

De Tekkes and Mevlevihanes are sometimes referred to as the music schools of the Ottoman Empire. In these schools the complicated and rich vocal and instrumental makam music was passed on from teacher to pupil orally, a tradition which continued into the last century, involving both the secular classical music and the religious mystical Sufi music, which plays an important role in the classical musical treasury of Turkey. The creation of the secular Turkish Republic began the end of Palace life and the Tekkes, resulting in a disruption and standstill of the musical tradition. In the second half of the last century the teaching of music was taken up again by teachers at the Conservatory, some of whom had received their education in the old tradition.

TEXT by Nurten Ural

a celebration of the

Turkish Republic

As once Mustafa Kemal Ataturk said; “Ifwholeheartedly wishthatyou celebrate About

12

PHOTOS

13-14

Membership

11 15

ANATOLIAN VOICE 12

cumhuriyet

Bayrami

As once Mustafa Kemal Ataturk said: “I wholeheartedly wish that you celebrate this great national holiday with ever greater honor, happiness, peace and tranquility. Happy is he who says I am a Turk,” Ne mutlu Turkum diyene.

Yes, this year all of us Turks and friends of the Turks in Michigan celebrated the 82nd anniversary of the Republic of Turkey. With the leadership of Mine Ozalp, chair of the event-committee, a grand “Mine-esque” event was put together. There were many unexpected surprises. Thank you to all who worked so hard to make this event possible.

During dinner the crowd watched Ataturk’s Costumes by the Ankara Olgunlasma Institute. Then our gracious master of ceremony Ozlem Falkiewicz introduced our president Leyla Ahmed who then gave a welcome speech. Followed by Nurten Ural, Michigan’s honorary consular general for Turkey, who gave an Independence Day of Turkey message and introduced Marty Callaghan, an executive film producer of Third Coast Films. Nurten also introduced Councilman, John Akouri. Mr. Akouri delivered a proclamation to TACAM from the City of Farmington Hills.

After dinner, the live Cumhuriyet Oratorio, “Towards a Democratic Republic,” took place. The sixteen volunteers in this performance spent weeks of preparations and rehearsals to produce this show. A special thank you goes out to Ebru Basaran who wrote the script and to everyone else who was involved.

After the crowd finished wiping their tears, they were entertained by a Cumhuriyet Choir which had ten musicians who sang the songs that our hero Ataturk enjoyed: the songs were Canakale Icinde, Pencere Acildi and Dag Basini Duman Almis.*

Then the evening was continued with everyone on the floor dancing all night with the tunes of our DJ Hakan.

As Ataturk once said, “the whole civilized world will once again recognize that the Turkish nation, moving unified toward the national ideal, is a great nation. I do not doubt that the long buried characteristics and abilities of the Turks will, as they progress, shine like a new sun on the horizon of the great civilization of the future.” I do not know if this is what Ataturk meant; however, I do know that all of the people that were involved with this event shined like a new sun on the horizon. What a great event for all of us who were there.

Please refer to page 6 for complete cast listings.

13 ANATOLIAN VOICE

Opposite PAGE A few close-ups reveal the happiness and pleasure at this year’s ball THIS PAGE Energetic celebrations from both the Choir (bottom) and Actors (top and bottom right corner), masterfully coordinated by Mine (center right edge), help bring much enjoyed entertainment with the history and music of the Republic. PAGE 14 Guests also enjoyed dinner, Turkish deserts, gifts and an eclectic silent auction graciously supported by our friends of the community.

ANATOLIAN VOICE 14

Enjoy these events and much more, including this newsletter, free-classified space on the Internet (www.TACAM.org), and discounts from sponsor’s stores with a TACAM membership!

Sponsor’s Advertisement

TEXT BY GARO LACIN

Gates of Byzantium

16

17 ANATOLIAN VOICE

a History of the Gates† 8

TETARTU PILI Fourth Gate

9

PILI TU AYIU ROMANU Gate of St. Romanus

This is the most famous gate in the 1453 siege of Constantinopolis (Istanbul).

The beginning of the Mesoteichion area (The middle of the land walls) was starting at St. Romanus gate (hill top) and was going down to Sulukule Kapisi (in the valley) and by going up again to Edirne Kapi (hill top).This area was the weakest for defense, that’s why the major attack was done here by the Ottomans.

The Otag-i Humayun of Sultan Mehmed II was set up across this gate, 6 stad away (1108 m)—today at the location of Maltepe Hospital. The canons were bombing this area non-stop. This gate was defended by the famous knight Giovanni Justiniani and the volunteer Venetians.

The last emperor of Byzantium, Constantinus XI of Paleologus, fell near this gate. The Ottoman army entered the city from an open hole at the north of this gate on Tuesday May 29th, 1453, around 10:00 am.

The gate got its name from the church of St. Romanus behind it. In the Ottoman period it was called Top Kapisi because of the biggest canon called Shahi was placed facing to the gate. Today, as short, it is called Topkapi. The arch is demolished, only the entrance exists. It is next to the Tetartu Pili.

PORTA TU PEMPTU Fifth Gate

Also called Ayia Kiriaki Pili (Gate of Ste. Ciriaci). It was the fifth military gate but it was also used by the public. The gate was also called Ste. Ciriaci from the church of Ste. Ciriaci behind it. In July 450, the emperor Theodosius II (402 – 450) had a fatal hunting accident by falling from his horse and injuring his spine in the Lycus valley, outside of the city walls. He was then carried by the Praetorian Guards and entered the city from this gate. There is an old Latin inscription on the lintel. The visibility is limited, it is almost worn out.

I found it important to describe this inscription because soon it will not be visible from corrosion. See bottom picture at direct left.

10

This is the third military gate, not for public use. It has no access to the outside and it opens between two walls. Today the ground level is raised. In the Ottoman period it was not used and was not given any name. It is next to the Mevlana Kapi.

PORTARVMVALIDOFIRMAVITLIMINEMVROS PVSAEVSMAGNONONMINORANTHEMIO “Pusaeus the Great, not lower then Anthemio (Governor), strengthened the entrances of the walls with firm gates”

Pusaeus was a Governor Praefectus Pretorio in the reign of Leo I (457 – 474).

The inscription was after the renovation of the walls by the Great Pusaeus in 469. In the Ottoman period, it was called Sulukule Kapasi after the Lycus River of the tenth tower between Topkapi and Sulukule kapisi. It is next to the Topkapi.

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PORTA TU CHARISIUS Gate of Charisius

Also called Porta Adrianopolis (Gate of Edirne). The gate is at the seventh hill of Istanbul and is next to the Sulukule Kapisi. It was named after Charisius, the chief of the Green Faction (Prasinon) of Constantinopolis, who had started the construction of the walls from Golden Horn in the 5th century. (Please refer to the Anatolian Voice Summer article on Gate no. 7 for more details, p. 16) The second possibility for naming could be the location of the gate in the property of Charisius family estate. The gate was also called Porta Adrianopolis for it faced the direction of Hadrianopolis (Edirne). On Tuesday, the 29th of May, around 10:00 am, when the city fell to the Ottomans, the first Kapikulu soldiers entered the city through here. The same day at noon Fatih Sultan Mehmed II (1451 – 1481) with his high officials entered the city from this gate. In the Ottoman period the gate was also called with the same name, Edirne Kapisi, but today it is shortened to Edirnekapi. By following north down the slope, it

ANATOLIAN VOICE 18

can be reached from Tekfur Sarayi to the famous Kerkoporta attached to the palace walls.

12

KERKOPORTA Circus Gate

This is the famous gate from the legend of Kerkoporta during the siege of 1453.

It was a military gate. During the siege all the gates were bricked up. Knight Justiniani opened this gate in case of counter attack and it was forgotten to re-bricked. The Legend of Kerkoporta was borne when fifty janissaries discovered and entered through the unbricked postern. It was the last gate on the Theodosian walls and was in the junction of the Comnenian walls. Doucas describes the location of this gate: “Pros to katothen meros to Palatio (a gate) towards down to the bottom of the palace.” The gate is attached to the outer walls of the Palace of Constantinus Porphyrogennitus (Tekfur Sarayi), where the last Byzantine emperor Constantinus XI lived. Dragazis Paleologus (1448 – 1453) had spent all of his time there during the siege. In the Byzantine era, the gate was named after a circus in the meadow, on the left of the moat which today is a Greek cemetery. In the Ottoman period the gate was also called with the same meaning: Canbazhane Kapisi. It is next to Edirnekapi. The arch of the gate collapsed in the earthquake of 1894. Today only the left curve of the arch and the inner entrance exist with its authentic laid bricks from the siege of 1453.

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PARAPORTION TU PALATIU KONSTANTINUS PORFIROGENNITUS The Postern of the Palace of Constantinus Porphyrogennitus

This postern was the entrance of the courtyard of the Palace of Constantinus VII Porphyrogennitus (913 – 959) (Tekfur Sarayi). The gate was open between the palace walls and the moat—it was not for public use. Nor was it named or used in the Ottoman period. Today the gate is bricked up with its authentic laid brick wall from the 1453 siege. It is next to the Kerkoporta if one goes 300 feet west. The ground level is raised three meters. The heavy bombarding destroyed the entire front wall in between Edirnekapi and Kerkoporta and the moat was filled with soil. As a result, today we are not able to picture the geography of the area as it was back then, but the moat in between Kerkoporta and the Postern of St.Callinicus still exists.

14

PARAPORTION TU AYIU KALLINIKU The Postern of St. Callinicus

This postern was used to go to the monastic church of St. Callinicus (behind this gate). It was not used or named in the Ottoman period. Today the gate is bricked up with authentic laid brick wall from the 1453 siege. The tower on the left side of the gate was called the tower of Phrantzis or the tower of Kaligaria.

Emperor Constantinus XI and his secretary Yeorgiu Phrantzis were watching the Ottoman army on May 28th midnight from this tower: Phrantzis, “We were unable to keep our tears. We left the palace and rode our horses towards Charisius gate, it was three hours passing the midnight. After giving courage to the all defenders, towards morning we went up the tower called Kaligaria .

We saw the Ottoman army. . .attacking with screams.”

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KALIGARIA PILI Gate of Caligaria

16

YIROLIMNI PILI Gate of Silver Harbor

It was open for public use and was the gate of the quarter of Kaligaria (Caligariae) behind it. The factory of military shoes—Caligae—was in this quarter, from which the gate and quarter received their names. In the Ottoman period, the gate was called Egri Kapi because of being crooked according to the straight wall. It is next to the St. Callinicus Gate.

The name is an abbreviation of Argiro Limin or “Silver Harbor”, because the view of the Golden Horn was shining from this gate like a silver belt. When the fourth crusade arrived to Constantinopolis, they camped in the field outside of this gate. Emperor Isaacius Angelus made all the discussions with the crusaders from this gate. In the Ottoman period the gate was not used Directions: After entering Tekfur Sarayi, walk west along the city walls, climb the demolished wall in the courtyard and walk carefully towards the round towers, the third one is the tower of Kaligaria.

19 ANATOLIAN VOICE

and was subsequently not given a name. Today the gate is bricked up with its authentic laid brick wall from the last siege of 1453. The ground level is raised two and half meters and the gate is buried in the ground. It is next to the Egri Kapi. A bust of an anonymous emperor once was over the lintel, now is in the Archeological museum of Istanbul.

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PORTA TON VLAKERNON Gate of Blachernas, Lower and Upper Blachernae

18

KSILOPORTA Wooden Gate

It is next to the Yirolimni gate, in Ayvansaray, at the junction of the Golden Horn (Halic). It was a unit of double gates. The exterior one is on the Leo V Armenus’ (813 – 820) walls and the interior one (which is opposite the other) is on the Heraclian (610 – 641) walls. The walls of Theodosius—after reaching to Tekfur Sarayi—are turned to the east to the Balat direction. This leads to the Tekfur Sarayi. The hunting pavilion Blachernae Palace, St. Nicolas church and St. Basilius Hagiasma lay outside of the city walls. When the Avar danger started, the emperor Heraclius (610 – 641) built these walls and took all the buildings into the city limits. This was the construction of the first gate of Blacherna on the Heraclian walls as an exterior city gate until Leo’s walls were built up. Today the steps, the patrol route and the station of the Greek fire (Grejua) exist above the gate. The ready army of the capital (in Praesentalis Germen) got fighters stationed in Scutari (Uskudar). Numeri Militum was the army of the palace. The 14th region-Blachernae (Ayvansaray) was protected by the Legionum Armenorum (Armenian Legion), who worked in the Byzantine army until the 10th century. In 627 during reign of Heraclius (610 – 641) when Avars attacked Istanbul and burnt the lower Blachernae, they were defeated by this legion. In 815, Leo V Armenus (813 – 820) built his walls in front of the Heraclian walls and added another gate of Porta Blachernon on his walls, which is opposite to the previous gate as an exterior gate of the Blachernae.

By this way, this section of the city turned into a military garrison. This gate was not for public use—only the palace officials could use it to go to the upper Blachernae Palaces. When entering from the exterior gate of the Blachernae, the Porta ton Vlakernon passed the garrison and exited from the interior gate, which reached the gardens of the palace in the lower Blachernae. According to Dion Byzantinus, the word in Latin Blachernae and in Greek Blaherna is given after “a Scyte General named Blacherna who got killed here.” PsedoCodinus said: “From a plant called Blachna (Turkish: egrelti otu), Fougere, Fern, (Filicineae Pteris-Aquilina), which grows in the swampy areas. Scarlatos Byzantios said: “In the shores of this area exist a lot of amout of Lacherna (Palamut fish-Bonito).” The first opinion from Dion Byzantinus, without historical evidence, is difficult to accept. Second opinion: in the Byzantine and the Ottoman periods, this area, towards the end of the Golden Horn, was wooded and swampy because of no water circulation: it is very good possibility for ferns (Fougere) to grow here. The third opinion is also acceptable, until 1969, when the schools of the Palamut fishes use to come from the Marmara sea and ended up by entering the Golden Horn (Halic). My opinion: Blacherna is the abbreviation of two words, instead of Blachnalacherna together (Ferns, bonito), as an abbreviation of (BLA)chna, la(CHERNA) turns to Blacherna. In the Ottoman period, this gate was not used and was not named. Today the gate is bricked up with its authentic laid brick from the siege of 1453. The ground level is raised 5 meters: half of the gate is buried to the ground. The moat is completely filled up. In the section, between two gates, there is a Turbe of Toklu Ibrahim Dede, who joined the siege of Istanbul in 1453.

This was the last gate of the land walls and it was next to the Blacherna gate.

It was on the additional supportive walls from the corner of the city walls in Ayvansaray, up to the sea of the Golden Horn. In the Ottoman period it was called with different names Dideban Kapi, Ahsap Kapi and Odun Kapi. It was demolished in 1868.

Unless otherwise noted, all dates are ad, Anno Domino.

†

ANATOLIAN VOICE 20

TEXT by Neeki Rad Ozdemir

Fire of Anatolia a journey of discovery

21 ANATOLIAN VOICE

Wednesday, November 2nd, finally arrived. And,

as I boarded the train in Ann Arbor, leaving my Turkishborn husband and tons of backlogs behind, I could not help feeling at least some degree of apprehension as to whether this whole middle-of-the-week leisure trip to Chicago was going to be worth the while. After all, it was not like I was Turkish! And the last-minute changes to the date of the performance made me wonder exactly how “professional” this dance troupe really was. But, as an aficionado of dance and folklore, indiscriminate of ethnicity, I remained curious of the highly-acclaimed reviews for Fire of Anatolia (FoA). So, I decided to put up with the hustle and bustle of the Windy City.

It was a sunny Indian summer day in Chicago as well. And a warm breeze blew through the narrow shady corridors of The Loop district. The blinking red, orange and yellow neon lights of the Chicago Theatre lit the words Fire of Anatolia on the old-fashioned marquee, creating the feeling that a flame was also burning outside the structure—as well as within.

The show started late. But, after all, both the performers and I had traveled from far. And the delay gave me a chance to appreciate the intricate interior reminiscent of old time grandeur and opulence. Finally, the heavy crimson velvet curtain rose. I recognized, in the rhythmic music and the alertness of the beat, the voice of a people who have had to constantly fight against the ruggedness of the nature surrounding them—a people galloping courageously forward on horseback.

The organization was around set two acts and a total of five scenes, which raised the show to a meaningful play with a clear message: a hope that Good will prevail over Evil. A classical theme, repeatedly recycled: FoA’s version offered nonetheless a new twist to an old story.

The forces of Good, although ultimately “victorious” over the forces of Evil, refrained from annihilating their opponents. In that sense, the underlying message was one of peace. Rather than focusing on revenge, FoA’s creators propose that harmony is achievable by gaining the respect of the adversary and through the ability to convince. A belief definitely noble in spirit, albeit maybe innocent and naïve given the reality of human nature. The forces of Evil, depicted through performers in black costumes, remained in control through most of the show (Act I, Scene 2 & Act II, Scene 1) and did not hesitate to torture innocents. But, the forces of Good, clad in white, managed to finally organize themselves in order to fight against Evil (Act II, Scene 2). Interestingly enough, the turning point coincided with spirituality, Sufism, and the dance of the Whirling Dervishes. So, what separates Good from Evil is the human conscience? The same conscience that distinguishes mankind from other animals? That’s what I interpreted from the abrupt movements and vulgar makeup of the Evil forces, when juxtaposed with the elegant gestures and flowing costumes of the proponents of Good. The forces of Evil acted like animals; they seemed primitive. The proponents of Good appeared aerial and enlightened. These contrasts of Black versus White, Darkness versus Light, and Experience versus Innocence are basic to all cultures; and, therefore, transcend national differences. Thus, FoA was able to convey a simple message to a global audience.

I discovered that another reason why FoA had managed to gain the hearts of audiences worldwide was probably because it taps on a variety of cultural sources for its characters. Zeus (the God of all gods), Prometheus

(the giant who stole fire from the gods in order to give it to mortal humans), and Pandora (the punishment to be bestowed upon mankind, in the form of the first ever woman) were borrowed from Greek mythology. As for Ahura Mazda (the spirit of Good) and the symbolism of fire (as the purifying force and the source of all life), they come from Zoroastrianism (the ancient religion of Turkey’s eastern neighbor, Iran). I also could not help notice that the creators of FoA did not hesitate to capitalize on the success of certain artistic expressions, particularly in the West: namely belly dancing, Lords of the Dance and Riverdance, and Korean drum players. All I can say about their ingenuity is: “Kudos to their acute sense of entrepreneurship!”.

Despite its avant-garde take on folklore dance, FoA would still serve as a great Course 101: Introduction to Turkish Dances. The choreographers of the show have attempted at modernizing folkloric dances by interspersing brief and simplistic episodes of Westernstyle modern ballet into a sequence of regional Turkish dances and other traditional Middle Eastern styles (e.g. belly dancing and dances Naturally, the proficiency associated with spiritual sectarian Islam). of the dancers leaves the Luckily, the frequency viewer with a complete of these modern ballet sense of satisfaction. sections decreases as the show progresses.

And the great variety of regional Turkish expressions, as well as the extremely clever choreographic formations, are enough to give joy to the audience. Naturally, the proficiency of the dancers, as well as the smoothly-designed choreographic transitions, leaves the viewer with a complete sense of satisfaction.

If I did notice anything lacking, it may have been in the absence of elaborate costumes. However, even though not rich in material, they were always appropriate. The overall visual impression was one of a simple stage, a uniform palette of slightly varying hues flourishing into a busy canvas, a massive parade of colors and senses.

I was especially impressed with the whole of Act II, Scene 2 and the “battle of the drums”. Imagine, if you would, a stage filled with some forty performers, each carrying a davul drum. Picture a stage first divided into clear troop formations of Evil versus Good, and then the scene of a one-on-one battle between Black and White soldiers. Initially, the scene is one of war: the drums engage in argument. Then, there’s a shift. They beat in concert carrying on a teasing dialogue.

All in all, words are not enough to describe the intricate nature of this show. Heavy in symbolism, every aspect of this performance deserves attention. A constant feast for the eye, ear and mind, Fire of Anatolia’s progression is as coherent as its moralistic message: the evolution of a people from primitive depths (e.g. the worship of fire in Act I, Scene 1) to sophisticated potential (e.g. a festival of colors in Act II, Scene 3). Its richness in variety is mind-boggling, and the discipline of its numerous dancers awe-inspiring. And the whole is a complete and quasi-perfect artistic expression making logical sense and lead by a strong theatrical drive.

So, I say: “May the fire in you continue to burn, Anatolia! Courage & Perseverance!”.

ANATOLIAN VOICE 22

TASTY Recipes Stuffed Tomatoes Serves 10

10 medium tomatoes 3 slices of bread 50 gr. pine nuts 1 bunch fresh basil 100 gr. feta cheese 50 gr. kasseri cheese 2 cloves of garlic 4 tbsps. oil Freshly ground pepper Preheat oven to 375 degrees.

Slice the tops of the tomatoes and empty the inside of the tomatoes leaving only the shells.

Cut the crust off the bread, wet crustless-bread with water and squeeze water out. Leaving dough like consistency.

Place the pine nuts in the frying pan (no oil) and stir until pink (med. heat). Slice the basil into small pieces. Then, Cut the feta cheese into cubes. Grate the kasseri cheese.

Press the garlic.

Mix the bread, pine nuts, feta cheese, kasseri cheese, garlic and oil. Add ground pepper. Divide this mixture among the ten tomatoes and replace the top halves. Oil the oven pan (glass) and place the stuffed tomatoes in it.

Place the pan in the oven and bake for approximately 30 minutes.

Ispanakli Peynirli Tepsi Boregi (Spinach and Feta Cheese Boreks)

Filling 3 pounds fresh spinach, trimmed ¼ cup vigin olive oil ¼ cup unsalted butter 1 bunch scallions, trimmed and finely chopped 2 egs 1 to ½ cup crumbled feta cheese 1/3 cup finely chopped fresh Italian parsley salt and freshly ground black pepper Pastry ¼ cup unsalted butter 1/3 cup milk ¼ cup olive oil 1 egg 1 pound filo dough, about 20 to 22 sheets Glaze 2 egg yolks ¼ cup milk Heat the oven to 375 degrees.

To make the filing, cook spinach in 1 cup boiling water

over medium heat, stirring often, until it’s wilted. Drain the spinach well and squeeze it dry; then chop it. In large skillet over medium heat the olive oil and butter, stir in scallions and spinach and cook for 2 minutes. Let the mixture cool. Add the eggs, feta cheese and parsley to the cooled spinach mixture. Season with salt and pepper, set the mixture aside.

To prepare the pastry, place melted butter in a bowl along with the milk, olive oil and egg and mix them together.

Brush this mixture on a 13 × 18 × 1 inch baking pan.

Carefully unroll the filo dough and place 1 sheet on the pan. Lightly brush the dough with a little of the butter mixture. Place a second piece of dough over the first and brush it with the butter mixture. Continue layering in this manner until there are 10 layers of filo dough. Put a damp towel on the remaining filo dough to keep it from drying out.

Spread all of the spinach mixture evenly over the filo dough in the pan. Cover the mixture for another sheet of dough brush with the butter mixture and continue layering and brushing each layer with butter mixture until all the filo dough is used. Make the glaze by combining the egg yolks with the milk. Brush this glaze over the top. Using a sharp knife, cut the pastry into 12 square or 24 triangles. Bake for 20 minutes in 375 degrees, then lower the heat to 325 degrees and bake for another 20 minutes. When they are ready the top will be lightly brown and crispy. Let the boreks stand for 10 minutes before serving.

This recipe comes from Sultan’s Kitchen, an excellent cook book with over 130 recipes from Turkish Cuisine. Prepared

by Ozcan Ozan, who has a restaurant in Boston with the same name. You can find this book on-line at Amazan.com or order it from Barnes and Nobles book store.

Reminder: Cookbook committee would like your favorite recipes for the upcoming TACAM cookbook. Please contact Verda Gurol (248.514.7835 and VerdaGurol@hotmail.com).

Afiyet olsun!

TEXT BY CANAN OZAKTAY AND LEYLA AHMED

23 ANATOLIAN VOICE

a note from the editor Well nothing too complex this season. Just a few newsletter updates. I reduced the size of the main body text

and was wondering if any of you find that too small to read (it’s 9pt): small change, but makes a lot of room. I am also hoping for a special winter issue with focus on Turkish Cultural history, but as always, your articles and work help make this newsletter a pleasure for the community!

EROL AHMED EDITOR

TACAM Governing Board 2005-2006

ANATOLIAN VOICE SUMMER 2005

Executive Board of Directors president | Leyla Ahmed vice-president | Mine Ozalp secretary | Cihangir Tasdemir treasurer | Voula Sonbay past-president | Canan Ozaktay

EDITOR Erol Ahmed

Board of Directors 2005-2006 Birol Halacoglu Verda Gurol Mert Aksu Marcus Mann Ilhan Berberoglu Alternate Board of Directors Ebru Basaran Zeki Aral Didem Seyhoglu Ilkim Erturk Zeynep Cakir Mutia Erig Board of Trustees Nurten Ural 2006 Ali Kayaalp 2006 Figen Ozsoylu 2006 Emre Bulbul 2007 Rengin Usmen 2007 Hulya Cakan 2007 Audit Committee Mehtap Aksoy 2007 Oguz Cekmeceligil 2007

Contributors Leyla Ahmed, Garo Lacin, Canan Ozaktay, Nurten Ural, Birol Halacoglu, Mine Ozalp, Cihangir Tasdemir, Neeki Rad Ozdemir Published quarterly by The Turkish American Cultural Association of Michigan P.O. Box 3552 Farmington Hills, MI 48333 phone: 248.348.4176 fax: 248.626.8279 anatolianvoice@tacam.org Advertising rates per issue Full page 125 USD Half page 50 USD Quarter Page 25 USD contact TACAM for advertising details www.tacam.org

ANATOLIAN VOICE 24

The Voice of the Turkish American Community

the ANATOLIAN VOICE is a quarterly publication of the TURKISH AMERICAN CULTURAL ASSOCIATION of MICHIGAN a Quick Reminder Know of any members not receivng their Anatolian Voices? Then please contact TACAM so we can immediately update the mailing list. Remeber, you only have two more issues left for the 2005 membership season so renew soon for 2006.

on the cover: pottery. perfect symmetry and classic colours of red, blue and green typify this peice.

Persia.