Turkey Photos, Finally!

I know what you must be thinking right now - - "it's about time!" I know how you feel; I was thinking the very same thing as I began to create this entry. It's incredible how dependent our lives have become on the internet for communication; without access for the last month, I've been forced to return to more traditional methods of exchange. I surprised even myself when I wrote out (by hand!) a letter to one of my great friends from Wellesley who is studying for the year at the London School of Economics - oh, how my tired hand missed email at the end of that note. While I do appreciate gaining some insight into a no-'net existence, I can't say I'll be upset when I return to Wellesley's high-speed, 24 hour wireless network!

Turkey:


This photo is from one of my favorite spots in Istanbul: the Blue Mosque. Words can not describe the breathtaking grandeur of the place. It was truly incredible! We happened to be in Turkey during the month of Ramadan (the most important Islamic holiday); for those that don't know, this holiday consists of a fast during each day of the month, which is broken in the evening. Every night of Ramadan, next to the Blue Mosque, was the most wonderful break-fast fair. There were stalls upon stalls of the most tantalizing meats and sweets, a band playing popular Turkish songs, and very few tourists! It was walking around this fair, eating my baked potato and kebap, with the Call to Prayer playing over the mosque's loudspeaker that I had my most authentic Turkish experience.

The Hagia Sophia - another overwhelmingly beautiful place. Coming from Israel, where Judaism and Islam exist side by side, Istanbul felt like a different world. During my time in Turkey, I saw no Judaica anywhere; instead, it was Christianity and Islam that were indelibly intertwined. The Hagia Sophia was, originally, a Byzantine church that was converted into a mosque during Ottoman times. This kind of merging is very common throughout Istanbul's 'old city'.

A few more pictures from Istanbul:
















And, of course, the unforgettable Turkish tea and coffee:


As for my post-Turkey existence in the Holy Land:

I just finished midterms here at Hebrew University and, to tell you the truth, life in Jerusalem has become just that: life! I go to class, do homework (yes, sometimes we do homework : ), and my days have become, for the most part, routine. It still surprises me, though, that after only four and a half months I've become so settled, so much a part of the community here in Jerusalem, as to feel completely and totally at home.

For next week, my experiences with precarious Middle Eastern politics!

B'Shalom,
Meagan