Wednesday 5 August 2015

Old Sultanahmet

A bar in Sultanahmet with a view out to the Marmara
Over the past few weeks I have been exploring around the back of Sultanahmet more. Normally people associate this area with tourism which is a wise assumption given the Blue Mosque, Hagia Sophia, Hippodrome etc are all in this area. But there is also a local neighbourhood as well. Filled with tea gardens, childrens' parks, laundromats, hole-in-the-wall bakeries and glorious, green leafy streets that catch the sweet breath of the Lady Boss. The deportation center for foreigners is also in the middle of here. A grand looking building with barred windows where men hang out their arms all day and night, shouting down to loved ones, friends even strangers.  I wonder how many people in there are waiting to be sent back to somewhere far worse. At the end of the building there begins a long line of noisy restaurants. What must it be like to sit behind those bars all day and hear a cacophony of clinking raki classes, tinkling cutlery and Turkish musicians singing ballads about loss.

Life is absurd and often very cruel.

***
Tomorrow I head to Australia for a month to see my family. I feel anxious about leaving my girls behind but unlike Monsieur Depp I do not have a private jet on which to smuggle them. I am sure they will be fine. And I need to go home. I need somewhere quiet to plot my life.

2 comments:

Stinky said...

So, your hero Slaven Bilić is now my team's manager (the mighty West Ham) and today we beat Arsenal at home - huzzah!

So do you still fancy this scrofulous, unkempt chap?

Joanna said...

Ha I know..I thought of you when he moved..obviously West Ham is now my number one team..Besiktas who? Time to move to the Ham me thinks..sooooo good to hear from you my tango master xoxo